Tales from the Trail, Walking Appalachia from Georgia to Maine
- Volume 21
- / Issue 30
Cover Design Credit:
Kathleen Soriano Taylor
Cover Photography Credit:
For 153 days, Ashevillean Gary Sizer lived outdoors, joining an estimated 2,500 hikers who attempted the Appalachian Trail in 2014. The physical and mental toll it takes on these hikers is undeniable, yet many thru-hikers claim it's a positive, life-changing experience. And the number who attempt it is steadily rising each year.
arts
Smart bets: Lori Horvitz
“At 19, I was a rebel, a long way from that shy girl in the Long Island hot pink bedroom,” writes local author Lori Horvitz in her new book, The…Décorum: What the Arts & Crafts Conference offers to locals and their homes
The DIY aesthetic is not just a product of indie craft shows. Asheville residents, always in close proximity to mountain handicrafts, were primed for the Arts and Crafts movement more…Smart bets: The Three Davids
The accomplishments of renowned local musicians David Holt, David Wilcox and David LaMotte are impressive singularly. Collectively, the trio (performing as The Three Davids) boasts thousands of performances across the…Smart bets: Jonathan Odell
Wednesday, Feb. 4, marked the 102nd birthday of Rosa Parks and the release of novelist Jonathan Odell’s Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League. It’s perfect timing for a work…Phosphorescent bluegrass: The Punch Brothers tackle 21st-century smartphone stress
Chris Thile stays pretty busy. When Mountain Xpress caught up with him, the McArthur genius and virtuoso mandolinist was just about to board a plane for St. Paul, Minn. There,…Hearts Gone South hosts monthly Country Night at The Mothlight
Pie Walk fever is going around — have you caught it? A cornerstone of the monthly Country Night at The Mothlight, the traditional game of musical chairs (in which the…Smart bets: Product of the ’20s Fashion Show
Can any decade beat that 1920s-era allure? “Experience the glitz and glamor of the Jazz Age as models walk the runway in 1920s-inspired fashion by Asheville designers and boutiques,” says…For JD McPherson, making old-school rock is a labor of love
JD McPherson — who plays The Grey Eagle on Saturday, Feb. 21 — instills his music with the same visceral danger that marked the earliest rock music cuts. And he…
food
**RESCHEDULED** Soumu highlights West African comfort food
UPDATE: Due to inclement weather the Soumu has been rescheduled for Friday, March 20, at New Mountain. Doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance/$15 at…Season of change: An interview with Katie Button
Asheville has no shortage of local culinary celebrities. Everyone from food truck owners to tailgate market vendors — and, of course, award-winning chefs — could claim to be a part…Small Bites: **UPDATE: CONFERENCE CANCELED** 2015 Grape Growers Conference
The 2015 Grape Growers Conference, a community dinner and music event for Black History Month, Asheville Wing War and Asheville Small Plate Crawl.Beer Scout: Boojum Brewing debuts new pub
According to Waynesville legend, there’s a Bigfoot-like mountain man that roams the hills. Not often seen, he collects precious gems from around the mountains and stores them in empty growler-like…
living
Stone medicine offers the healing power of the earth
“Stones are truly as fundamental as it gets,” says Sarah Thomas, owner of Clarity Acupuncture and Clarity Stone Medicine, who has been studying Chinese medicine and the applications of stones in healing…Conscious Party: An elegant opera affair
WHAT: Asheville Lyric Opera Winter Gala WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m. WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton, 115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville WHY: The Asheville Lyric Opera is taking this year’s benefit…
news
Tales from the Trail: Walking Appalachia from Georgia to Maine
Since its initial construction in 1937, 15,524 people are said to have completed the thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail — “2,000-milers,” they’re called. Inspiration behind embarking on such a physically…
opinion
Rental guidance suggested
Vacancy rates for apartments in this area were recently surveyed by a consultant as being a percentage that is even less than the amount of butterfat content in reduced fat milk.Letter writer: Asheville offers multiple spiritual (and nonspiritual) paths
I enjoyed the cover article for a December issue (posted online on Dec. 24) entitled “Churches in the fall: local churches get back to their roots in a rapidly changing millennial…Letter writer: Committed community leaders needed for Asheville City Schools
What could be more important than nurturing the next generation? Public education is an essential part of our democracy, and a local board of education has one of the most…Letter writer: Leave your big-city driving habits at home
So, my beautiful city has expanded and improved in marvelous ways since my childhood days in the ’70 and ’80s. And some negative things have come along with it. As a native,…Find your gift, then give it away
“For it is in giving that we receive.” —~ Francis of Assisi There sometimes seems to be a paradox that lies between the idea of “altruist” and “artist.” This is…Letter writer: Julie Mayfield would be an asset on City Council
As a resident of Asheville for 18 years and an active member of my community, I’m always excited to see inspiring women leaders step up to their calling in politics…Letter writer: Zoning laws could ensure future buildings complement natural beauty
I recently returned from a visit to Scottsdale, Ariz. All of the houses and businesses there are set back 200 feet from the roads. The exterior of all the buildings…
