February 7th

This 4.3 mile, moderate hike​ runs from Wendell Begley’s home on Sunset Mountain to Route 9. It passes through property once owned by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, best known for his innovative system of self-supporting arches and vaults using interlocking tiles in some of New York’s most famous Beaux-Arts landmarks, as well as Asheville’s Basilica of St. Lawrence. He retired in Black Mountain and built an eclectic estate called Rhododendron and known locally as the “Spanish Castle”.

Difficulty: Moderate, 4.3 miles

February 18

Prior to desegregation, the YMI Cultural Center on “the Block” created spaces that allowed Asheville and Buncombe County’s Black community to access the resources they needed. Librarian Irene O. Hendrick opened and operated Asheville’s only Black library within the walls of the YMI for over three decades. With the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, Buncombe’s Black youth became engaged in the fight to gain access to all public spaces, forming ASCORE–the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality. The high school students of ASCORE led the effort that finally pushed the County to desegregate the library system in 1961.

February 21

The Cherokee Boundary was the eastern most boundary of the Cherokee Nation. This difficult hike traverses part of the boundary between the Cherokee and American colonists, as well as the Eastern Continental Divide at the crest of the Blue Ridge Range south of Black Mountain, continuing to near the Swannanoa Gap. Following the boundary, the hike ascends to elevations between 2,600 and 3,600 feet.  Almost all of the approximately 4.5-mile trip (many ups and downs) will be off trail and may require bushwhacking.

Difficulty: Difficult, 4.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 931 feet

February 27th

Join us for this hike to the Little Hump and Hump Mountain Balds via the historic Overmountain Victory Trail and the Appalachian Trail. This 8.6-mile moderate/Strenuous out-and-back hike with 2,306 feet of elevation gain will take us to the spectacular views of Little Hump and Hump Mountain. Led by Luke Largess and Elizabeth Leland this hike offers views of the Tennessee and North Carolina Mountains including Grandfather Mountain to the East and Roan Mountain to the west. The summit of Little Hump is at 5,453 feet and the summit of Hump Mountain is at 5,587 feet with views comparable to the Sound of Music! In 1780, more than 2,000 Patriot militiamen hunted British Major General Patrick Ferguson’s army for two weeks, trekking through Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, crossing the Appalachian Mountains along the way.

February 27th

In this fun crochet class we will up-cycle our knitted clothing with playful, easy crochet stitches to add color and zest along edges, while I’m sprinkling in some history of crochet. You will be introduced to: slip-stitch which adds a decorative edge along projects, and picot-stitch that creates a romantic wavy chain loop effect, as well as chain-stitch which can be shaped into a decorative heart or spiral to be sewn onto your project. 

Required: Bring several knitted clothing items to be spruced up during class (could be store-bought and/or handmade knit garments: think cardigan, blouse, sweater, skirt, tops, bag, hand warmers, beanie, scarf or even knitted fabric swatches) these are gonna be your “material” to work on during class. I will also provide knitted scraps to practice on. 

This crochet class is suitable for all skill levels (newbies as well as seasoned) crocheters.