Welcome to The Mountain Ledger, a weekly email newsletter highlighting things to do and news to know in Blowing Rock, Boone and the High Country. If you like this newsletter and find it useful, tell a friend! And feel free to drop us a line. Find out more about The Mountain Ledger here.
If someone forwarded you this newsletter, you can sign up here:
—
50-foot fall on Grandfather Mountain triggers complex four-hour helicopter rescue on Saturday; 2nd hiker carried out Sunday
A dramatic rescue near Grandfather Mountain on Saturday. (Photo: Linville-Central Rescue Squad on Facebook)
A 21-year-old hiker who fell about 50 feet on Grandfather Mountain was rescued Saturday in a complex operation that required two helicopters and dozens of emergency responders.
According to the Linville-Central Rescue Squad, Avery County 911 received a call around noon reporting that a hiker had suffered a significant fall while hiking the Profile Trail. The 3.6-mile trail climbs nearly 1,800 feet to Calloway Gap and is one of the steepest, most strenuous routes in Grandfather Mountain State Park, a destination known for its rocky terrain, dramatic cliffs and sweeping Blue Ridge views. The trailhead is on N.C. 105 near Banner Elk.
Once rescuers reached the injured hiker, they determined his injuries and the terrain made a helicopter hoist the quickest way to get him to medical care. North Carolina Emergency Management approved the request and dispatched the state's specialized helicopter rescue team.
Audio obtained by the independent publication Cops & Congress captured the precision of the operation. The hiker was hidden beneath a dense tree canopy, about 150 feet from a rock outcropping where a helicopter could safely lower a rescue basket.
"The patient is inside, on top of the ridge line in the woods, under a heavy tree canopy," one rescuer radioed. "We're going to need to bring him out to my location."
Moments later, the helicopter crew spotted the rescuers from above.
"Hey, I've got eyes on you, and the patient's between me and you right now," the pilot replied, according to the public record audio reported by Cops & Congress, a Substack publication that covers politics and public safety in Western North Carolina.
Rescuers preparing to load the hiker onto the helicopter. (Photo: Linville-Central Rescue Squad on Facebook)
As storms approached, crews discussed backup plans if deteriorating weather prevented the hoist.
"Just going to recommend continue with the basket just in case something goes south with the weather," one rescuer said.
The hiker was ultimately hoisted into a State Highway Patrol helicopter, flown to a nearby landing zone and transferred to a medical helicopter for transport to Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee. The operation lasted more than four hours. Officials have not released additional information about the hiker or his condition.
N.C. Emergency Management wrote on Facebook: “These types of high skill, high risk rescues are not completed by chance. It takes hundreds and even thousands of hours of training by all parties. North Carolina is so fortunate to have such great resources like our Search and Rescue Teams, that are always ready to respond.”
—
The following day, rescuers from the Linville-Central Rescue Squad were back at Grandfather Mountain, assisting an injured hiker on the Blackrock Trail:
(Photos: Linville-Central Rescue Squad on Facebook)
THINGS TO DO
Gatsby Gala, CarolinaDaze music and arts festival, music at BRAHM, High Country’s largest potluck
FRIDAY
“Gatsby Gala,” 5:30-11 p.m., at the Appalachian Theatre, 559 W. King St., Boone. Step back into the Roaring Twenties at the theater's annual fundraising gala, featuring themed food and drinks, live entertainment, casino-style games for fun, prizes and 1920s-inspired glamour. Guests are encouraged to wear 1920s or semi-formal attire. Proceeds support the nonprofit Appalachian Theatre's programming and preservation efforts. Tickets required ($75-$200).
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
“Looped,” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, at Ensemble Stage, 185 Azalea Circle SE, Banner Elk. This comedy reimagines a real 1965 recording session in which actress Tallulah Bankhead spent hours trying to re-record a single line for her final film. $30 adults; $28 seniors and military; $12 ages 16 and younger.
SATURDAY
“Headwaters Community Day Festival,” 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Elk Knob State Park, 5564 Meat Camp Road, Todd. Celebrate the area's mountain culture with live music, local crafters, farmers and artisan demonstrations. At noon, dig into what organizers call the High Country's largest potluck dinner; bring a dish to share. Free.
“CarolinaDaze Music & Arts Festival,” 6-11 p.m., at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers St., Boone. Indie-rock artist Snail Mail headlines this music and arts festival, with Nathan Evans Fox and Boone band barrett also performing. A portion of proceeds benefits Hurricane Helene relief. $35; free for App State students.
“Called to Response: Roger Zare Explores Horizon Line,” 6-7 p.m., at BRAHM, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock. Composer Roger Zare joins musicians from App State’s Hayes School of Music for a concert of original works inspired by landscapes and BRAHM’s Horizon Line exhibition. Free.
—
🎵 Live music this weekend
REAL ESTATE WATCH
Mid-century-inspired home hits the market in Boone
A striking mid-century modern home on nearly 9 private acres is now listed in the Timber Ridge at The Coves community, a gated mountain neighborhood just minutes from downtown Boone. It offers sweeping mountain views and refined mountain living.
Asking price: $2.299 million.
Details:
4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 3,015 sq. ft., built in 2024 on 8.58 acres
Main-level primary suite with a spa-inspired bath and walk-in closet, plus a second main-level guest room
Two outdoor entertaining spaces — a main-level deck with an outdoor fireplace, and a lower-level terrace with a fire pit
Finished walk-out lower level with two additional bedrooms, a family room, and a heated flex space for storage or a home gym
Oversized two-car garage with an attached mudroom, in the Green Valley Elementary / Watauga High school district
LOCAL NEWS OF NOTE
Blowing Rock to get ambulance station after town’s land swap with brewery
After decades without a dedicated EMS station, Blowing Rock is set to get its first ambulance base, following a land swap approved by town council last week.
Under the agreement, the town will exchange a 2.1-acre tract near Food Lion for a 3.9-acre parcel owned by Blowing Rock Brewing’s parent company at the intersection of U.S. 321 and Edmisten Road, across from the N.C. High Country Host Regional Visitors Center. Because the properties carry different appraised values, the town will also pay the brewery $240,000 to balance the trade.
Once finalized, the town will transfer the newly acquired Edmisten property to Watauga County, which plans to build the ambulance base there. Currently, the county stations an ambulance at Blowing Rock's fire station only from about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Outside those hours, calls are covered by a base in Boone, several miles away.
“This is a major step toward getting an ambulance base in Blowing Rock,” council member David Harwood said.
Ambulance response times have consistently ranked among residents' top concerns in town surveys and council meetings.
Council members credited brewery owners Jeff Walker and Todd Rice for reducing their asking price, calling it the key factor that made the long-sought project possible.
—
In brief: Beech mountain homeowners, bears and fog
Beech Mountain lost rental income dispute: The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled that Beech Mountain does not owe vacation homeowners for lost rental income after a six-month road and utility shutdown in 2024, finding the temporary disruption was a reasonable exercise of the town’s authority rather than a compensable taking. (N.C. Tribune, subscriber-only)
Bears at Mount Mitchell: The U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed the Commissary Ridge camping area near Mount Mitchell State Park on Aug. 19 after reports of increased bear activity and urged visitors to take extra precautions. (WLOS)
Foggy out there: August is the foggiest month in Western North Carolina, averaging 16.6 foggy days in Asheville as longer nights, calm winds and the region’s mountainous terrain help fog settle into valleys. (WLOS)
Thanks for reading The Mountain Ledger newsletter. You can find more on our website.
Let us know what you think! Or tell us what we should write about next. Or share your questions. Drop us a line at [email protected].
➡️ Why not share this email with a friend?