Story Type: Community

Sav Sankaran

Sav Sankaran

From his humble beginnings with a weekend job at Orvis, Sav has gone on to join the corporate landscape at Orvis in his current pivotal role as Inclusion and Engagement Business Partner. His experiences navigating the outdoor industry as a person of color have informed his unique approach to fostering belonging.
 
In this episode, walk through Sav’s personal journey in the outdoors, and he reflects on how his passion for fly fishing helped unlock his identity, and helped give him a sense of community as a young boy growing up in Pennsylvania’s Central Appalachia.
 
Sav discusses the importance of fostering a sense of belonging for the underrepresented in the outdoors, and he draws on his personal journey to help contextualize an equitable and inclusive workplace. Sav and Mike talk about a shared belief in treating people like human beings with dignity and kindness, and he urges us to not get caught up in the trappings of misunderstanding and over politicization. Based on decades of first hand experiences, the outdoors creates spaces where people from all walks of life, beliefs and backgrounds can come together to experience nature’s beauty together.

Brent Nelson

Brent Nelson

When Brent Nelson swapped his corporate badge for the wild call of entrepreneurship, little did he know that his family RV trip would spark the creation of Tentrax, a beacon for adventurers seeking the ultimate in compact, customizable camping trailers. His story, infused with the warmth of a community brought together by a love for the outdoors, unfolds the journey from structured office life to the helm of a company that’s not just selling trailers, but facilitating memories and friendships in the great outdoors.
 
Navigating the intricate engineering behind Tentrax’s versatile campers, designed for vehicles of all sizes and the needs of diverse adventurers, Brent pulls back the curtain on the customization process, revealing how each trailer becomes a unique companion on the road, tailored to the clients’ whims—from matching wheels and tires to outfitting for off-grid living. 
 
Circling a campfire of stories—gold prospectors, backyard campers, and annual events that transform strangers into a band of outdoor aficionados—we’re all reminded that Tentrax is more than a trailer company; it’s a cornerstone of a community that thrives on shared adventures. 

Laura Blythe

laura blythe

Laura Blythe shares her transformative experience through mountain biking and delves into the 7Moons Mountain Biking program, where she intertwines her vibrant Cherokee heritage into every pedal stroke on the Fire Mountain Trails system and throughout the Qualla Boundary. Discover how this program transcends fitness, serving as a bridge between past and present, while nurturing a community that rides together and grows together.

Laura paints a vivid picture of the 7Moons program, where participants pedal through rides rich with Cherokee language, myths, and history, fostering a deeper connection to their roots and promoting physical and mental well-being. Through her narrative, uncover the program’s broader ambitions for youth outreach and cultural preservation, aiming to cultivate a new generation of bikers who carry the torch for their heritage with pride.

WNC Fly Fishing – The Future is Downstream

Woody Platt fishes the East Fork of the French Broad River - Photo by Joanna Brown
MADE BY MOUNTAINS STORY

WNC FLY FISHING "THE FUTURE IS DOWNSTREAM"

The breadth and variety of fishing opportunities present in WNC make it one of the best places to learn to fish. There’s a lot of water and it’s really accessible. We also have a huge number of fly shops and guides, a concentration of industry that doesn’t exist in the rest of the country.

Western North Carolina celebrates a unique and tight knit fly fishing community with an immense impact as an outdoor recreational economic driver. As the popularity of recreational fishing in these waterways grows, more guide and gear companies are born in the region, and generations of families and more diverse communities become involved, we must work together in conservation efforts to ensure clean headwaters and healthy fish populations, particularly our native Brook Trout species, which are an indicator for all other river life. Written story by Graham Averill. Video Directed and Edited by Robb Leahy.

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on the river

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Jessica Whitmire at Headwaters Outfitters - Photo by Joanna Brown

Jessica Whitmire can’t imagine life without the French Broad River. The WNC native grew up on its banks, in the heart of Transylvania County. She learned to cast for trout into its eddies, paddled its rapids, took her first driving lessons on the backroads along those banks. Today, Whitmire is the Director of Operations for Headwaters Outfitters, a fly fishing guide service and shop that her parents co-founded when she was just 7 years old, largely out of their love for the French Broad.

“My mom was the person that made you pick up trash while on an adventure,” Whitmire says. “There isn’t a paddling trip I can remember where she didn’t end up with a big bag of trash she collected.”

The French Broad, and the endless miles of feeder streams that tumble off the mountains surrounding it, have been the canvas for Whitmire’s life, both as a child and as an adult. And, Whitmire is not an outlier in this respect. The mountains of Western North Carolina are pieced together by thousands of miles of streams and rivers just like the French Broad River, that serve as the connective tissues between individuals, cultures and communities.

Sav Sankaran Fishes the East Fork of the French Broad
Photo by Joanna Brown

finding identity

The trout that thrive in those streams haven’t just fed our bodies, they’ve helped craft our identities. from time immemorial when the Cherokee fished Brook Trout before Europeans arrived, all the way to today. Just consider Sav Sankaran, a first-generation American and son of immigrant parents, who found his sense of place in part through fishing the waters of Western North Carolina.

“Issues of identity and sense of place are central to my story,” Sankaran says. “I found my American identity in the pursuit of trout. My sense of ‘home’ was forged knee deep in Appalachia’s trout streams.”

Sankaran guided and advised local fly fishing trips for years out of Orvis’ Asheville shop, and now his role has grown to a national and global stage, serving as the Inclusion and Engagement Business Partner at The Orvis Company. He works tirelessly to introduce more people to the joys of casting for the very fish that helped him find his place in the world.

“I have a tattoo of a brook trout on my arm as a way to claim my identity,” Sankaran says. “I was made by the wildness of this place. And trout have always been at the center of Southern Appalachian culture.”

A $1.38 Billion STATE ECONOMY

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Appalachian Brook Trout - Photo by Pete Yeomans

Today, those trout aren’t just central to local culture, they’re central to our local economy. According to a newly published economic impact report by the NC Wildlife Commission, the trout fishing industry contributes $1.38 billion to the state’s economy. That money comes from anglers buying licenses and gear, visitors eating at local restaurants, hiring guides and staying in hotel rooms…the list goes on.

Locals like Sankaran and Whitmire are working hard to make sure people of all genders and races feel comfortable casting a line in our streams. Through Pisgah Area Women’s Fly Fishing, Whitmire works to create safe spaces for women to be introduced to fly fishing. Through Orvis’ outreach and education initiatives and as a Board Member of the Minority Outdoor Alliance, Sankaran actively encourages more people of color to try their first roll cast. And he thinks Western North Carolina is the ideal place to introduce new people of all backgrounds to the joys of fly fishing.

“The breadth and variety of fishing opportunities present in WNC make it one of the best places to learn to fish. There’s a lot of water and it’s really accessible. We also have a huge number of fly shops and guides, a concentration of industry that doesn’t exist in the rest of the country. And in WNC, the sport sits squarely at the intersection of accessibility and affordability. We have a wealth of cold-water resources, ample public access, and it can be done with minimal investment on the part of the angler.”
SAV SANKARAN
inclusion and Engagement Business Partner - The Orvis Company
Catching a Native Brook Trout
Photo Courtesy of Jay Hawthorne; Land o' Sky Trout Unlimited

WNC'S WATERS

On WNC’s waters, you can hike five miles into the backcountry to fish without seeing another person all day, or you can stop at a roadside hole and cast a line for 20 minutes with your buddies on the way home from work. The quality of the streams in this area are unmatched. Take Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which sits within a day’s drive of some of the largest cities in America, but still offers pristine mountain fishing.

“There are few places in the world that you can still catch native trout, in their native habitat that is relatively unimpaired,” says Matt Kulp, Fishery biologist for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kulp is talking specifically about Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, the only trout species native to Western North Carolina. They’re small, feisty, and prone to cold water at high elevations. Unlike the lumbering rainbow trout, “Brookies” are hard to catch and even harder to protect. The threats are numerous, from acid rain to invasive species to steep-slope development, but keeping this native fish alive and well is more important now than ever, because the health of brook trout is connected to the health of the human population.

Conservation flows downstream

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Jessica Whitmire teaches her son, Waylon, how to cast a line outside of Headwaters Outfitters on the East Fork of the French Broad - Photo by Joanna Brown

“Trout conservation flows downstream,” says Jake Rash, the Coldwater Research Coordinator for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. “If we’ve helped conserve native Brook Trout, we’ve helped the top of the watershed be in a better place, which means that water starts flowing downstream to the animals, people, and communities that depend on it in much better condition than it would be otherwise.”

Brook Trout conservation is a collaborative effort. Everyone has to buy in, from the legislators passing the laws to non-profits, like Trout Unlimited, that work to implement conservation strategies on the ground, to the kids learning about the fish on their school field trip. Just ask Woody Platt. The professional bluegrass musician worked to restore the small trout stream on his family farm in Transylvania County, and knew he would need a lot of help.

“Everyone piled on,” Platt says of his conservation project. “It was wonderful to see all these agencies work together and focus on doing one job collectively.”

community in these mountains

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Woody Platt fishes the East Fork of the French Broad River - Photo by Joanna Brown

Trout Unlimited spearheads a lot of the conservation efforts that impact our rivers, but they know they can’t do it alone.  “We have an ambitious conservation mission,” says Beverly Smith, VP for volunteer operations for TU, “and we know if we thought we were just gonna do this by ourselves, we would be ineffective and we wouldn’t get it done.”

Local anglers know we need to see more of that sort of collaboration moving forward, which is one of the reasons efforts to diversify the sport are so important. Yes, everyone should know what it feels like to catch that first trout on a fly, and everyone should feel at home in the streams of Western North Carolina. But a more diverse angling population means a larger pool of conservations protecting those trout and their streams.

“When someone falls in love with water and trout, they’re more likely gonna fall in love with protecting that,” Platt says.

Sankaran agrees, and thinks that urge to protect is inevitable. “There’s an allure to Appalachia. It’s rooted in the mountains’ inherent ancientness. The settings you find yourself in when chasing trout in the mountains allow you to connect to that feeling. These mountains have gravitas.”

A MADE X MTNS production by videographer, Robb Leahy. Additional Footage by John Dupre and Joel Sandovos. Additional media provided by Trout Unlimited, Matt Kulp, David Wise, Rigged and Ready, Storyblocks, and Ian & Charity Rutter. Interviewers are Amy Allison and Joanna Brown.

Special thanks to: Trout Unlimited – Land O’ Sky, Trout Unlimited – Pisgah, Orvis, Fish Cherokee, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Headwaters Outfitters, Rigged and Ready, Outdoor Business Alliance of WNC, Brown Folks Fishing, Minority Outdoor Alliance.

Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians

Fire Mountain Trails - Image by Robb Leahy
MADE BY MOUNTAINS STORY

EASTERN BAND OF THE CHEROKEE INDIANS

These outdoor venues establish a dual-purpose economy that not only invites people into our community, they invite our community back into the heart of itself.

Award-winning author and EBCI Tribal Citizen, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle tells the story of how and why the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians have prioritized outdoor recreation to increase access and connection to their land, and drive an outdoor economy that increases quality of life and furthers a sense of community for all tribal citizens and visitors alike.

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OF THIS LAND

When a people can trace their history, their culture, and their connection to a specific piece of land dating back to the beginning of time, they recognize that this is not only a gift, but a responsibility to ensure that future generations will always be able to do the same. As Cherokee people, we are recipients and stewards of such a gift.

We are of a place that provides four seasons of cultivation, growth, harvest, and regeneration—an environment that reminds us of our own need for these seasons as human beings. And so, in this way, we take our instructions from the mountains, valleys, and waterways. In order to find our internal balance, we seek the lessons of this landscape.

Fishing on Raven Fork River - Image by Joanna Brown

GROWING UP

I grew up exploring the mountain ranges behind my house and swimming in the waters of the Oconaluftee River behind my parents’ souvenir shop—the business that provided food on our table and a college education for my brother and I. I grew up watching this business feed stories of our culture to seasonal tourists in a manner that both celebrated and commodified our culture based on consumer demand. In general, my lived experience as a Cherokee person was vastly different from what was shared with the general public. Historically, tourists found their experiences in stores or at performances in Cherokee. What they likely didn’t know twenty years ago, is that the true foundation of our culture was waiting outside those shop doors and backstage of entertainment venues.

NATURAL RHYTHMS

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Fire Mountain Trails – Image by Robb Leahy

As I grew up, I found myself separated from the outdoor spaces that had shaped my identity. More and more I was in classrooms or offices. 2017 changed all that. This was the year that the Fire Mountain Trail system opened and pulled me back to my childhood roots of earnestly living in my environment instead of driving through it. As a woman approaching middle age who was trying desperately to find balance in a life composed of family obligations, career aspirations, and community commitment, it was the opportunity to re-engage with the outdoors that healed me.

Physically, I lost sixty pounds. Professionally, my writing became grounded in the narratives of landscape. Personally, I met and built friendships with people who restored my faith in human connection. I became a cyclist, something I had never been. And I believe wholeheartedly that I became a cyclist because it brought me back to the mountains which had made me. I returned to the natural rhythms of this place.

This year, I have expanded personal goals to include an “Every day on a trail” objective. North Carolina has recognized 2023 as the Year of the Trail. I decided to honor that by spending some time each day during the year on some form of a trail. I travel quite a bit, so I have been on trails all over the southeast—land and water. Manmade and natural. These experiences have informed both my personal well-being and my writing life.

"I became a cyclist because it brought me back to the mountains which had made me. I returned to the natural rhythms of this place."
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

THE WEALTH OF NATURAL LANDSCAPE

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Fire Mountain Disc Golf Sanctuary - Image by Robb Leahy

During a recent writing residency, my host took me on a boat ride to show me the important historical and natural sites along a river. As we took in the vista, she lamented that every time her grown children come to visit her, they have work projects that pull them away from being present and joining her on the river, or as she put it “really being there.” What I gathered from this conversation is that her children did not see this unique landscape for everything it offered. It held less currency than the paycheck they were earning through Zoom meetings and email memos. Their sense of a visit home had become detached from the landscape of their home and, consequently, they had become detached from family. In this way, the drive for participating in an economy separates far more than it connects.

Any economy includes the wealth and resources of a community. And the wealth of our region is our natural landscape. When we consider the outdoor economy, oftentimes we think of ways to monetize the natural gifts we have been afforded. But a responsible outdoor economy is far greater than that. It incorporates the values systems of a given place.

Fishing on the Raven Fork River - Image by Robb Leahy

SUSTAINABLE ACCESS

Just as we cannot only spend out of a personal bank account without ensuring that consistent deposits are also made, we cannot extract from our natural environment and assume it will always produce. Focusing our efforts toward developing an outdoor economy requires that we take the time and effort to understand how we sustain this wealth. How we expend and replenish it. How we provide equitable access.

An outdoor economy moves us from a model of consumer and producer to a model of stewardship. And when done right, it moves cultural tourism from a model of cultural voyeurism to a model of cultural engagement. By inviting visitors to appreciate our natural landscape in a responsible way, we finally communicate who we really are as Cherokee people. We are sharing a core value, the value of “Strong connection with the land and commitment to stewardship of the homelands of the Cherokee.” It becomes less of an extractive economy and more of a shared community that revitalizes us as Cherokee people.

ON BEING MADE BY MOUNTAINS

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Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle - Image by Robb Leahy

For every trail that introduces visitors to Smoky Mountain vistas, there is an opportunity for a Cherokee person to use that same trail as a means of teaching traditional plant knowledge to their children. For every ADA compliant fishing pier built along the Oconaluftee, a Cherokee elder can continue to access and consume foods of a traditional diet. These outdoor venues establish a dual-purpose economy that not only invites people into our community, they invite our community back into the heart of itself. We are healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually because of it. We can take pride in what we are sharing with the rest of the world—an authentic understanding of how these mountains made us and how we will continue to sustain each other.

"These outdoor venues establish a dual-purpose economy that not only invites people into our community, they invite our community back into the heart of itself. We are healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually because of it. We can take pride in what we are sharing with the rest of the world—an authentic understanding of how these mountains made us and how we will continue to sustain each other."
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

Lisa Cooper

Made By Mountains Story

Lisa Cooper

I started working in the store from day one when we moved up here. I was 11. As I take on the leadership for Mast Store, I have been blessed with the idea of carrying my parents’ vision forward with this store. It’s about the people, it’s about the community, it’s about having fun every day at the office and the store, and making a difference. At the end of the day, when I can go home and say I helped someone else, that’s what fills my bucket.

Lisa Cooper, daughter of John and Faye Cooper, is President of Mast General Store. We take a look at Mast Store’s rich history in the High Country community of Valle Crucis and across Western North Carolina, how it became an employee-owned company, and why when you work at Mast Store, you become a valued part of its family.

Thank you to Lisa Cooper, Suzy Greene and Sheri Moretz for their time and help creating this MADE X MTNS Story.

Mast General Store

When Mast General Store opened in 1980, it primarily stocked the goods that locals needed…milk, bread, clothing, coffee. Mast Store occupied the same historic building in the heart of Valle Crucis that had housed a general store since 1883. New owners, John and Faye Cooper, wanted the store to continue to be a resource for the community. One of the foremost things the locals wanted was the re-opening of the Valle Crucis post office, which not only provided a place to pick up the mail but also keeps the tiny rural community on the map.

Mast General Store has evolved since then. Instead of one small store in Valle Crucis, there are now 11 stores throughout the Southern Appalachians, all of which carry the staples that have made general stores famous, and also the addition of quality outdoor gear and apparel. The leadership has evolved, too. John and Faye Cooper have retired, and now their daughter, Lisa Cooper, runs the family business, which became employee-owned in 1995.

And yet, with all the changes, visiting a Mast General Store has stayed true to its core principle of fulfilling the needs of the community. For visitors, walking into a Mast Store still feels like stepping back in time.

On Moving to Valle Crucis, Running a Family Business and Becoming Part of the Community

My family came up on winter ski vacations and fell in love with the store and the area. My dad in particular loved the historic nature of the store. They literally drug me to the mountains and I had no idea how life-changing that would be.

My parents wanted to leave the rat race and run a small family store. I joke that they just created another rat race at an old general store in the middle of nowhere, where we lived on the top two floors for four years.

The store was a disaster, because it was closed for a couple of years. We had to build it back from scratch. It was old merchandise, spoiled food, the post office had been closed for a couple of years…I started working in the store from day one when moved up here. I was 11.

As I take on the leadership for Mast Store, I have been blessed with the idea of carrying my parents’ vision forward with this store. It’s about the people, it’s about the community, it’s about having fun every day at the office and the store, and making a difference. At the end of the day, when I can go home and say I helped someone else. That’s what fills my bucket.

Watching how my parents interacted with the community, they set the bar high. The community was so excited that Mast Store had reopened. They came in and gave input and embraced us as the owners, even though we weren’t locals. One of the first successes my parents had was getting the zip code to Valle Crucis back and reopening the post office. And, it’s still open. It’s an honor for us that people come here and get their mail and a nickel cup of coffee.

On Creating a Company Culture that Helped the Business Grow

Lisa Cooper Valle Crucis Store
Lisa Cooper / Mast General Store

It took a while before my parents could hire someone to come in and help with the store, and they wanted that person to be part of the family. If you’re spending eight hours a day with someone, you need to enjoy spending time with them.

I remember we were living on top of the store at the time. One of our employees — the sweetest lady — was without a home, and she stayed upstairs with us. That’s the core, the foundation of what my parents did for their employees, and why we’re now an employee stock ownership program company that helps employees understand how their work contributes to our success.

We just hosted our annual employee anniversary dinner, which recognizes those with milestone tenure – 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 years of service. It is amazing the number of people in all roles of the store who have spent so much time with us.

Our growth was organic in nature. Friends bought a store less than half a mile away, and they invited my parents to be involved. That allowed us to expand into the outdoor gear and apparel space.

Later, a department store in Boone went out of business, and the community leaders in Boone suggested Mast Store should move into the space. So, my parents sold our house to buy the building. Then another Downtown called and said we need to bring Mast General Store to Waynesville, N.C., and so on-and so-forth. All of the Downtowns said “we need a Mast General Store.”

My dad had a vision of “we can do well here” in the towns that contacted us wanting a Mast Store. We’ve been able to stay true to our roots and stick to small towns in and around the mountains.

“That’s the core, the foundation of what my parents did for their employees, and why we’re now an employee stock ownership program company that helps employees understand how their work contributes to our success.”

Lisa Cooper

On Becoming a Family Tradition and Staying Local

Mast General Store Valle Crucis

Mast General Store Annex / Valle Crucis, NC

Over the years, Mast has become a tradition for so many families. Whether you’re 2 years old or 102, you’re enjoying something about the store. You come to us for the experience, not necessarily for a need. We try to provide a local experience. I love getting out and working in the store. I look at people’s footwear when they walk in the store, and if they’re wearing hiking boots, I’ll tell them about a local hike.

Resourcing local is what people want to see. Locals and visitors alike want to be able to take something home from this area, and being able to provide it is important to us. Local products add to the experience. When you can say a brand is made here, it means so much to the customer and our employees, to represent the area we live in and to support those businesses.

“Whether you’re 2 years old or 102, you’re enjoying something about the store. You come to us for the experience, not necessarily for a need.”

Lisa Cooper

On Nurturing the Outdoor Connection

Outdoor Gear at Mast General Store

Outdoor Gear at Mast General Store / Valle Crucis, NC

Many people who vacation in the area have their first experience with snow or putting their feet in the creek here. That’s why it’s important for us, as a store and as individuals, to be active with preservation and conservation of the beauty and resources around us.

As a general store, we’ve been able to introduce so many people to the outdoors in a comfortable way. You can grab your candy and go outside, literally in our backyard in Valle Crucis, we have this beautiful space. I’ve seen kids put their toes in a stream for the first time right behind the store.

On Being Made By Mountains

WNC High Country

WNC High Country

Back in 1980 when my parents dragged me to the mountains, I had no idea how life changing that would be. I raised my children here. I’m staying here. I love it here. It’s phenomenal.

I’m so blessed to be able to live in a place where people want to come visit and I have the opportunity to do it every day. There’s something in the water here.

“ I’m so blessed to be able to live in a place where people want to come visit and I have the opportunity to do it every day. There’s something in the water here.”

Lisa Cooper

Thanks to Lisa Cooper for her time in creating this story. Thanks to writer Graham Averill, to interviewer Amy Allison and Videographer Robb Leahy. Thanks to the staff at Mast General Store’s Valle Crucis, Annex and Boone Locations, and Worldwide Headquarters for their hospitality.

Mark Singleton

Made By Mountains Story

Mark Singleton

“When you add water and gradient, you get whitewater. And you have to have mountains to make that happen. Western North Carolina is the second most rainy place in United States, so you have water, and the mountains provide the gradient. What could be cooler?”

Mark Singleton has been the executive director for American Whitewater for 18 years, guiding the non-profit as it works with hydroelectric power companies and the federal government to secure water flows that support recreation, aquatic habitats and the communities that surround our rivers. On the verge of retirement, Singleton looks back on a career spent in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Thanks to Mark Singleton for his time in creating this story. Witten words composed by Graham Averill. Interviewer is Amy Allison. Video by Robb Leahy Creative. Thanks to Nantahala Outdoor Center for hosting us.

For the Past 18 Years, Mark Singleton has been the Executive Director of

American Whitewater

American Whitewater is the voice of whitewater paddlers and river stewards throughout the United States, negotiating water releases with power companies to ensure our rivers have enough water for paddlers and aquatic species alike. The organization pushes for the removal of unnecessary dams so rivers can flow freely and works to ensure access points for paddlers, anglers and hikers. Singleton’s work has helped connect communities to the rivers in their backyards.

On Growing a Passion for Paddling and Moving to WNC

I grew up paddling. My family would take canoe trips as a kid. I was living in Pittsburg as a teenager, which isn’t exactly the garden spot of America, so I spent my weekends outside of Pittsburg, in the Laurel Highlands. There’s good paddling there in Ohiopyle. I worked as a river guide on the lower Youghiogheny, and on other rivers as well. That’s where I developed my passion for paddling.

I came here in the early ‘90s to work in the marketing department of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, trying to connect the NOC with the outer world by establishing a toll-free reservation line and building a website.

Paddling sports were ramping up then thanks to the ’92 Olympics, where two athletes who trained on the Nantahala River won a gold medal in tandem canoe. After that, we created the Nantahala Racing Club, a nonprofit that trained athletes for the ’96 Olympics on the Ocoee River. The rivers here are some of the finest anywhere, and are a breeding ground for world class paddlers.

When I began working at American Whitewater, the headquarters was in Washington DC, but it made sense to move the organization closer to the projects we were working on. We looked at locations around the country, but settled on Western North Carolina. It’s honestly one of the best moves the organization has ever made.

On Protecting Our Rivers

Mark Singleton Kayaking
Mark Singleton at NOC / American Whitewater

So many rivers have hydropower operations on them, so the energy company controls the flow of the river.

When the water is released, it flows from the dam downstream providing enough water to support aquatic habitats and recreational boating. Those releases used to be a handshake deal in the ‘80s, where the power company would work with the local outfitters to supply recreational releases, but they weren’t guaranteed.

American Whitewater works to guarantee those releases through federal licensing. We also work with the power companies to gain access points to the river for hikers, paddlers and anglers, which sometimes leads to access for greenways. It’s pretty cool, all this great work that supports fish, the local habitat, whitewater paddling and the community. These releases and access points become an economic driver for all of the communities downriver.

“I have this affinity for rivers in WNC where we’ve been able to have some success with project work that has amplified the number of paddling opportunities the region has to offer.“

Mark Singleton

On The Most Meaningful WNC Projects

Mark Singleton Nantahala River
Mark Singleton at NOC / American Whitewater

There are spots in WNC that mean a lot to me personally and professionally because the projects have had large impacts. Like the High Falls on the West Fork of the Tuckaseegee, which is drop dead gorgeous whether you’re a paddle or a hiker. We worked to guarantee releases for that two-tiered 120-foot waterfall. It’s a phenomenal thing to go and watch the water turn on. The flow goes from 20 CFS to 250 CFS. It’s like the tide comes in all at once. We supported the removal of the Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckaseegee, which was significant. It had no economic viability and was just a plug in the water. We were able to advocate for the removal of the dam, which opened up recreational opportunities. (Now home to Dillsboro River Company, Smoky Mountain River Adventures, Tuckaseegee Outfitters and is part of the WNC Fly Fishing Trail)

Then there’s the Cheoah River, one drainage over from Nantahala River. When I first moved here it ran dry because the water was diverted for hydroelectric production. American Whitewater worked to get a flow schedule of recreational releases and base flows to support the natural habitat. Now, recreational users get scheduled days to paddle on the Cheoah. It’s a fantastic resource for the region.

What gives me the most hope is seeing young people engaged in the outdoors and protecting these places, getting involved in that stewardship.

Mark singleton

On Future Generations of Conservationists

Mark Singleton Speaking To Friend
Mark Singleton at NOC / American Whitewater

What gives me the most hope is seeing young people engaged in the outdoors and protecting these places, getting involved in that stewardship.

There are so many cool things going on in WNC right now. People have started to take notice of what outdoors has to offer.

The organization Need More Outdoors is really impressive. They connect underserved youth with paddling on Nantahala and are trying to launch a robust program to take kids into these wild places they wouldn’t otherwise experience.

On Being Made By Mountains

Mark Singleton NOC Kayaking
Kayaking at NOC / Mark Singleton

Personally, I’m attracted to these mountains. When you add water and gradient, you get whitewater. What could be cooler?

And you have to have mountains to make that happen. WNC is second most rainy place in US, so you have water, and the mountains provide the gradient. I’m set.

“I paddle, I ski, I bike…I have been doing this for my whole life. I spend time in the outdoors. These jobs I’ve had were just a vehicle for me to continue to be a dirtbag.”

Mark Singleton

On Next Chapter

Mark Singleton at NOC
Mark at NOC / Mark Singleton

I have had this incredible opportunity to work with the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and American Whitewater. It’s been a tremendous run, and I’ve been able to work at AW for 18 years. I might be retiring, but for me, nothing changes.

I paddle, I bike, I ski…WNC is a great place for that. I’m not moving. I’ll just have more time to do it all. I have been doing this for my whole life. I spend time in the outdoors. These jobs were just a vehicle for me to continue to be a dirtbag.

Thanks to Mark Singleton for his time in creating this story. Thanks to writer Graham Averill, to interviewer Amy Allison and Videographer Robb Leahy. Thanks to Nantahala Outdoor Center for their hospitality..

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

The author at rest / Terri Clark Photography

MADE BY MOUNTAINS STORY

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

When I think about where I feel most at peace, most at home, it would be Fire Mountain.

An enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle inherited a deep and vivid connection to the land in Western North Carolina through her ancestors. The award-winning author finds the outdoors a place of inspiration and renewal for her writing and her spirit. “I feel that I find answers when I’m out in nature,” she says. “I believe there is energy in the natural world that informs our lives—we should pay attention to it.” And there’s no place that stirs her senses and ignites ideas more than Fire Mountain Trails, a multi-use trail system on the Qualla Boundary.

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Author of

Even As We Breathe

The Appalachian mountains are a beautiful juxtaposition. They’re ancient, and yet it feels like there’s still mystery here. Like there is so much to discover, that there are more things we don’t know than we do know. That makes it exciting every time you go out on a new trail. And still, for all the surprises, at the same time this region is remarkably familiar to me. My ancestors have built a long relationship with this place. It’s a mutual one that builds a spirituality around it: We take care of it and protect it, and it gives us the gifts we need to thrive. I’ve lived here my whole life, except when I went away for college and graduate school. A lot of times I’m asked why I came back. My answer? People work their whole lives to retire in WNC. I figure I’ll get a head start! But really, I don’t stay in WNC for lack of options. It’s not like I feel like I have to be here. I choose this area because of the connectivity of my culture. This place is literally the origin of our Cherokee people; those people who resisted removal. There is a sensibility to this area that for me, is rooted in having value for this place. Sometimes it’s hard to explain—it’s a sense you have that this is where you belong.

Riding Catamount Crossing / Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

On Connecting to Fire Mountain

When I think about where I feel most at peace, most at home, it would be Fire Mountain. I feel personally connected to it because I was working as the director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation when the planning grant came through for the trail system. It’s multi-use in terms of mountain biking, running, and walking. It has different levels of challenge for new riders, as well as advanced riders. There’s a wonderful sense of community on the trails. And it does so much for our community, too. In Cherokee, we have been working to provide a more authentic experience for visitors across the last decade. That’s one reason I love Fire Mountain—it’s as Cherokee as you can get. You’re not selling a fake headdress or teepee totally inaccurate for our culture. Fire Mountain represents the essence of Cherokee culture: To take care of the land and enjoy it in a responsible way.

On Finding Inspiration in Nature

Even my writing process is informed by cycling. I  write mostly longform fiction, so I am concerned with, “How do I keep tension in a narrative?” For me, that is mirrored in cycling. Because cycling is often the question of: How do you drive yourself to that climax and then really enjoy the descent? I want to convey that same structure in my writing.

Even As We Breathe / University Press of Kentucky

We often think of it as a cerebral process, but I believe that reading should be a physical process. If the writer is doing the job well, the reader should feel it. Often when I’m cycling, I’m thinking about story structure, sentence structure. I think cycling infuses my writing with that physicality that translates to the page. It gives me a tool for being more physical with my writing.

And then, there’s so much about observation that comes from being out in the middle of the woods. When I’m cycling, I’m constantly observing what’s around me—mostly so I don’t die! But it’s also natural to the writing process. And even when I’m riding with other people, they’ll make comments about the things that we see. It provides metaphors that surface in my writing.

Often when I’m cycling, I’m thinking about story structure, sentence structure. I think cycling infuses my writing with that physicality that translates to the page. It gives me a tool for being more physical with my writing.

On Achieving Balance in Nature

If I’m having a good day or a bad day, I want to be at Fire Mountain. It just seems to balance me out. It allows me to focus on whatever I need to focus on, whatever I need to sort through. It’s something I can rely on; I know those trails so well. I went on a day ride recently that turned into a night ride without me planning on it. I was coming down on the descent, and I didn’t have my lights with me, because I wasn’t expecting to be out that late. But it wasn’t a problem. I know those trails so well. Even though it was hard to see, I could listen to the sound of that descent and I knew where I was going. That was a beautiful experience. To be at Fire Mountain feels like home to me.

    These mountains make us industry leaders, thinkers, builders, growers, dreamers, makers, athletes and caretakers. How will these mountains make you?

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