mountain

Distance: 5.6 miles round-trip Difficulty: Strenuous

An outdoors hub in Transylvania County picks up the pace

The pungent mountain plant makes its spring return

Tracing the origin of WNC’s preeminent marketing phrase, Land of the Sky

Seed libraries cultivate home gardeners and wholesome food

Check in to these lodges where après-ski combines a room, dining, and drinks

Probe the pains and pleasures of climbing frozen waterfalls

Barkley’s Mill in Barnardsville revives the old-fashioned grits tradition

Fall for Mountain Pie Company’s Pecan Pudding stack cake

Distance: 3, 5, or 6 miles, Difficulty: Strenuous

The Jon Stickley Trio delivers with an album as eclectic as its roots

Distance: 12.5 miles round-trip, Difficulty: Strenuous

Hop the border to Virginia’s Primland for a luxury experience that reaches for the stars

Get to know local history through new exhibits at area heritage museums

Throughout Western North Carolina sit dozens of public schools abandoned by time, consolidation, and changing demographics. In their heyday, they were community epicenters and veritable second homes for thousands of students. Today, some are boarded up, while others await imminent demolition and replacement by new state-of-the-art facilities. But there are also a handful of old schoolhouses tucked away in various corners of the mountains that have found new purpose as community centers, concert venues, historical beacons, and artists’ studios. Here’s a look at the past and present of eight of them.

Distance: 1.6 miles round-trip Difficulty: Moderate

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center welcomes its first official director

Local filmmakers sound off on what it takes to chase the silver screen