Christmount Christian Assembly is "a place for all to discover community, acceptance, and purpose."

Retreat. Camp. Conference Center.

https://www.christmount.org/

Be for us our companion on the walk. Our guide at the crossroads, our breath in our weariness, our grounding in this place, our shelter along the way, our shade in the heat, our light in the darkness, our consolation in our discouragements, And our strength in our intentions. So that with your guidance we may arrive at the end of this pilgrimage, enriched with grace and virtue, and filled with the joy and knowledge of the vast community of relationships we share with you, one another and the creation.

¡Buen Camino!

A blessing for riverbanks for Mary Lee:
Bless those who sustain the river on its journey, rejoicing in its tumult even as the foaming waves pummel their centers, scrub their sides. Bless those who greet this moment's river and this moment's river and this moment's river with love, bless those who unearth love within their own most rocky rims. Bless those who coax the reluctant river to keep moving on days when the mud is thick, the sun is warm, and all directions feel the same. Bless those who cannot know whether this water will find its way to the sea, but spend their days harboring its passage all the same. (Tabatha Yeatts)

Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico. The need for host plants for larvae and energy sources for adults applies to all monarch and butterfly populations around the world.

https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/

We are a Green Chalice congregation, attempting to walk gently on this earth. In 2014, solar panels were installed on the roof of our building. Those, combined with programmable thermostats and a new lighting system, allowed the church to save on utility bills and to be better stewards of God's creation.

https://www.fccblackmtn.org/

12th-century poet, mystic, and visionary, Hildegard of Bingen once wrote, “We shall awaken from our dullness and rise vigorously toward justice. If we fall in love with creation deeper and deeper, we will respond to its endangerment with passion.”

One beautiful historic building nestled in a magical mountain town. Two floors brimming with books, toys and gifts and a full espresso cafe. Come shop, visit, sit a spell. We can't wait to see you!

https://www.sassafrasonsutton.com/

Born in Black Mountain in 1937, Roberta Flack is a Grammy-winning American singer and songwriter. "Flack is the only solo artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in two consecutive years: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won at the 1973 Grammys and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won at the 1974 Grammys."

https://blkmtnbrewing.com/roberta/

We are located in downtown Black Mountain, NC, and occupy three historic buildings dating from the 1920s (one used to be the 5-and-10 and one used to be the drug store). We are still a working hardware store, with all the products and services you would expect from a top-of-the-line hardware chain. In addition, we are a traditional general store with a huge variety of items that amaze even long-time customers. We don’t just offer the basics, we carry a number of hard-to-find items — not just in hardware and tools, but also in housewares, toys, and outdoor living. Come and see for yourself what an “old timey” hardware and general store looks, smells and feels like.

https://townhardware.com/

Black Mountain United Methodist Church seeks to follow Jesus, make disciples, and transform the world. Located right in the heart of downtown Black Mountain, NC, our congregation believes in loving our neighbors, strengthening our community, and welcoming anybody we meet. We do our best to embody the United Methodist spirit of having open hearts, open minds, and open doors, so we hope you will join us as we worship and serve our God, together.

https://blackmountainumc.org/

We are the primary museum of general local history in Buncombe County. We mount at least one major temporary exhibition annually and continually enhance our permanent Swannanoa Valley history exhibit. Free Admission.

http://www.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/

Beer, Art, Desserts

A finely curated collection showcasing some of the region's finest talent and creativity in the heart of Downtown Black Mountain, NC

https://badcraft828.com/

St. Brigid’s Toast: “I would like to have all people at my table with vats of good cheer laid out for us. I would like us to be cheerful in our drinking. I would like to have Jesus too here among us. I would like a lake of beer for the King of Kings, I would like to be watching heaven’s family drinking it through all eternity.” Cheers!

The 1,832-foot Swannanoa Tunnel is the longest of seven hand-dug tunnels cutting through the Blue Ridge Mountain to Asheville. It was completed in 1879 as part of an ambitious plan the Western North Carolina Railroad Company (WNCR) to connect Asheville by railway to the eastern part of the state. Though celebrated throughout much of the next century as a testament to human ingenuity and strength, recent studies have uncovered a troubling history of racial injustice connected with the tunnel and it use of Black convict labor.

After the Civil War the convict labor system created a form of “slavery by another name” across the South. Vagrancy laws made it easy for states in the South to arrest and exploit Black men for labor projects. In 1877, with a massive new railroad project underway, the state legislature authorized the enlistment of “five hundred convicts” for forced labor along the railroad, arguing that “The costs of keeping these creatures (Black convicts) is greater (in the Raleigh penitentiary) than in the mountains.” As one White traveler passing through the Swannanoa Gap commented, “No criminals among them, but the South must have convict, if not slave, labor to finish her railways.”

Of the nearly 500 convicts enlisted, 90 percent were Black, and none were convicted of non-violent crimes. As they labored, they were subjected to brutal working conditions, disease, malnutrition, intimidation and violence. Some died from over-exertion, poor nutrition, weather and work accidents. Others were murdered by guards. It is estimated that cave-ins, murder and disease claimed the lives on nearly 120 black men working on chain gangs in the Swannanoa Tunnel alone, with another 300 more dying along the line.

The brutality of the work was made even more cruel by the ambitions of Zebulon Vance, the Governor of North Carolina, and James Wilson, president of WNCR. Both were former Confederate officers and, according to biographer Gordan McKinney, “avowed racists” who exploited convict labor for its economic efficiency. At one point, in an effort to deliver the first train engine through the Swannanoa Gap by 1877, the men devised a plan to lay temporary tracks and haul the 17-ton train engine up the pass using ropes tethered to the incarcerated men. As one former employee of James Wilson later confessed to the Asheville Citizen, there was a mass grave near the tunnel “where the unmarked graves of 400 convicts give mute testimony to the death toll.”

http://olddepot.org/

At the Outdoor Collective, our desire is to create a place where people are paramount, all feel welcome, and retail is a byproduct of great community. Our mission is to RE-create brick and mortar for the outdoor industry by designing neighborhood stores that build RETAIL AROUND COMMUNITY. In short; PEOPLE · BEER · COFFEE + GEAR.

For us, adventure goes beyond the next big summit. It’s about creating stories that make life richer because of who we share them with, whether new friends or old. Our time off the trail in our mountain town, connecting over coffee before a hike, or with a beer after a climb is what makes this home. Because adventuring together is what matters most to us.

https://wncoutdoorcollective.com/

Jomo starts with great coffee but is built on the foundation of meaningful connections with one another. It's a place where people feel at home and doing life together is just a part of the norm. Joseph Morris, the owner and head barista of Cup of Jomo has traveled the world enjoying and learning about the beauty of what craft coffee has to offer and he's brought it to Black Mountain, NC. Using locally roasted beans from our award-winning neighbor, Dynamite Roasting, Joe makes a myriad of classical tailored hot and cold drinks.

https://www.cupofjomo.com/

For the varied tastes and aromas artistically brewed and poured into our cups, we give thanks. For the gifts of mirth, merriment and laughter, we give thanks. For the joy and delight of love poured out in companionship, tea and coffee, we raise our mugs and glasses. Cheers!

The shop has been a labor of love created by Mellie Macsherry. It has been Mellie’s goal to bring community and people together to celebrate life in a harmonious way. She considers this shop a true gift that she cherishes.

https://melliemacsgardenshack.com/

At the Table (by Phuc Luu): At the table we gather together, a common bond We break not only bread, but share each other We share our lives, where we’ve been and all who have brought us here We share our lives with those who have shouldered our burdens and magnified our joys At the table we welcome all who are without family or home At the table we welcome those who are without nation or tribe We welcome the traveler and wayfarer making a temporary stop to receive a piece of kindness to offer oneself as a likeness an image of the divine At the table we invite the stranger the guest who we do not know the one who is like one of us hungry for friendship thirsty for communion taking our hand and holding our hearts saying this is my body and pouring out life as if it were wine filling us full with an abundant cup becoming the unexpected host who prepares a meal and calls all to dine.

https://wayinthewilderness.org/

The Swannanoa Valley Tree Alliance is an alliance between Asheville GreenWorks, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, Black Mountain Urban Forestry Council, and other stakeholders of our community forest canopy. We believe that the trees of the Swannanoa Valley might be one of the most important characteristics that defines local beauty and small town charm. Our trees – along municipal streets, in parks and natural areas, and in the front and back yards of homes – are our Community Forest. Trees are the lifelines of our valley, beautifying the view corridor that we share, providing shade and privacy, creating the oxygen we breath and keeping our air cool and clean. Our trees protect soils from erosion and provide habitat and food for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.

https://history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/treasuredtrees/

Mindfulness Activity: Take a moment to observe all of the life that is supported by this tree, from moss and lichens on its bark to creatures living in the uppermost branches. Like this oak tree, how might you learn to receive, nurture or shelter others?

Prayer: God of the majestic oak, whose arms like branches are always open to receive us with love, we give thanks to you for sister oak. Teach us to give and receive true hospitality. Like her, may we always make space for others and nurture one another by our presence. Amen.

With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty on my on my right, may I walk. With beauty on my left, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk.
With beauty inside me, may I walk. Wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, I walk.

-Navajo Prayer of Seven Directions

The Dr. John Wilson Community Garden, a program of Black Mountain Parks and Recreation rents 200 and 400 square foot plots to residents. Gardeners grow food for donation on 10% of their plot. The garden manager provides seeds or starts, education, and volunteer supervision for harvesting the produce, and the gardener provides the labor to grow the crop to maturity. On an additional 5000 square feet volunteers grow food exclusively for donation. All food grown for donation is distributed to our community through Bounty and Soul. Perennial crops are tended by volunteers throughout the park, including Asian pears, wild plums, blueberries and more. The garden relies on seasonal interns and community volunteers for its success. The garden community practices no-till methods, integrated pest management, cover cropping, and passive composting. There is strong emphasis on cultivating overall garden health through building soil fertility and increasing species diversity.

https://www.townofblackmountain.org/2647/Community-Garden

https://bountyandsoul.org/

God of self-offering hospitality and friendship, in your love you make space for all that is to flourish and thrive. God, we give you thanks for your hospitable love which pours out into this material world, creating beauty and goodness, as an embodied expression of your love and delight. Just as you formed and shaped soil in the beginning and breathed life into it, may we too now take up the task of nurturing and caring for the soil. May we love and delight in it just as you did in that Genesis garden. Teach us, through gardens such as the one in which we now stand, to reclaim our vocation of keeping and caring for land and soil so that we might draw closer to you, one another and the creation. Amen.

Farm to table breakfast spot serving Texas style breakfast tacos utilizing local ingredients.

https://www.tcpblackmountain.com

Senegalese Environmentalist Baba Dioum once said, "In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." To seek the thriving of our communities entails learning to care for the vast interconnected relationships in which we find ourselves between people, land, animals, and water.

Four Sisters Bakery is happy to be part of the wonderful community in Black Mountain, and provide home baked goods to our neighbors and those visiting our wonderful town. Our connection to the Red Rocker Inn guarantees the quality that you have come to expect over the years. When Dorothy and Krista met over the summer of 2018, they had two things in common right off the bat: the love of baking and being from families of four sisters. While not all the sisters work at the bakery, our sisters inspire us! The employees you will meet at the bakery may not all be biological sisters, but we are all adopted sisters in this life - as we like to say.

https://foursistersblackmountain.com/

“For the infinite variety of your creative expression, I praise you, O God: You have made even the necessary act of eating a nurturing comfort and a perpetual delight.” (Every Moment Holy)

Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry is a team of committed churches, staff and volunteers working within our community in response to God's call to care for our neighbors by assisting those who are experiencing hardship to meet basic and emergency needs.

https://www.svcmblackmountain.org/

Foot washing: “May the cleansing water of God’s love refresh you, the gentle breeze of God’s Spirit revive you, and the radiance of God’s Son surround you, this day and all days.”
-Celtic Blessing (A Fragrant Offering)

John Muir once said, "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike." Where have you noticed beauty along this pilgrimage?

Our thoughts of you, O Lord, have been too small, too few— for seldom have we considered how specific is the exercising of your authority, extending as it does into the myriad particulars of creation. There is no quarter over which you are not king. And as creation hurtles toward its liberation and redemption, the full implications of your deep Lordship are yet to be revealed in countless facets unconsidered: Christ, you are the Snow King. You are the Maker of All Weathers. You are The King of Sunlight and Storms, The King of Grey Skies and Rain. You are The Rain King, The Sun King, the Hurricane King. You are the King of Autumn and the King of Spring. And our thoughts of you, O Lord, have been too small, too few. The old and impotent gods our ancestors once believed in were, at their best, but imperfect pictures of you, whose strength and goodness and creative majesty and wonderful mystery and love exceed those old rumors as sunlight exceeds the tiny dimness of stars reflected in a dark and wavering pool. The fairy tales crafted by our old cultures hinted at you, though they knew it or not. Yet their perfect princes and blessed ends were yearnings for all that has found fulfillment in you. You are the Lord of the Harvest. The Grain King, The Wine King, The God of Plenty, The God of Hearth and Home. You are The Hill King, The Wildflower King, King of the Great Bears, King of the Canyons. You are The Monarch of Meadows, The Lord of the Lava Fields, Ruler of the Desert Wastes, The Polar King, The Rainbow King, The King of the Southern Cross, and The King of the Northern Lights. You are the King of the Rabbits, and The Lord of the Tall Trees. You are the God of Youth and the God of Age. You are The Acorn King, The River God, The Swamp King, King of Glades, King of Dells, Ruler of All Hummingbirds. You are The Horse Lord, The Crag King, Lord of the Bees, King of the Walruses, Commander of Rhinos, Lord of the Lightning Bugs, Cave Lord, Mountain King, Ruler of the Grassy Plains, God of the Valleys. You are The Captain of the Clouds, The Wolf King, The King of the Cockatoos. And our thoughts of you, O Lord, have been too small, too few. For your claim over creation is vast. You are The Lord of Antarctica, the King of California, the King of the Scottish Hills, and the King of the Nile. You are the weaver of the unseen fabrics of the world. You are the Lord of the Atoms, The Ruler of Electrons, The Lord of Gravity, and The King of Quarks. Your dominion enfolds the earth and rises beyond it to the furthest extremes of the stars. You are the Lord of the Vast Empty Spaces. You are The King of the Constellations, The Black Hole King, Lord of Novas Exploding, Lord of Speeding Light, High King of Galaxies, King of Orion, King of the Moon. And still, even still, our thoughts of you have been too small, too few. You are the God of Justice, The God of Wisdom, The God of Mercy, The God of Redemption. You are The Lord of Love. All of this is true. But our thoughts of you are still too few, For our minds are too small to conceive of them all, let alone to contain them. You were before all things, you created all things, and in you all things are held together. There is no corner of creation you will fail to redeem. You are Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, O Jesus Christ, our King of Everything. Amen. (Every Moment Holy)