Lake Lure Memories

 

Recently, while in Lake Lure with my wife, I had occasion to stand on a slope that afforded a view of the Hickory Nut Gorge. There was Chimney Rock, just as she has been since my childhood. There, on the valley floor, were the gift shops, the restaurants and the ever flowing Rocky Broad River.

 As a child, my peace and solace came from the time spent with my grandfather at his cabin on Flat Creek. There I caught my first trout and there I first heard the baying of hounds as his neighbor’s pack sought raccoon by the light of a Carolina moon. A hike to the falls on Flat Creek was an adventure that afforded me many a Daniel Boone and Lewis & Clark fantasy. And, the love that began there, remains in me still.

 Chimney Rock was the gateway, a landmark sought by a little boy as sat by his grandfather, riding up Highway 74 in an old pickup called Rackety Boom. When I saw Chimney Rock, the Rocky Broad, the old shops and restaurants, Flat Creek was not far away. And, when summer adventures ended, when the occasional autumn journey came to a close, I watched through the back window of whatever vehicle I was in, staring intently until I could not longer see Chimney Rock or the Gorge.

 Certainly, the family now holding this sacred land has the right to sell and to seek a profit. Likewise, the leaders of North Carolina should recognize that Chimney Rock is a shining natural treasure which should belong to all. There are grandchildren yet to be born who will need to learn to fish in the pools of the Rocky Broad. And, there are other loves that Chimney Rock will kindle as young eyes look out over that simple valley. 

We have enough theme parks, and developments. And, we have enough men who seem intent upon seeing exploitation rather than preservation.

 There is a small family eatery that sits on the banks of the Rocky Broad, not far from the entrance to Chimney Rock Park. When the cold of autumn and winter comes, you will find me there most Saturday mornings, enjoying trout and eggs as my dog and I prepare for a day of grouse hunting in the mountains around Asheville. If a theme park or commercial development comes, these small businesses will be lost as well.

 When one regards the immense amount of waste and pork which flows daily from the fiscal veins of North Carolina, the saving of Chimney Rock and its being used as a centerpiece of a State Park is a no brainer. There are some things which we must do, not for an old man’s memory, but for a young child’s smile.

 Regards,

Kelly A. Boatright