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Mars Hill Students Clear Trail Up Landmark Mountain
by Matt Davis
Mars Hill Bushhogs
Mars Hill Students in Action
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With machetes and swing blades in hand, service-eager students and others attracted by the college's new Mars Hill Outdoors program hiked up Bailey Mountain on November 6 to clear the brush. The scene had not been looked upon for a while. Tall weeds and overgrown brush had covered everything. A few swings of the sharp blades, however, made it clear the way would soon be open.
Local realtor Lee Hoffman and Mars Hill Outdoors organizer Grant Gosch led the students over creek beds and through poison ivy up the old trail that you could hardly tell was even a trail.
The Saturday morning offered a perfect cool, clear day to get outside. Eleven willing and able bodies met in front of the Heritage Cabin at 8:45 that morning to put their sweat into helping get Bailey Mountain back in action.
Bailey Mountain has such a rich past that even newcomers want to get the mountain back to where students and community members can enjoy its beauty once more. About forty years ago, freshmen used to climb Bailey Mountain regularly. They hiked to the top every year for their first orientation to Madison County. There was a defined trail and even a cave where they could paint their names on the walls. Over the years people stopped using the mountain and some of the trails were forgotten and grown over.
In 1995 Bailey Mountain was placed on sale, and many feared that it would be cut up and sold for home sites. The family of former college Vice President Richard Hoffman led a movement to save the mountain. They put up some money themselves through a family foundation named for Richard Hoffman, who died in 1994. They also got some grant money plus a $300,000 loan from the Asheville-based McClure Fund to pay for the land. They still have about $12,000 left before the loan is completely paid off.
Scenery Around Bailey Mountain
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The Hoffman Foundation board includes some of Mars Hill's own - faculty members Grainger Caudle, Tom Plaut, and Jim Lenburg, and former Chancellor Robert Knott. The Hoffmans' plan to make Bailey Mountain an educational and recreational resource for the community. Lee Hoffman says he wants to make the mountain accessible to local schools. He said that some fifth graders have done some science experiments up there. He expects the college will do the same once the trails are accessible and the overgrowth controlled.
On the recreational side, Hoffman wants people who just want to get out and hike, picnic, or bask in the mountain's beauty to enjoy the mountain. "Bailey Mountain is the symbol for Mars Hill. It is on the college seal and the town seal, so why not have the mountain be a place where people can go to feel that it is a part of the community," Hoffman said.
Mars Hill Outdoors has stepped up to help restore the mountain. Students have gone up the mountain on more than one occasion to clear trails so that the mountain will be more accessible. Lead by outdoor enthusiast Grant Gosch, Mars Hill Outdoors plans to use Bailey Mountain for many hikes.
Bailey Mountain
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A lot of work remains to be done, but once the trails are cleared and there are some signs to guide the way, the mountain should be perfect for adventure lovers. Bailey Mountain has scenic views of the Blue Ridge, beautiful foliage, and as Hoffman commented, even some rarely-seen wildlife like bears and mountain lions.
The Bailey Mountain cleanup efforts are also good for Bonner Scholars, LAA111 students, and others who need service hours.
This mountain has the potential to be a great place to get away only five minutes down the road from campus. In contrast, the Coleman Boundary takes half an hour. Bailey Mountain even offers open fields and grassy knolls where one can enjoy a meteor shower on a clear night.
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