Video: Seth // Edit: Rich // Words Below: Daniel
Growing up and recreating in and later living just outside of Pisgah National Forest, I became familiar with local-ish names for local areas or establishments…everywhere has them. Here, there’s “The Cradle”, or Cradle of Forestry, “The Intersection”, or junction of Highways 280/64/276, “Little Mountain”, the controversial “Roundabout”, “Cardiac Corner”, “Old BiLo”, “The Ranch”, “Smoker’s Cove”, “The Hatchery", and, of course, “The Ranger Station”.
Many National Forests, parks, and public lands, including Pisgah National Forest, have one or multiple ranger stations. The Pisgah Ranger Station is a bit of an iconic building, just a mile down the road from the hustle and bustle of “The Intersection.” It’s the last piece of civilization for miles. It’s a critical piece of infrastructure meeting place for people heading into Pisgah National Forest near Brevard who are looking for information, a bathroom, a place to get reliable cell phone service, reach first aid, or get help from the understaffed and underfunded but absolutely critical USFS staff that works to keep the hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands and all of the roads open. It serves as a base for countless rescues, fires, and other vital operations in the community.
For years, since I was a kid, The Ranger Station meant The Pisgah Ranger Station, and it has been the iconic spot in this region of Pisgah that somehow is referenced in nearly every ride, hike, or excursion otherwise into the forest. However, over the last several years, I’ve had to think twice when someone references The Ranger Station, as there has been more than one time I’ve planned to meet up with Seth at The Ranger Station only to realize on the way, or once I pulled up, that he was, in fact, headed to The Berm Peak Ranger Station, a mere four miles and twenty minutes across the valley away.
To be honest, I don’t know Seth’s exact reasoning for calling the house “The Ranger Station,” - I think it’s a combination of great branding and a nod to the forest and, based on my experience, it’s more than fitting. Just like The Pisgah Ranger Station, The Berm Peak Ranger Station has served as a place for community, bringing hundreds, if not thousands, of people together in a positive manner. It’s served as a starting point for trips and creating memories, a place to come together after a big day in the forest, and no doubt, a place to clean up wounds and reminisce on a memorable trip.
