The land is a rich, deciduous rain forest, much as Western North Carolina was before the advent of industrialization. We have tried to leave it much as we found it with the exception of construction of the two buildings, the drive and the pond -- none of which is particularly invasive, with the two largest cleared areas being in the neighborhood of an acre.

There is a rich diversity of flora, nourished by an active watershed. Although we by no means experts in forestry, we have identified oaks, several species of maple, poplar, dogwood, walnut, pine -- and even black chestnut. Ramps and branch lettuce thrive; there is an amazing variety of mushroom growth on the forest floor. Mullein, spearmint, ginseng, plantain, wild berries, chamomile, goldenseal, wild onions, chives -- and a great deal more we haven't yet identified -- can all be found.

Although our road was originally a logging track, the forest has not been harvested in five decades; both undergrowth and the canopy are lush and healthy. We've spotted little rot and no infestation. The wood crop has been deemed suitable for either selective harvesting or logging.

The terrain itself is rugged, with well over a thousand feet of variance. For those who would want to stable horse, however, we believe the bottom twenty acres are shallow enough and could be readily shade meadowed and reseeded; the pond might provide adequate watering facilities.