July 2013

A Monthly Publication for Balsam Mountain Preserve Members

I hope you enjoyed some of the special events we put together for you during the month of

June: Wings & Beer, Social Hour at the Stable, Johnny & Brian’s Fish Fry, and Tavern On

The Green were all fun and well attended. We’re going to continue to bring these types of

fun outings to you throughout the summer and hope to also bring more live music to our

gatherings. If any of you have ideas for special activities centered around food and drink, I

would love to hear from you.

Please mark your calendars for some of the special nights we are planning this month:

July 4 – July 7 Balsam’s Independence Week Celebration

July 10 Highland Brewery Beer Dinner At Balsam

July 19 Barn Dance At The Stable

July 26 Tavern On The Green

July 31 Johnny & Brian’s Fish Fry

On the Real Estate front, things are definitely picking up! Inquiries from our marketing efforts

are significantly higher than this time last year, as are Discovery Visits from interested

families. In the second quarter, our in-house sales team sold one developer homesite, two

resale homesites (both listed with an outside broker), and two Boarding House shares. All

total, 7 of the 10 new property transactions this year at Balsam (70%) have involved our in-

house brokerage team, and we look for bigger and better things in the upcoming quarter.

Road plans for July include placing a layer of asphalt on the approaches to the three bridges

on West Clubhouse Drive to make entry and exit much smoother. We will also be applying

fresh gravel to targeted areas throughout the Preserve.

As always, thanks for your continued support of the club and community!

by Bruce Fine, General Manager

&

7:00 TIL LATE

dress is country cowboy Friday Night’s Theme Buffet and Bar Will Take

Place at the Barn Details and Cost To Follow

making summer

m e m o r i e s JULY EVENTS

There is no better place to spend time with family and friends this summer than at Balsam Mountain Preserve.

The events planned this summer provide limitless opportunities for making summer memories.

Fish Fry July 31

Barn Dance at The Stable July 19

Highland Brewery Beer Dinner July 10

Independence Day Weekend July 4-7

1-Day Member-Member/Guest July 20

Tavern on The Green

July 26

Sightings… P R E S E R V E Visit the Nature Center to share your latest sightings at Balsam Mountain Preserve! June continues to be a great month for warbler songs! In case you have not already heard, there have been a few rare sightings this month on the Preserve; A Timber Rattlesnake was discovered on a homeowner’s property A Bear and Skunk were sighted on the golf course Box Turtles were spotted on Sugarloaf and Preserve Roads

We want to know what you have spotted on the Preserve this month!

Visit the Nature Center or please send pictures to administrator@bmtrust.org.

o n t h e

SAVE THE DATE Highland Brewery Beer Dinner

Wednesday, July 10th

One of Asheville’s most successful breweries is coming to Balsam Mountain Preserve.

Representatives from Highlands will be on hand to pair their favorite beers with Chef Ryan's

food selections.

More details to follow.

Your Membership at Balsam Mountain Preserve provides you the opportunity to visit not one, but two lakeside communities.

Featuring ship stores, markets, swimming pools nestled alongside outdoor pavilions, and boat, jet ski and kayak rentals—

the opportunity to explore Lake Keowee and Lake Greenwood and all of their scenic beauty awaits.

- Lakeside pool complete with fountains and Jacuzzi - Cabana grille - Full day boat rentals available 7 days/week - Kayaks, Skis, Single & Double Tubes, and Knee Boards available to rent

Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club

101 Grand Harbor Boulevard | Ninety Six, SC 29666 www.grandharbor.net

Reserve at Lake Keowee

190 Village Green Loop | Sunset, SC 29685 www.reserveatlakekeowee.com

- Lakeside pool and hot tub - Waterfront Cabana with outdoor dining - Private sandy beach adjacent to lake - Boat rental based on availability and request

lake-side

One of Balsam’s longest tenured employees, Ryan Queen is a chef that has great passion for cooking, loves to tell you the way things are, and does not ever hold back on his comments! Having always had a natural inclination for cooking, Ryan attended Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC and excelled in the culinary technology program. His training led him to a myriad of positions including line chef, station chef, and sous-chef, polishing his skills in order to advance to his current position of executive chef. Did you cook growing up? Yes, I have always had a love for being in the kitchen and growing up I enjoyed cooking things that I love to eat. What is your best cooking advice for a home enthusiast? One of the most important things about cooking is having common sense and keeping it simple. Without any equivocation, simple is always better. What is your favorite spice to cook with and why? It would be impossible to choose one but it is important to know how to blend spices. Cooking reality shows seem to be multiplying. Do you have a favorite? I love the unconventional style of Good Eats, hosted by Alton Brown. What’s the funniest kitchen incident you’ve ever had? What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen, I’ll just leave that to the imagination.

Just for Fun

Favorite kitchen gadget? Besides my knifes, the blender makes life so much easier.

Favorite southern meal? Anything with fat pork products.

Favorite Nascar driver? Tony (Smoke) Stewart

In the kitchen

with Ryan Queen

Utterly delicious. Elemental in its goodness.

French onion soup transcends its simple building blocks to become a deeply dark and flavorful dish.

Here's Chef Ryan’s basic template for making French onion soup.

Ingredients

4 Julienne Yellow

Onions

2T Chopped Garlic

2T Chopped Fresh

Thyme

1c Sherry

1/2c White Wine

3qt Beef Broth

1/2c Heavy Cream

As needed Croutons

As needed Gruyere Cheese

Instructions

Caramelize onions in butter over low heat until they turn dark brown. Add garlic and thyme. Sautee’ for

another 5 minutes. Add sherry and white wine. Turn up the heat. Cook until some of the alcohol has

cooked out. Add beef broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Season to taste

with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Top with croutons, then with shredded gruyere.

Broil on high heat until the cheese is golden brown. Serve.

by Ryan Queen, Executive Chef

Snake, Rattle and Huhhhh?

I would like to clarify a rumor that has begun on the mountain—namely, that I’ve started a cult and

use rattlesnakes to initiate members. Okay, that’s true, but what isn’t true is that I’m bringing in

rattlesnakes from outside the Preserve and releasing them here. I would never do that and it also

wouldn’t be good for the rattlesnake. Oh, and it also wouldn’t be all that good for public relations.

What’s problematic too is that once you move them from their home territory, it can be a death

sentence as they then cannot find their winter homes and would most probably perish in the cold of

winter.

Many of you are aware of the snake BMP resident Mr. Belfore found and subsequently had me catch

and move away from his homestead (see picture below). This was a large eastern timber rattlesnake

and was a pleasant chap with a disposition to match his pleasantness. He has been relocated to a

new home in the Nantahala National Forest and will never be heard from again, although we did

exchange e-mail addresses. That stated, timber rattlesnakes are found on the Preserve, as are other

species of snakes, but anyone’s chances of seeing one are slim to none. They are secretive, perfectly

camouflaged and mostly nocturnal animals.

We’ve asked (and have been pleasantly surprised by the responses from BMP members) that folks

not kill these animals as they play a hugely important ecological role in keeping the rodent population

in check. If you happen to see/find one on the Preserve please call Michael and he will gladly relocate

the animal for you if that is the best solution for the given situation.

Picture below is ‘Belfore,’ a black-phase timber rattler and on the right is a yellow-phase.

by Michael Skinner,

Trust Executive Director

www.bmtrust.org

I f you encounter a bear which does not seem to be frightened of you, i.e., it doesn’t run away or it stands its ground:

make yourself look as large as possible by waving your arms, yelling, etc. throw objects, e.g., sticks, rocks, etc. at the animal LEASH your pets; bears will kill dogs if they feel threatened and/or are

hungry/starving carry an air horn, starter’s pistol (these fire blank rounds and can

purchased on-line); preferable caliber is .32 (for the bigger bang), bear strength pepper spray, etc.

don’t keep food ‘smellable’ to a bear at your Balsam home or in your vehicle; fact: in optimal conditions a black bear can smell a can of opened sardines up to a mile away!

if you do feel you’ve come across a bear by whom you feel frightened because of a possible odd behavior, inform the Trust or Balsam security as soon as possible.

never approach a wild bear Fact: There are more black bears in the eastern US, statistically-speaking, than since before European settlers first arrived in this country, which is a testament to effective management, ample food supplies and their ability to survive. We should be able to get along with these critters but we will deal with any problem animals.

Bear AWARE?Know Before You Go

Be

Bear Aware

Click Here for more Information

What you can do

To report

a problem bear

Call 828.631.1060

by Michael Skinner,

Trust Executive Director

www.bmtrust.org

JULY GOLF EVENTS

~ DRIVER CLINIC ~

July 11th, 10:30-11:30am

complimentary, limited to first (8) members that sign up

~ WEDGE CLINIC ~

July 25th, 10:30-11:30am

complimentary, limited to first (8) members that sign up

~ LADIES GOLF CLINIC ~

July 18th-19th

$30 per player per day

~ RUBY VALLEY CUP ~

July 6-7th, tee times from 8:30am

$70 per Member

~ MEMBER-MEMBER/GUEST ~

July 20th, 8:00am-1:00pm tee times

$40 per Member, $80 per Guest

~ 9 HOLE COUPLES GOLF SCRAMBLE ~

July 27th, 2:00pm

$12 per Member

Tavern on the 14th Green

Kids Flock to

K ids have enjoyed a variety of

camp activities already this

summer, including

horsemanship, team sports, water

sports, nature activities and art. It’s

been a great month for the kids and a

lot of fun!

Animal Yoga with Blair!

Katharine Nuckols works on her birdhouse.

The Smokies at Mingus Mill.

Summer Camps

Walker Hanlon Touches a screech owl!

Balsam grandkids K.J. and Walker play in a creek.

One of the beautiful clay bird nests made by the kids.

Hauser and Hanlon grandchildren look for bugs in the grass.

Campers inspecting a box turtle.

Hello from the Great Smokies!

Club Hours of Operation

Pro Shop: Open 7:30am to 6:00pm, closed

Tuesdays. Tee times begin at 8:00am.

Practice Park: Open 7:30am to 6:30pm, closed

Tuesdays.

Trail Rides: By Reservation Only.

Pavilion: Open 24 hours.

Fitness Center: Open 24 hours.

Pool: Open 24 hours.

Tennis Courts: Open 24 hours.

Turnhouse: Open 11:00am to 3:00pm, closed

Tuesdays.

The Boarding House Restaurant:

Light Continental Breakfast:

Mon – Thurs, 8am – 10am

Breakfast:

Fri – Sun, 8am – 10am

Brunch:

Sunday 11:30am—2:00pm

Lunch:

Wed – Mon, 11:30am – 2pm

Dinner:

Wed – Sun, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

*Reservations Requested

The Nature Center: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily

Club Staff and Contact Information

Administration: 828.631.1040

Bruce Fine: General Manager

Tina Jones: Business Manager

Member Services: 828.631.1000

Amy Coggins: Manager

Balsam Care

(Maintenance & Cabins): 828.631.1000

Pro Shop: 828.631.1009

Drew Marshall: Head Golf Pro

Activities: 828.631.1063

Stables: 828.631.1066

Natalie Altendorf: Stable Manager

Security / Main Gate: 828.631.1011

Main Gate Emergency: 828.508.0116

Sales: 828.631.1001

Joe Dellinger: Sales Executive

Bill Minus: Sales Executive

Jamie Aquino: Marketing Manager

RIDGE Lines Editor

Nature Center / Balsam Mountain Trust:

828.631.1060

Michael Skinner: Executive Director

Blair Ogburn: Sr. Naturalist

Dawn Williams Tox: Administrator

www.bmtrust.org

The Reserve at Lake Keowee

Contact Balsam Member Services at

828.631.1000 for all Activities and Reservations.

www.reserveatlakekeowee.com

Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club

Contact Balsam Member Services at

828.631.1000 for all Activities and Reservations.

www.grandharbor.net

Balsam Mountain Preserve | 81 Preserve Road | Sylva, NC 28779

866.452.3456

www.balsammountainpreserve.com