ON THIS PAGE: 1. Recommended Service Contractors
2. Coexisting with Black Bears
3. Winterizing Your Home
4. Preparing for Snow in ICM
5. "It's All About the Roads"
6. Wildfire Prevention in ICM
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These contractors have been recommended by ICM residents and property owners. They have had good service from these providers, but your experience could be different. The ICM POA provides this information in good faith, but we take no responsibility for how your experience will be. If you are an ICM property owner and would like to add a name to the list, please email administrator@icmpoa.org with the appropriate information. If phone numbers are not visible, click to the right of the contractor's name to access pull-down menu.
SERVICE CONTRACTOR PHONE
Stone Work Drew Owen 828-884-5720 (home)
(ICM Property Owner) 828-577-0057 (cell)
Electrician Chris Bennett 828-553-2604
Well Drilling & Service Silver Electric & Well 828-877-4500
Well & Pump Services Scott Alexander
Hamilton Well and Water 828-556-5630
Tree Trimming & Removal Jason Owen 828-558-6454
Tree evaluation, trimming & removal Bartlett Tree Experts 828-877-6601
(Sean Boehrig, ICM contact)
Tree removal; excavation, Pisgah Land Solutions 828-290-9375
road building, hardscape Lane Herrlinger
Building & Repair Randall & Kelly Galloway 828-553-8125
Construction John Valenti, Southern Quality 828-877-2929
Contractors
House Painting Bryan Galloway 828-553-0021
HVAC, Plumbing, Appliance Repair Dave Norris 828-877-3824 (home)
828-553-5581 (cell)
HVAC Roess Mechanical 828-884-2298
Appliance Repair Rick Salter 828-883-9518
Garage Door Services Fran @ Pisgah Insulation 828-755-4333
Garage Door Services Jamie Dodson 828-342-3051
Auto Towing Queen's Wrecker Service 828-862-4250
Auto Repair Total Auto 828-884-4943
Trash Collection Leonard's Trash Service 828-885-7803
General Contractor Southern Quality Company, LLC 828-877-2929
John Valenti, Project Mgr. 828-342-0204 (cell)
HVAC CAM Heating & Cooling 828-884-HEAT (4328)
Chuck McClure, owner CAMHeatingAndCooling.com
Tree Removal/Landscaping Kevin Galloway 828-507-1718
Housecleaning Sara Vissers sarascleaningservices.wordpress.com
803-517-3104
Gravel & Grading (Greg McCall) M & M Grading 828-553-0657
(maintains ICM's gravel roads)
Water Damage Specialist Sam Creech 828-551-5777
(clean-up and reconstruction)
Water Well Drilling/Service Merrill Drilling & Water Systems 828-877-4450
Water Well Drilling/Service Hamilton Well & Pump 828-883-2170
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Understanding Our Neighbors, the Black Bears
One of the times my grandson visited, we decided to take in a program called “Be Bear Aware” at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center. We learned a lot, and some of it I would like to pass on to other ICM property owners.
Black bears (the kind we have around here) are shy, smart, and have predictable behavior patterns. Bears typically avoid people and would much prefer to have no close encounters with their human neighbors. That’s why making noise of some sort when hiking (a jingle bell on your walking stick or clothing, singing, etc.) will minimize encounters on the trail. Black bears are not normally aggressive unless cornered or protecting cubs. (This is not true of all species of bears, but is of the bears in the Blue Ridge.) Most of the actions taken by black bears are food driven -- from the number of cubs in a litter (dependent on how well-fed the mama bear was in the fall) to their propensity to empty bird feeders when presented the opportunity.
The Forest Service has an old saying, “A fed bear is a dead bear”. The young woman who presented our program said that this is almost always true. Black bears are smart -- so smart that they take what they’ve learned in one situation and apply it to similar situations. So if I hang out a bird feeder, and a bear discovers it, the bear will return frequently to see if I’ve refilled his supper bowl. If I get tired of feeding a bear instead of the birds and take down the feeder, he will eventually give up at my place. However, if one of my neighbors has a bird feeder out, the bear will recognize the same shape and smell and turn his attention in that direction. We learned that seven pounds of bird seed contains 12,000 calories!! And since most of what bears do is intended to put on weight in preparation for their winter hibernation, all those calories in one spot are very, very attractive! Unfortunately for the bear, eventually their love of birdseed gets them into trouble. They become a nuisance and the Forest Service is called to “relocate the bear”. But because bears can roam over quite a large area, and since this bear has been conditioned to associate humans with a food source, the bear will wander until he/she finds another human habitat in which to search for food. And the ease with which the bear has satisfied his hunger has also altered his normally shy state. He doesn’t behave as predictably as before. He doesn’t necessarily run away from humans, and in fact, may become more aggressive about “his” food. So, relocating a bear is simply not going to solve the problem. Therefore, bears who have learned to depend on people for their food must ultimately be euthanized.
I feel certain that those of us who have chosen to make our homes in Indian Camp Mountain want to peacefully coexist with the flora and fauna that were here long before we arrived. We like seeing the deer and rabbits (if they are not eating our shrubs or flowers), spotting a wild turkey or a fox is an exciting event, and we are thrilled when we see a bear or two from a safe distance. But in order to provide a safe environment for those bears, we need to be responsible neighbors. Trash, dog or cat food, and other edible tidbits should be stored inside a closed building or in a bear-proof container. Bears have a sense of smell seven times more powerful than a bloodhound’s, and they can smell things from more than a mile away. So the ashes in a grill that recently cooked your steak dinner might draw uninvited guests if not disposed of properly. If you want to feed the birds, do it from the end of November through March (usually the hibernation period in this area) and not from April through the fall unless you have some type of pulley-based system that will keep the feeder out of a bear’s reach. And remember, black bears are very smart and are persistent in their pursuit of food. At the program, we were shown a series of photos that had a large black bear shimmying out on a high line that somehow supported his weight in order to raid the bird feeder that was hanging “out of reach”. It was amazing to see his persistence and his ingenuity. And for anyone who deliberately puts out food intended to draw the bears into your yard, please be aware that you might be sentencing those bears to death. We’ve chosen to live in an area filled with natural wonders. Let’s do what we can to preserve those things that make this place so terrific. And that includes the black bears who call ICM home.
Sherry Gary (Hubbard Hollow Road)
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One of the times my grandson visited, we decided to take in a program called “Be Bear Aware” at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center. We learned a lot, and some of it I would like to pass on to other ICM property owners.
Black bears (the kind we have around here) are shy, smart, and have predictable behavior patterns. Bears typically avoid people and would much prefer to have no close encounters with their human neighbors. That’s why making noise of some sort when hiking (a jingle bell on your walking stick or clothing, singing, etc.) will minimize encounters on the trail. Black bears are not normally aggressive unless cornered or protecting cubs. (This is not true of all species of bears, but is of the bears in the Blue Ridge.) Most of the actions taken by black bears are food driven -- from the number of cubs in a litter (dependent on how well-fed the mama bear was in the fall) to their propensity to empty bird feeders when presented the opportunity.
The Forest Service has an old saying, “A fed bear is a dead bear”. The young woman who presented our program said that this is almost always true. Black bears are smart -- so smart that they take what they’ve learned in one situation and apply it to similar situations. So if I hang out a bird feeder, and a bear discovers it, the bear will return frequently to see if I’ve refilled his supper bowl. If I get tired of feeding a bear instead of the birds and take down the feeder, he will eventually give up at my place. However, if one of my neighbors has a bird feeder out, the bear will recognize the same shape and smell and turn his attention in that direction. We learned that seven pounds of bird seed contains 12,000 calories!! And since most of what bears do is intended to put on weight in preparation for their winter hibernation, all those calories in one spot are very, very attractive! Unfortunately for the bear, eventually their love of birdseed gets them into trouble. They become a nuisance and the Forest Service is called to “relocate the bear”. But because bears can roam over quite a large area, and since this bear has been conditioned to associate humans with a food source, the bear will wander until he/she finds another human habitat in which to search for food. And the ease with which the bear has satisfied his hunger has also altered his normally shy state. He doesn’t behave as predictably as before. He doesn’t necessarily run away from humans, and in fact, may become more aggressive about “his” food. So, relocating a bear is simply not going to solve the problem. Therefore, bears who have learned to depend on people for their food must ultimately be euthanized.
I feel certain that those of us who have chosen to make our homes in Indian Camp Mountain want to peacefully coexist with the flora and fauna that were here long before we arrived. We like seeing the deer and rabbits (if they are not eating our shrubs or flowers), spotting a wild turkey or a fox is an exciting event, and we are thrilled when we see a bear or two from a safe distance. But in order to provide a safe environment for those bears, we need to be responsible neighbors. Trash, dog or cat food, and other edible tidbits should be stored inside a closed building or in a bear-proof container. Bears have a sense of smell seven times more powerful than a bloodhound’s, and they can smell things from more than a mile away. So the ashes in a grill that recently cooked your steak dinner might draw uninvited guests if not disposed of properly. If you want to feed the birds, do it from the end of November through March (usually the hibernation period in this area) and not from April through the fall unless you have some type of pulley-based system that will keep the feeder out of a bear’s reach. And remember, black bears are very smart and are persistent in their pursuit of food. At the program, we were shown a series of photos that had a large black bear shimmying out on a high line that somehow supported his weight in order to raid the bird feeder that was hanging “out of reach”. It was amazing to see his persistence and his ingenuity. And for anyone who deliberately puts out food intended to draw the bears into your yard, please be aware that you might be sentencing those bears to death. We’ve chosen to live in an area filled with natural wonders. Let’s do what we can to preserve those things that make this place so terrific. And that includes the black bears who call ICM home.
Sherry Gary (Hubbard Hollow Road)
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Guidelines for
Winterizing Your Home
There are many ways to winterize one’s home, but certain things remain constant. If the home is not heated, the greatest threat is water when it freezes.
Some ways to prevent damage from freezing water are:
1. Turn off your well pump. Usually there is a circuit breaker that can be switched off for this purpose. The
logic is that if you do have a broken pipe in your absence, the leak will stop when the pump does not
engage.
2. Turn off the water sources to all toilets, sinks, washing machines using the handles located on the pipes
leading up to them (usually under the sink or toilet and at the hose leading to the washing machine), then
drain the water from the pipes by turning on faucets and letting the water drain out. I always close all the
faucets after the water has drained out to prevent risk of flooding when water is turned back on.
3. Flush all toilets and then put a little bit of anti-freeze into the toilet bowl to prevent frozen water from
cracking the bowl.
You can always set your thermostat to 55 degrees while away to keep the house from freezing, but this will not take into consideration loss of power, so to be absolutely safe follow the above guidelines.
Caryl Sweet (Indian Camp Mountain Road)
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1. The snow is beautiful in these lovely mountains. Enjoy!
2. Plan for the possibility of being snowbound for up to a week.
3. Plan for the possibility of being without power for all, or much, of that time.
4. If you have a fireplace, have a good supply of firewood within easy access of your house—taking into
account a great deal of snow on sidewalks and drives.
5. If you have a generator, have a good supply of fuel on hand. If your generator runs on propane, keep an
eye on your gas level. Your supplier may not be able to get out to fill your tank on short notice.
6. Make sure you have adequate water for drinking, flushing toilets, and other needs, because if we lose
power, we also lose the pumps to our wells.
7. Stock up on food that does not require cooking, because . . . the power, again.
8. Check necessary medication and restock, if necessary, to have enough on hand.
9. Have flashlights with fresh batteries handy in case the power goes off.
10. A hurricane lantern and plenty of lamp oil will be welcome, as well.
11. Make sure you have a phone that will plug directly into the phone jack. If the power goes out, portable
phones do not work, and cell phones (even if you have a strong signal) will eventually need charging.
12. An advance trip to the library to stock up on reading material will not be amiss.
13. Store ice melt and your snow shovel INSIDE the house so you can dig your way out if that becomes
necessary. Getting to your garage or shed may become difficult with a big snowfall.
14. If you have important appointments in the days following the storm, keep in mind that they may need to
be postponed or rescheduled.
15. If you have health issues that make you especially vulnerable, particularly if you are without power,
you might consider NOT remaining in Indian Camp Mountain when a big snowfall is forecast.
16. Make arrangements to have snow removed from your driveway, if you choose not to clear it yourself.
Our snow removal vendor is Matt Leach, whose contact information is on the "members only" pages.
17. Know that every effort to get the roads cleared as soon as safely possible will be taken.
18. If you choose to shovel sidewalks/driveways, PLEASE be very careful! The snow and ice are VERY slick,
and shoveling snow is strenuous business. Broken bones or, worse yet, a heart attack would be a tragic
turn of events. EMTs will do all that they can to reach you and render aid, but they can only get where
they can get—even with 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
19. Take into consideration the needs of pets who may have to get outside to take care of business. You may
need to clear a small area.
20. Check in with neighbors who are alone and/or infirm. Cabin fever is diminished by sharing the
experience.
21. Maintain your patience and your sense of humor!
22. The snow is beautiful in these lovely mountains. Enjoy! Have a peanut butter-jelly sandwich, put your
feet up, and read a book.
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2. Plan for the possibility of being snowbound for up to a week.
3. Plan for the possibility of being without power for all, or much, of that time.
4. If you have a fireplace, have a good supply of firewood within easy access of your house—taking into
account a great deal of snow on sidewalks and drives.
5. If you have a generator, have a good supply of fuel on hand. If your generator runs on propane, keep an
eye on your gas level. Your supplier may not be able to get out to fill your tank on short notice.
6. Make sure you have adequate water for drinking, flushing toilets, and other needs, because if we lose
power, we also lose the pumps to our wells.
7. Stock up on food that does not require cooking, because . . . the power, again.
8. Check necessary medication and restock, if necessary, to have enough on hand.
9. Have flashlights with fresh batteries handy in case the power goes off.
10. A hurricane lantern and plenty of lamp oil will be welcome, as well.
11. Make sure you have a phone that will plug directly into the phone jack. If the power goes out, portable
phones do not work, and cell phones (even if you have a strong signal) will eventually need charging.
12. An advance trip to the library to stock up on reading material will not be amiss.
13. Store ice melt and your snow shovel INSIDE the house so you can dig your way out if that becomes
necessary. Getting to your garage or shed may become difficult with a big snowfall.
14. If you have important appointments in the days following the storm, keep in mind that they may need to
be postponed or rescheduled.
15. If you have health issues that make you especially vulnerable, particularly if you are without power,
you might consider NOT remaining in Indian Camp Mountain when a big snowfall is forecast.
16. Make arrangements to have snow removed from your driveway, if you choose not to clear it yourself.
Our snow removal vendor is Matt Leach, whose contact information is on the "members only" pages.
17. Know that every effort to get the roads cleared as soon as safely possible will be taken.
18. If you choose to shovel sidewalks/driveways, PLEASE be very careful! The snow and ice are VERY slick,
and shoveling snow is strenuous business. Broken bones or, worse yet, a heart attack would be a tragic
turn of events. EMTs will do all that they can to reach you and render aid, but they can only get where
they can get—even with 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
19. Take into consideration the needs of pets who may have to get outside to take care of business. You may
need to clear a small area.
20. Check in with neighbors who are alone and/or infirm. Cabin fever is diminished by sharing the
experience.
21. Maintain your patience and your sense of humor!
22. The snow is beautiful in these lovely mountains. Enjoy! Have a peanut butter-jelly sandwich, put your
feet up, and read a book.
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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROADS
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ROADS
At Indian Camp Mountain, it’s all about the roads! Our restrictive covenants require us to use 90% or more of our annual roads fees to maintain our approximately 12 miles of roads. To do that efficiently, it helps to understand as much as possible about taking care of our roadways.
The biggest enemy of roads is water in all it’s forms: rain, ice, snow, and fog. And, in Western North Carolina, we get a LOT of the wet stuff! It’s important to do everything we can to protect our roads from the damaging effects of water.
So—what do we need to know, and what do we need to do? Read on. . .
At Indian Camp Mountain, it’s all about the roads! Our restrictive covenants require us to use 90% or more of our annual roads fees to maintain our approximately 12 miles of roads. To do that efficiently, it helps to understand as much as possible about taking care of our roadways.
The biggest enemy of roads is water in all it’s forms: rain, ice, snow, and fog. And, in Western North Carolina, we get a LOT of the wet stuff! It’s important to do everything we can to protect our roads from the damaging effects of water.
So—what do we need to know, and what do we need to do? Read on. . .
Enemies of the Roads:
- Water run-off
- Shade (prevents ice melting and prevents sunshine from drying roads after rain.)
- Surface cracks (allow water penetration leading to erosion of road bed.)
- Saplings in ditches (interferes with and diverts water run off.)
- Clogged culverts & ditches (interferes with and diverts water runoff.)
- Vegetation too close to the road. (contributes to fraying of road edges and breakdown of pavement.)
- Trees overhanging roads. (Shade the road making it hard for sun to help dry it after rain, ice, or snow. Overhanging branches can interfere with passing vehicles and can also fall into the road.)
Friends of the Roads:
- Open and clear culverts and ditches. (They direct water flow safely away from the road bed.)
- Edges of roadways that are mown or trimmed regularly. (Keeps edges of road smooth and free of incursion.)
- Drivers who keep to the roadway. (Prevents crumbling of road edges.)
When considering road health . . .
What to look for:
What to look for:
- Edges of road fraying.
- Tiny cracks in road that allow water to penetrate. (Water finds its way beneath the surface of the road where, unseen, it can soften and/or wash away the roadbed leading to huge road replacement expense. This is called “alligatoring” because it resembles the pattern on an alligator’s back.)
- Water creating a winding streambed along the side of the road instead of a direct path to culvert.
- Places where water has carved a ditch immediately adjacent to roadway, undermining the edge of the pavement.
- Erosion and debris near the road that obstructs ditches and clogs culverts.
- Vegetation growing alongside the roadway that creates a “curb” which blocks water from flowing off the roadway into the ditch.
- Saplings, shrubs, or trees growing in ditch. They slow or block water from flowing into culverts.
- Tree branches that overhang and shade the roadway.
What can we do?
clear or report blockage to roads chair.
- Maintain the areas adjacent to roadways on our own
- Mow/string trim alongside the roadways
- Blow out fallen leaves and remove other debris from
- Check culverts periodically to verify that they are clear
clear or report blockage to roads chair.
- Cut down saplings and small bushes or trees growing
- Organize and participate in work parties - Identify a manageable area of the roadway that needs attention, get a group of friends, and spend an hour fixing it up.
Best practices for driving:
• Observe 20 mph speed limit on all paved roads.
• Drive no more than 15 mph on gravel roads to prevent “washboarding”.
• Do not drive off the edge of the roadway except when necessary to allow another car to pass.
(This weakens the edge of the road, allowing crumbling and creating holes along the sides.)
• Keep extremely heavy vehicles to a minimum—particularly on gravel roads after heavy rains.
• Observe 20 mph speed limit on all paved roads.
• Drive no more than 15 mph on gravel roads to prevent “washboarding”.
• Do not drive off the edge of the roadway except when necessary to allow another car to pass.
(This weakens the edge of the road, allowing crumbling and creating holes along the sides.)
• Keep extremely heavy vehicles to a minimum—particularly on gravel roads after heavy rains.
Annual precipitation in ICM: 76 - 84 inches
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Wildfire Prevention in ICM
Each of us plays a valuable role in preventing wildfires. The national average of human-caused wildfires comprises 87 percent of all wildfire occurrences every year. Most of these fires can be prevented.
Preventable wildfires threaten lives, property, and our precious natural resources. Whether it is properly extinguishing a campfire or keeping your vehicle maintained to prevent sparks, following just a few simple steps can help prevent wildfires.
Learn how to properly use outdoor equipment; burn debris safely; start, maintain, and extinguish a campfire; maintain your vehicle and tow safely; and practice fire-safe target shooting, to name a few.
1. Maintain a Survivable Space - "Things You Can Do Today” (all of these suggestions may not be practical on each of our properties, but whatever can be done will help.)
(Recommendations of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) website.)
(Recommendations of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) website.)
- Clean roof surfaces and gutters of pine needles, leaves, branches, etc., regularly to avoid accumulation of flammable materials.
- Remove portions of any tree extending within ten feet of the flue opening of any stove or chimney.
Maintain a screen constructed of non-flammable material over the flue opening of every chimney or stovepipe. Mesh openings of the screen should not exceed one-half inch.
Landscape vegetation should be spaced so that fire cannot be carried to the structure or surrounding vegetation. - Remove lower branches from trees to a height of fifteen feet.
- A fuel break should be maintained around all structures.
- Dispose of stove or fireplace ashes and charcoal briquettes only after soaking them in a metal pail of water.
- Store gasoline in an approved safety can away from occupied buildings.
- Propane tanks should be far enough away from buildings for valves to be shut off in case of fire. Keep area clear of flammable vegetation.
- All combustibles such as firewood, picnic tables, boats, etc. should be kept away from structures.
- Garden hose should be connected to outlet.
- Addressing should be indicated at all intersections and on structures.
- Have fire tools handy such as: ladder long enough to reach the roof, shovel, rake, and bucket for water.
- Each home should have at least two different entrance and exit routes.
85-90% of wildfires in the US are caused by human activity--campfires left unattended, burning of debris, equipment use & malfunction, negligently discarded cigarettes, and deliberate arson. So--being particularly vigilant if you are building a fire outside is essential.
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2. Safety Precautions for Outside Burning
Burning Fallen Tree Limbs, Trimmings, and Other Vegetative Matter
Burning Fallen Tree Limbs, Trimmings, and Other Vegetative Matter
- Avoid burning outdoors when the weather is conducive to fire outbreaks. This includes warm temperatures, windy conditions and low humidity.
- Use an area that is free of vegetation, including dry grass, leaves or overhanging branches.
- Build a small fire and feed other fuel into it as it burns down.
- DO NOT use kerosene, gasoline or flammable liquids to start or speed up a fire.
- NEVER burn man-made objects--tires, garbage, chemicals, building materials, etc.
- Be prepared to control the fire. Have on hand a pressurized garden hose, a steel rake, a bucket with water, and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire.
- Constantly keep vigil while burning debris until the fire has been thoroughly extinguished. Make sure there are no hot embers left.
- Check with your local authorities on dos, don'ts, and other regulations in the area before burning vegetation waste outdoors. (https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/news/ncfs -reminder-open-burning-requires-permit/article_576c76b1-e0eb-55de- bc82-be3ed2fd0874.html)
3. If a Wildfire is Close Enough that You Feel Your Home Might Be in Danger
- CLEAR: Clear off pine needles, dead leaves, and anything that can burn from rooflines, gutters, decks, porches, patios, and along fence lines.
- STORE AWAY: Store away furniture cushions, rattan mats, potted plants, and other decorations from doors, decks, porches, and patios. These items can catch embers and help ignite your home if left outside.
- SCREEN & SEAL: Wind-blown embers can get into homes easily through vents and other openings and burn the house from the inside out. Walk around your house to see what openings you can screen or temporarily seal up.
- RAKE: Embers landing in mulch that touches your house deck or fence is a big fire hazard. Rake out any landscaping mulch to at least five feet away.
- TRIM: Trim back any shrubs or three branches that come closer than five feet to your house, in addition to any overhanging branches.
- REMOVE: Walk around your house and remove anything within thirty feet that could burn, such as woodpiles, spare lumber, vehicles, and boats--anything that can act as a large source of fuel.
- CLOSE: If ordered to evacuate, make sure all windows and doors are closed tightly and seal up any pet doors. Many homes are destroyed by embers entering these openings and burning the house from the inside out.