My friend Marci Spencer has just completed a multiyear book project which Badger calls the “Tale of Three Forests” – the Pisgah, Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests.
The Cherokee portion of the United States Department of Agriculture’s forest system is located in East Tennessee. Marci’s book chronicles the complicated interaction among the native Americans, the European settlers and those who found themselves between the two from centuries ago to the present day.
Badger is blessed and honored to have his photograph of Bald River Falls on the cover of the book. As a native East Tennessean, the cover photo is also personally meaningful. The area near Bald River and Coker Creek is where my maternal great grandfather settled after escaping the Trail of Tears with the Indians who now comprise the Eastern band of the Cherokee nation. My father’s ancestors arrived in the Knoxville area in 1745 and have remained there since that time. Knoxville’s Mabry-Hazen House is part of that legacy.
Several of Badger’s friends and hiking partners including John Forbes, Brian Solomon, Bill Lea and Chris Berrier have contributed beautiful color photographs to the publication as well. Sen. Lamar Alexander wrote the foreword.
Cherokee National Forest – A History is destined to be a seminal tome to be treasured now and for future generations.
For now, you can find the book by going to Arcadian Publishing’s website or soon on Amazon.
Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images
Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages