The wood chips were flying last weekend during The John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet.
The meet, in which participants from several colleges tested their lumberjack skills under a pleasant autumn sun, brought heated competition but also good sportsmanship and some moments of lighthearted fun, largely provided by the emcee, Pisgah High School career and technical teacher W.C. Godfrey, who for years has provided play-by-play commentary during the action. Competitions included archery, a team log roll, axe throwing, dendrology (tree identification), and pole climbing. One challenge brought teams of two to race to see who could boil water first by building a fire with a hatchet, a large piece of wood, and a few matches.
The competition is typically held at the Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National Forest near the border of Haywood and Transylvania counties but was held at Haywood Community College (HCC) this year in conjunction with National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Brian Ritter, an adjunct instructor at HCC who has taught forestry and geographic information systems on and off for decades, volunteered as a scorekeeper for the meet. Ritter also learned his trade at the college and graduated in 1986. Along with serving on the school’s advisory board for natural resources, his son also attended the school and once competed in the woodsmen’s meet.
Ritter said he was happy to see a large a crowd at the meet, especially since it was hosted in conjunction with the National Hunting and Fishing Day event, which encouraged outdoor recreation and raised awareness around conservation efforts.
“I think it’s a good idea to have both together,” Ritter said. “You get two mixes and groups of people coming in, and so there’s more exposure.”
When it comes to the competition itself, Ritter enjoyed seeing young people hone their abilities that make outdoor experiences more enjoyable and safer, abilities that prioritize strength, endurance, and technique over simply firing up some power tools.
“We had an archery event, axe throwing, these traditional skills you had to have,” he said.
The National Fishing and Hunting Day event, held in the large HCC auditorium parking lot just up from the ballfields hosting the meet, brough a decent crowd made up mostly of young families. Parents and kids alike enjoyed a host of information and interactive opportunities. Along with food trucks, vendors included Scouting USA, Mountain True, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and Balsam Mountain Trust Nature Center. Activities included archery ranges, fishing, and a station where people could build their own rods.
Gerald Klauss, an education specialist with NCWRC who almost two decades ago graduated from HCC’s Fish and Wildlife Management Program, manned the big tent near Mill Pond. Visitors to the pond could test their angling skills using one of the fishing poles provided by Klauss, who also set up a station where they could try to hook a “backyard bass.” That activity was meant to hone anglers’ casting skills.
Klauss not only seemed to love his job, which brings him out in the community to teach the joys of outdoor recreation and the basic skills to get out and try, but also he was happy to return to his alma mater.
“I would say that I was really lucky to have the opportunity to go to HCC,” he said. “I think the place hits way above its price point,” Klauss said. “There is a really good staff, and it was a good experience for me. If felt like it was a good fit, and everyone was very positive.”
Klauss couldn’t help but indulge in a bit of nostalgia.
“It’s nice because I have so many fond memories of this place,” he said. “Every time I come back, it brings those right back.”
George Hahn, HCC’s lead forestry instructor, has coached the college’s lumberjack team for five years and organized the John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet. This involved inviting teams, organizing events, and coordinating volunteers. He also had to source the supplies, which came with a little help from some friends. Columbia Forest Products in Old Fort donated most of the wood. Students helped stage the competitions, including those in the lineman program, who helped set poles in the ground.
Hahn said this year’s meet ran well, with all schools competing hard and with a positive spirit. HCC finished fourth behind West Virginia University, Penn State-Mont Alto, and North Carolina State University. The team competes in two meets per semester and will travel to NC State later this fall. Hahn and crew are ready.
“Everyone competed hard and cheered each other on, and there were some good highlights,” Hahn said. “We look forward to doing it again.”