The Transylvania Times -

Imagine navigating the vast expanse of mountain forests as a Native American 400 years ago. Foot trails were not the well-traveled and blazed paths they are now and there were no National Geographic maps. The people who roamed the hills looking for food, however, were particularly in tune with nature and their means of navigation reflect that. In western North Carolina, the Cherokee used trees as markers to denote a clean water source, shelter or perhaps a place of spiritual significance. The red and white oaks were a favorite because their fiber structure had the right resiliency neces...