Watching out over wild, picturesque Linville Gorge

What would you do with your life if you didn’t need money? It’s a popular contemplation and one that Kevin Massey, at age 45, has realized. He would tie his red hair back in a ponytail, arm himself with maps, hand tools, snacks and Gatorade, and perform backbreaking work to care for the Linville Gorge Wilderness, one of the few truly wild places in the East.

But he still needs money, and lucky for Massey, he’s got the job he would do regardless. With a part-time position as Wild South Linville Gorge stewardship coordinator and part-time work as U.S. Forest Service volunteer, Massey has full-time responsibility for maintaining the gorge’s wild beauty.

Having grown up in the outdoors hiking, camping, hunting and fishing, Massey and his family, including his wife, Julie Lualdi, and twin sons, Jonathan and Nick, 15, moved from Georgia to the edge of the Linville Gorge Wilderness about five years ago. The family spent their free time exploring the Linville’s rugged trails, streams, river, ridges, wildflowers, plants and trees that make up one of the most stunning natural areas in Western North Carolina.

In January, Massey was offered a small salary to do what he loved, although it came at a tragic price. He was given the monumental task of taking over as Wild South’s Linville Gorge Wilderness stewardship coordinator, the role held for two years by Kayah Gaydish, an Asheville conservationist and mother of two teenagers, who died in a rock climbing fall in December. She was 36.

Read full story…

 

The following are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1 Comment

  1. Excellent link Jeff… Here are a few pics I made from atop Hawksbill… Thanks. Vann

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.