Frequently Asked Questions
What
Are My Visiting Options?
Day Visits
If you wish to visit and see the Sanctuary, we welcome
day visitors by appointment. You may phone us at
828-626-3966 or make arrangements by email at lightweave@aol.com
Once an appointment is set we will send you specific
directions.
Personal Retreats
The Sanctuary is ideal for personal retreats. It is the
perfect place to read, write, paint, meditate, or to use
as your base camp for exploring endless miles of
national forest trails into the mountains. Guests have a
variety of accommodations to choose from. Most prefer
our secluded Hermitage with its nice porch overlooking
the river. The more rustic-minded often like the Tree
House or the ZenTao. But there are many choices offering
various degrees of privacy and amenities.
Group Retreats
The Sanctuary is available for group retreats and is
especially ideal for those focusing on consciousness
oriented themes or simply those who like to be close to
nature while spending time together. We can provide beds
for groups up to 24 with accommodations ranging from
indoor guest rooms to outdoor shelters. Larger groups
would need to bring their own tents. The average
donation for a group of 10 or more is $35 per person per
night, and guests may use all accommodation options
including the Lodge. Groups will need to bring their own
food, sleeping gear and towels. The lodge kitchen,
including two refrigerators will be available for group
use. Groups of 10 or more will have the whole Sanctuary
to themselves.
Events
The Sanctuary is available for weddings or other
ceremonies or rites of passage, as well as day-long
workshops and retreats. This includes full use of the
common kitchen at the lodge, meeting space, the sauna
and other facilities. Guest are responsible for their
own food preparation and clean up. The common kitchen at
the lodge is available for guest use and one
refrigerator at the lodge is specifically for guests.
The kitchen has cutlery, pots and pans, and dishes for
guests to use. The hermitage has a small countertop with
a hotplate and a small refrigerator. Guest are also
welcomed to cook over an open campfire if they wish. The
average donation for day use is $15 per person for those
who are not staying overnight.
Where Is The Sanctuary Located?
Mountain Light is located 24 miles (35 minutes)
northeast of Asheville, near Barnardsville, NC. Specific
directions are sent to guests once a reservation has
been made.
How many people can you accommodate?
There are a total of 24 beds at the Sanctuary, counting
the various shelters. Six of these are in the lodge. We
have had larger groups before with some people bringing
tents.
Are linen & towels provided?
Linen and towels are provided for individual guests (not
groups) the rooms in Elfhave lodge. The Hermitage and
all of the shelters, including the Balihouse, Gnome
Lodge, Treehouse, Hobbithut, Merlinwood,and the ZenTao
are available on a 'bring your own bedding' basis.
However, if you are flying in to Asheville and don't
have room to bring your bedding and towels, we can
workout some arrangement.
What is the bathroom situation?
We have two indoor toilets in the lodge, one indoor
shower and one permanent outdoor composting toilet and
outdoor private shower. In addition to this we have five
mobile composting toilets that are in or near each
accommodation for night use.
What about food?
Meals are not provided at the Sanctuary so guests are
requested to bring their own food. However, all guests
have full use of the kitchen at the Lodge, including
pots & pans, dishes, cutlery, pantry space and
refrigerators.
The Hermitage has it's own little kitchen space on the
porch with a hotplate appropriate for preparing morning
tea & coffee & a small refrigerato.
Is Transportation Available?
The Asheville airport is 45 minutes from the Sanctuary.
We can offer a roundtrip transit, including a stop at
the grocery, for $50 or you can catch an airport shuttle
to Barnardsville (6 miles from the Sanctuary) for $45
each way and we can pick you up for free in
Barnardsville.
What Form Of Payment Do You Accept?
We accept cash, personal checks & travelers checks.
Unfortunately we are not set up to receive credit cards.
Is internet available?
We have high speed wi-fi internet available so you may
bring your laptop to keep up with necessary business or
personal concerns
What about telephone use?
You are welcomed to use the house phone as needed.
Asheville is a local call. For long distance calls you
will need to bring a phone card, use toll free numbers
or call collect. We ask guests to limit calls to fifteen
minutes or less. The number here is 828-626-3966 if you
wish to leave it with family members in case of an
emergency. Cell phones do not work here. Depending on
your cell phone company, you may have to go back 2 to 6
miles toward Barnardsville to obtain service.
Are Children & Pets Welcome?
Children are always welcomed. However the lodge and
grounds are not child proof so we suggest that parents
check with us for potential hazards. Parents are asked
to properly supervise children & pets for their safety
and for maintaining the privacy and respect for the
land, neighbors and other guests. Our only concerns are
noise (barking), our gardens, and our wildlife.
What about mosquitoes and other insects?
Fortunately we have very few mosquitoes. In the
summer on some nights, we do have 'noseeums' just about
dusk which can produce an itchy bite, but much milder
than a mosquito. You can wear long sleeves in the cool
evenings or ask for skin cream repellant which we have
available.
Are there poisons animals or plants to be concerned
about?
The Sanctuary is a safe haven for wildlife. We have
rabbits, squirrels, birds, raccoons and snakes,
including a couple of five foot black snakes which are
rather shy and quite harmless (unless you are a mouse).
While there are poisonous snakes (copperhead and
rattlers) in these mountains, they are very rare and we
have never seen either on the property. It is said that
have black snakes around, you won't have poisonous
snakes.
What should I bring with me?
What To Bring
-
1. Food
2. camera
3. blanket to sit on
4. flashlight & extra batteries
5. clothes appropriate to the weather
6. bathing or birthday suite for sauna and creek (if
you are hardy)
7. sleeping bag or other bedding & towel &
toiletries if you are in one of the shelters
Are there other safety
concerns?
While the Sanctuary is for the most part a very safe
place, there are a few things to be aware of.
Use Your Flashlight
There is the possibility of tripping and falling by
walking at night between buildings without a flashlight,
so please walk with care after dark.
Open Flames
You may notice a scorched area on the Hermitage
porch and in the Gnome Lodge. These are places where
guests left open flame candles burning and caught the
wood on fire. Please do not use any open flame candles.
We have candle enclosures if you need them.
Plants
We don't have poison ivy on the property but there is
stinging nettle in some places bordering the Sanctuary.
It produces a very temporary minor itch. If you aren't
familiar with it, asked to have it point out to you,
especially if you will be hiking in the forest. And by
the way, it is also deliciously edible when cooked!
Shoes
Recycling in the mountains, in past generations, was
often a matter of how far you could throw containers
from the house. For this reason, from time to time we
still find broken glass in the
gardens, along the property bordering the Sanctuary and
on the trail down to the swimming hole. For this reason,
we recommend wearing shoes if you are off the grassy
area.
Hiking
The Sanctuary borders over a half million acres of
national forest and offers incredible opportunities for
hiking, camping and enjoying the beautiful Blue Ridge
mountains. In terms of safety, we encourage you to
either hike with a companion or let someone know which
trail you are taking. As long as you stay on a trail
there should be no problem. The greatest risks in the
forest are injuries from falls or getting lost.
Swimming
We have a nice swimming hole adjacent to the Sanctuary
property. OK, the creek isn't really big enough to
actually swim in, but the water - flowing directly out
of the national forest - is clear and icy cold. it's a
great place to take a refreshing dip on a hot day
Are there anything else I should be aware of?
We try to live in a way which is respectful of one
another, the Earth, our neighbors and our community
life. To this end, we invite you to be mindful of the
following guidelines.
* In order to insure the privacy of guests, residents
and neighbors, please do not venture onto the private
property which borders the south and west sides of the
Sanctuary.
* We endeavor to live in harmony with the land and at
peace with all creation. Please help us respect the life
of the animals, plants and insects.
* Please respect the land and help us keep it free of
trash and debris. We especially ask smokers to properly
dispose of filters.
* In order to maintain a quiet and peaceful atmosphere,
we ask that radios, 'TVs, firearms, weapons and illegal
drugs not be brought into the Sanctuary.
* We recycle glass & plastic containers, cans and
grocery bags, and ask guests to be mindful of this.
Quiet Time
In respect for our neighbors & other guests, we observe
quiet time after sundown. For this reason we request
that sound be limited to quiet conversations after dark
and within the immediate area of ones personal space:
i.e. no drumming, music, etc.
Restrictions
While we do welcome groups and events, the Sanctuary is
primarily a place of quiet retreat. To maintain that
frequency and for the sake of our neighbors, it isn't
really an appropriate venue for those who need outdoor
music which requires amplification with speakers, a
boombox or microphone. Non amplified music for
meditation or movement is fine outdoors during the day
or in the upstairs meeting room during the day or in the
evening as long as the sound doesn't extend beyond the
immediate area.
A Word About The Elves...
I's true. We do have elves here at Mt. Light - as well
as gnomes and fairies. Some of our visitors have seen
them and they occasionally show up in photographs. We
are still getting to know our wee friends and learning
to work together. There are stories from Europe of how
the elves - in the olden days - would often help out
with household chores as simple acts of kindness. While
you are visiting Mountain Light, we invite you to
liberate your own elfin nature; not only in exploring
your capacity for spontaneous joy and delight, but also
with the little acts of kindness such as tiding up here
and there or helping out with chores which you see need
to be done. These small acts bring joy to yourself and
to all of us who are sharing community for our brief
time together.
Living In Community
If there are other guests here during your brief
stay at the Sanctuary you will be participating in
community. While we wish to maintain a certain tone and
frequency, we also wish to remain light and free of
heavy rules or dramas. You can help with this by finding
your own inner place of quiet, being in a state of deep
appreciation of the beauty which surrounds you, being
respectful of everyone and everything - and finding the
seed of spontaneous joy which you may have experienced
as a child. Our relationship with one another will only
be as good as the relationship we have with ourselves.
We hope that your time here will be well spent in
improving the quality of that relationship.
