I just heard somewhat larpy stuff on X but within that potential larp laid out the fact that Asheville has large Wiccan community and tunnels so that peaked my interest...
"In mountains of North Carolina, a witch was one of the most terrifying things you could encounter."
https://www.northcarolinaghosts.com/folk-magic/appalachian-witches/
One of the most famous and globally powerful witches is Gloria Vanderbilt of the famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC...
A less dark take confirms their are tunnels indeed via MSN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx6TCWnUn8Q
In this link one the cities locals mentions that the tunnels run past the Biltmore building and under the Masonic temple https://youtu.be/uBqIyu0hIfk?si=9mDbjL24OlKa8Y1m
https://thebluebanner.net/14802/uncategorized/an-enlightenment-of-witchcraft-in-asheville/
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nc/asheville/crime
https://witchesofthecraft.com/tag/asheville-north-carolina/
https://www.hauntedrooms.com/north-carolina/asheville/haunted-places
In short Asheville has a huge wiccan/witchcraft community and is less safe than 99% of US cities. There is a network of tunnels underneath the town that their city counsel won't admit to maintaining but will admit to potentially being used for prohibition reasons. The tunnels run under the masonic temple and past the castle related to of one of the world's most notorious witches, Gloria Vanderbilt (Mother of Anderson Cooper, CNN).
So frens, maybe a lithium mine in Asheville is better than the alternative. Keep your chin up and pray :)
My brother hiked the trail 2 year ago. He made it safe. Started in Georgia and picked him up north of Nannahala. The woods hold a lot of secrets. Just because we have technology doesn’t mean we fully understand the shit that goes on out there.
Always be safe and prepared. Pick your stops carefully. Act with confidence and get the hell back on the road. I’ll wear a CC charge before I end up dead.