FAMILY OWNED

Cold Spring Basecamp is a family owned business spearheaded by partners Steve Waggoner and Hartwell Carson. Steve knows the basecamp like the back of his hand, as he grew up camping on this property as a kid. His father, Bill Waggoner, was the owner of Camp Windy Wood on Lake Summit and the Cold Spring property was used for overnight camping and adventures. Bill and Steve built some of the original cabins by hand. After being a summer camp counselor, Steve spent the next 30+ years exploring every nook and cranny in this area, being a surveyor. Steve is the president of heavy equipment, surveying, and rock hauling.

Hartwell has worked for almost 20 years to clean up and protect the waterways in Western North Carolina, as the French Broad Riverkeeper for MountainTrue. This work involved monitoring our waterways, pulling tires and trash from the river, and building the French Broad River paddle trail, a series of campsites connecting over 150 miles of the river. Hartwell is also the founder of Clean Water for Africa, which support African Riverkeepers with drinking water wells, water tanks and water filters. The filters used at Cold Spring Basecamp are the same filters used for clean water projects in Uganda, Kenya and Togo and a portion of the proceeds from each booking will go to support Clean Water for Africa. Hartwell heads up the cleaning up messes division.

The rest of the team includes Teela Waggoner, who spent her childhood camping here and her late teen years and college years drinking cheap beer around the property. Teela is a born and bred local and is the best mortgage broker ever. Teela is also the CEO of style and good advice. Wilder Carson is in charge of excavators, making messes and shredding the gnar. And last but not least is Evan Carson, who is vice president of plant relocation, step building and entertaining her little brother.