ELEVATE: Field Guide to the Plateau | Fall 2025

Welcome to our fall issue of ELEVATE: Field Guide to the Plateau. I must confess – fall is my absolute favorite time of year up here. Yesterday morning, I stepped outside for my daily walk and was stopped by the sight of our trees beginning to paint our mountains in spectacular shades of gold and red. It's moments like these that remind me why I never get tired of living on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, and why I love sharing it with all of you through the pages of this magazine.

This issue is packed with fun and seasonal stories. We dive into the BMW driving school (who knew we had such a thing so close to our mountain?), take a fascinating look at why bats are actually our friends – trust me, after reading this you'll never look at them the same way. We also shine a light on the amazing work happening at the food bank in Highlands and Fishes & Loaves in Cashiers. These organizations are doing incredible things for our neighbors, and their stories will inspire you. For fun, we've compiled the top 13 spookiest Halloween songs – perfect for your next autumn gathering. And as we head toward Thanksgiving, we've included a piece written by our own Betty Holt that brings laughter but also a call to help those less fortunate than ourselves.