It’s with deep sadness that we relate the news that Hazel Creek legend Steve Claxton passed away last weekend. Steve was a lifelong resident of Bryson City, North Carolina and often referred to as the mayor of Hazel Creek. He was the linch pin to the success of our camps there. We got to be pretty close with Steve, so the news of his passing has given us pause to remember all the great times we had with him.
What we think of as the classic image of Steve Claxton; rolling out buttermilk biscuits from scratch on Hazel Creek.
I remember one evening by the campfire one camper asked me how much time I’d spent on Hazel Creek. I did the number in my head and said I figured I’d spent between two and three months of my life camping and fishing on Hazel Creek. I could see Steve grinning from across the fire and invited him to tell us how much time he’d spent there since it had to be significantly more than my mine. His number of nights on Hazel Creek went well into the years, probably a tally unmatched since the days of Horace Kephart. Furthermore, I always found it fascinating that when he was a child Steve would listen to none other than Granville Calhoun tell stories of Hazel Creek in Bryson City. He truly had a connection to the old days before Fontana Lake was impounded and the park was in existence.
Steve with a Hazel Creek brown trout
Steve was always known as a prankster and I remember all the laughs. One of my favorites was when he gave the camp orientation to one of our groups who had just arrived. He showed them their tents, where the drinks were kept, and the designated area to be used as a bathroom. He then went on to show them the best leaves to wipe with. He even made it a point to show them what poison ivy looked like since a guy the previous week made that mistake. You should have seen the wide eyes! I couldn’t hold back the laughter and showed the crew our very ample supply of toilet paper.
Steve was well known for living life to the fullest. He bicycled from the coast of Oregon to Bryson City some years ago. We were honored when he made it a point to drop by our house here in Townsend before pedaling on over the Smokies to a homecoming parade in Bryson City. He used the ride to raise money for a scholarship fund for Swain County students to go on to a career in education. More recently Steve fulfilled a lifelong dream to hike the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine.
Steve with his signature smile at the end of the Appalachian Trail
In spite of recent health issues we saw that Steve was shuttling hikers and running folks across Fontana Lake to Hazel Creek less than a week before his death. That’s just the way Steve was. He never knew anything about slowing down and always found a way to do just one more thing.
