During the week of January 19th, folks along the “road less traveled” in Hyde County were doing double-takes as Polly and her owner “The Mule Rider,” aka Bernie Harberts, arrived for a visit. The “NC Wagon Ramble,” with Polly pulling a covered wagon while Harberts drove to various sites around Lake Mattamuskeet, was being filmed by PBS North Carolina.

The PBS crew, led by director Morgan Potts, was also on hand to document the trip. Potts, who has Hyde County ties, says that the finished product – filmed both with a video camera and a drone for aerial shots – will be produced as a full-length documentary. The crew has many hours of film taken around the northwest side of the lake, across the causeway over the lake (NC 94) and down Wildlife Drive leading to the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) offices.

Kelly Davis, longtime county resident and former biologist at MNWR, took on the task of helping plan the route and making the advance arrangements.

The rich history of North Carolina’s largest natural lake – from the county’s early inhabitants, efforts to drain and farm the lake in the early 1900s, the 1930s conversion to a National Wildlife Refuge, and to the present – was the focus of this Wagon Ramble.

Along the way there were interviews with local residents. Stories were recorded for posterity, including those of the county’s cultural treasures, the Mattamuskeet apple, fishing, hunting and birdwatching.

Potts had long wanted to film a feature in Hyde County, and felt that the story of Lake Mattamuskeet would be the perfect place to start. He indicated that it is a “beautiful beast of a chore to pull all of the video together” for the finished product. However, it is a job that he loves and keeps him going.

Ten years ago, a similar trip to Pamlico County resulted in the PBS episode “Mule Rider” which won an Emmy award for Potts.

Polly and Harberts spent the first night camped out at the Osprey Nest Campgrounds on Piney Woods Road. In the following days they made their way to the Fairfield Methodist Church, Carawan’s Lakeside Motel and eventually to Mattamuskeet Lodge.

Harberts, an author, filmmaker and speaker from Caldwell County, is an adventurer at heart. He got his writing start while sailing alone around the world on his sailboat Seabird. However, he also has many miles under his posterior while touring the USA on long saddle and wagon voyages.

In 1974, at the age of six, Harberts accompanied his grandfather on a fishing trip to Lake Mattamuskeet. He says that was a turning point for him as he learned about and became interested in wildlife. He recalls seeing his first merlin (a small falcon) during that trip.

Over the years, Harberts has been accompanied on his rambles by several different horses and mules. But this is probably the last such excursion for Polly, who is 33 years of age.

Plans were put in place for this exploration before the weather – temperatures in the teens and snow – was forecast. Thoughts of rescheduling were briefly discussed before the decision to continue as planned were made. Both Potts and Harberts called the trip a success with great photography efforts by the PBS crew and visits with friendly folks along the way.

Go to riverearth.com to learn more about Harberts’ adventures or PBSNC.org for information regarding this documentary, which will likely air in June 2025.

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