Clearing the Path
A Day of Downed Trees, Trail Reroutes, and Landslides
Last week, we partnered with our friends at the Carolina Climbers Coalition, EcoForesters, and the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition, for a full work day in the Hickory Nut Gorge just north of Lake Lure.
Our focus for the day was simple: clear a whole bunch of downed trees, navigate a massive landslide, and plan for trail reroutes and bridge rebuilding. Given the sheer extent of the damage Helene left in this area – and particularly to the local communities here – repairs have been relatively slow, so we were all eager to put our gloves on and get to work.
The Work Begins
This trail system is very important to hikers, mountain bikers, and climbers alike, so we’re working hard to restore access as soon as we safely can – and this work day was a huge step in that direction.
We started on opposite ends of two trails that met at a crossing where the landslide occurred, and together we managed to clear every downed tree along the way.
Thank You To Our Partners!
A huge thank you goes out to our partners at Carolina Climbers Coalition, EcoForesters, and Rutherford Outdoor Coalition! Together we accomplished so much of the work needed – and while there’s still a lot left to do before this area can be safely reopened, we’re extremely hopeful and excited to continue the work.