April 2025 Trail Days, February & March Photos

April 2025 Trail Days

April trail day schedule below.  Please RSVP for any dates that look good, and we’ll keep you in the loop on meetup details.

Unaka Mountain Wilderness – trail clearing & crosscut sawing.

• Tuesday – April 15
• Wednesdays – April 23 & 30

Nolichucky River – River cleanup at Chestoa.

• Wednesdays – April 9 & 16

Linville Gorge Wilderness – trail clearing, crosscut sawing, rockwork, tread repair.

• Thursdays – April 10, 17, 24
• Saturdays – April 12, 19, 26

It’s inspiring to see how communities are rising to the challenge of recovering these forests and rivers that are so important for the local economy.  Wild South is working to make sure everyone finds a way to help!

February & March Photos

CHIMNEY GAP – A multi-year effort to improve the north half of Shortoff Trail’s Chimney Gap section finally finished this winter. We were trying to wrap things up last fall just as Hurricane Helene changed everybody’s plans. The MST Section 4 team returned in March to put the spit and polish on the last of the switchbacks. Then Outward Bound joined Wild South to begin the healing process for the badly eroded trench we all used to call a “trail”!

 

LEADMINE – Rocks and roots.  Trees and tires.  Recovering Leadmine in time for the daffodil bloom was an all-hands community affair.  The south end of the Linville Gorge Trail is now clear up to, and a little past, Daffodil Flats.  Post-Helene trail recovery is a triage process.  We’re tackling the big issues first, but we’ll be returning to work the same trails for years before they are fully recovered.

 

CONLEY COVE – After February’s massive effort on Leadmine, Wild South volunteers began the recovery process for the beautiful Conley Cove Trail.  This time we were joined by a team of Forest Service crosscut sawyers from across the country.  Conley took a beating in the hurricane.  A big landside.  Huge chunks of trail ripped out by tree roots.  Nearly 100% canopy loss in the lower section near the river.

 

PINE GAP – Volunteers have also now cleared the “Pine Gap” section of the northern Linville Gorge Trail.  There were some big hemlocks down, but overall it wasn’t nearly as bad as Leadmine and Conley.  We would have cleared it sooner but there’s always lots of dangerous ice on Pine Gap in the winter.

 

SITTING BEAR – During the hurricane, tornado-like winds smashed the slopes below Sitting Bear Rock.  Many trees — some huge — were thrown down into a tangled trap for the unwary.  Volunteers and Forest Service staff have worked together to open the way.

 

 

TABLE ROCK GAP – Despite all the disruption, Wild South continues to offer outdoor-career-building internships.  Ben cut his teeth last year in Chimney Gap.  Nick has been leading trail crews since before he could drive.  Taylor just joined us for the 2025 season.  Together with the Grandfather trail staff they cleared all the storm trees off the new switchback route for Table Rock Gap.  Wild South interns and volunteers alike will be completing those switchbacks in April and May, together with the inspiring MST Section 4 volunteers.