September 2026 Trail Days, Spring & Summer Photos

 

LOTS of Spring & Summer Photos!

BYNUM BLUFF (TREES) – In many, many places, initial recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene were focused on short-term mitigation of safety risks.  With most hazards now mitigated, Pisgah National Forest communities are increasingly focused on restoring the long-term economic benefit of their rivers and trails.  That includes clearing leftover piles of trees, like this one blocking Bynum Bluff Trail in Linville Gorge Wilderness.

 

BYNUM BLUFF (ROCK) – Restoring trails is tough work.  In many places, seriously heavy rocks have to be moved in order to repair collapsed sections of the trail.

 

FRENCH BROAD – This year Wild South has been collaborating with the US Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, Osprey Whitewater, and Wahoo’s Adventures to pull TONS of trash out of the French Broad River.

 

LINVILLE RIVER – Volunteers have been clearing Hurricane Helene debris out of the Linville River and hauling it out of the wilderness on the steep trails of Linville Gorge.  That includes an especially memorable day when a team of Outward Bound students carried a heavy welding tank up Conley Cove Trail.  There is at least more one big item — a heating oil tank — that will need to be cut up first before packing out.  But perhaps the biggest task is the long term effort to gather up all the smaller debris — like all the plastic flower pots from the plant nurseries upstream.

 

Linville Gorge Trail – Helene created hazards for trail recovery across the region.  Wild South community volunteers and staff have faced many challenges, and will for years to come.  But the section of the LGT below Bynum Bluff was hands-down the most hazardous trail situation we’ve seen coming out of the hurricane.  Landslides and fallen trees combine with the vertical terrain to create a quarter mile corridor where every action requires careful risk mitigation.  Most of that length has now been temporarily stabilized, and the team has now arrived at the crux move down by the river.

 

PINCH-IN – The reroute of upper Pinch-In Trail had to pause during this winter’s ice storms, but restarted in spring and is now complete.

 

PINE GAP – Lutheran Disaster Response continues to support WNC in long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene.  Their youth teams joined us again this year, this time focused on restoring the Pine Gap section of the Linville Gorge Trail.  Shout out to Camp Lutherock in Newland for hosting teams from all over the country.

 

Sitting Bear – The Jonas Ridge Trail near Sitting Bear Rock was hit by one of Hurricane Helene’s focused wind events, knocking down almost every tree.  Community volunteers are continuing to clear trees skipped in initial cleanup efforts.

 

South Toe – This 30-foot culvert was left in the South Toe River by the hurricane.  Hauling it back out was no easy task!  The team finally decided to chunk it up and carry it out piece by piece.

 

TABLE ROCK GAP – The road to the Table Rock parking lot is still out of commission.  Hurricane Helene triggered a landslide that cut access to this popular destination critical to the local economy.  Immediately after the hurricane, Wild South anticipated this crisis, and collaborated with the US Forest Service on emergency repairs to Table Rock Gap Trail in order to ensure public access while Forest Roads 210 and 99 were being repaired.  Now community volunteers and Wild South staff are returning to complete a second phase of trail restoration.  Shout out to Montreat College, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Camp Lutherock for their help moving this project forward.

 

Wilson Creek – Removal of the remaining hurricane debris in Wilson Creek will ramp up this fall, but teams have already been carrying out some big items, as well as removing graffiti from the rocks.