All photos courtesy Pisgah Area SORBA Toppled trees and massive flooding destroyed homes, businesses, roads, and other infrastructure as Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26th. Trails in popular mountain bike destinations such as Asheville, North Carolina, were closed indefinitely , as was most of the public land across the region in the wake of Helene.
Now, thanks to the hard work of organizations like Pisgah Area SORBA , residents are regaining access to their favorite trails and trailheads. Deciding when to start
Hurricane Helene left a devastating wake of destruction. Homes, businesses, and livelihoods were all significantly impacted or lost due to Helene. However, these losses pale in comparison to Helene’s death toll. Two hundred thirty-four people lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Helene, making it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
With such destruction, it can be nearly impossible to determine the right time to start rebuilding trails. Natalie Narburgh, the executive director of Pisgah Area SORBA, said they had many intentional conversations about this topic.
“For the first two and a half weeks, our team wasn’t even thinking about the trails,” Narburgh said. “It was basically whatever the immediate need was — which was human lives. That was first.”
Rather than clearing trails, Pisgah Area SORBA sawyers were out in the community, clearing roads and homes of fallen trees. As very basic needs — getting a vehicle out of a driveway — were met and more help came to the area, the focus shifted to the trails. […]
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