As a historic and some might say “challenging” year drew to a close, news of a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina began spreading faster than the virus. Billed as “the only organization dedicated to the … Continued
Drafts of the Nantahala and Pisgah forest plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) are now available. A formal 90-day public review and comment period began on February 14. The proposed plan is built on significant public engagement and the best … Continued
The days are getting longer, the sun setting later, and with that comes the opportunities for real after-work hikes, expanding the time to explore the trails beyond my usual weekend availability. On Thursday, May 18 I decided to take the … Continued
Edit: as of July 29, 2016, the first bridge is now complete! The hike to Catawba Falls has always involved a tricky rock-hop near the beginning of the trail. While it’s not terribly difficult or at all dangerous, it does … Continued
Notice 4/22/15: A large wildfire has spread through the area described by this hike, and the trails are currently closed. We’ll update when they re-open, and hopefully go back for a visit to see what it looks like after it’s … Continued
For the 10 days leading up to New Year’s Eve, we’d had a lot of rain in the southern Appalachians. Really, it was a tremendous stretch of wet weather. So, I just had to get out and look for some … Continued
The lower portion of the Trace Ridge Trail, located in the North Mills River area of Pisgah National Forest, has recently been re-routed. It was a years-long project spearheaded by Pisgah Area SORBA, and one of the first volunteer-built sections … Continued
Below are the comments I am submitting to the National Forests in NC regarding their Wilderness Inventory Evaluation process, which is underway as a part of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Plan Revision. They’re looking for very specific, particularly … Continued
Ever since the Shope Creek area opened up to visitors a few years ago, I’ve been exploring it and poring over the maps to see what might be worth a visit up there. I’ve “found” a few un-documented waterfalls (so … Continued
On Sunday, September 6, I took Darla the Trail Dog out for a hike in the Pisgah National Forest near the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were looking for a moderate-length hike due to time restrictions, and … Continued