ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Great hikes on the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway are a short drive away for anyone in Western North Carolina. However, after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, knowing which routes are open can be an intimidating challenge.
Two local hikers offered their advice.
Rachel Aughtry is a fiber artist and owner of Rachel Elise Studio, a Mars Hill boutique featuring her work, all woven from natural materials and featuring designs inspired by the natural world.
Jen “Woodsy” Woods is a cayenne pepper farmer and the proprietor of Hey Y’all Farm, a community event space and manufacturer of goods like “tang’Ohs!,” a versatile chili condiment spread.
In their free time, Aughtry and Woodsy are best friends and big hikers. The two have crisscrossed the trails of WNC for years, Woodsy since the 1990s and Aughtry since she moved to Mars Hill in 2017, but none of those mountain treks could have prepared them for a post-Helene wilderness.
“I’ve been playing around in the outdoors out here since I was a kid,” Woodsy said. “With the trails being damaged as much as they have been, this is a different year for being out in the mountains, for sure.”
Woodsy said that approaching trails she once knew like the back of her hand has taken on a whole new layer of cautious preparation.
“I am very much a safety-first gal. I try to know what I’m getting into as much as I can before I get out there,” Woodsy said. “There are the obvious physical implications post-Helene on the trails, as far as blow downs, having to scramble over rockslides, and just big messes which can add a physical element to it.”
Woodsy advocated for doing as much research as you can before embarking on outdoor adventures this summer.
“That would be one thing I would say to just about everyone right now going out there,” Woodsy said. “Try to do a little bit of reconnaissance work before you go.”
Woodsy and Aughtry both recommended intrepid explorers download the AllTrails app, a database of hiking, biking and backpacking trails used by more than 80 million people worldwide.
“I think the AllTrails app is the greatest thing,” Aughtry said. “When you go look at a trail, it’ll say right at the top if it’s open or closed.”
The app allows hikers to share photos and reviews of their hikes, allowing the local Asheville community to report on the state of nearby trails for other explorers.
“Because the hiking community is so generous and giving in such a community-based activity, people that have gone will be like, hey, I did this two weeks ago, and there are a bunch of downed trees, or there’s a bunch of stuff that’s been cleared,” Aughtry explained. “Or, you know, this might be tough, be emotionally prepared when you go to the trail, that kind of thing.”
The emotional weight of returning to favorite trails after the hurricane has been a major struggle for the Asheville hikers. Aughtry and Woodsy both talked about the trauma of losing cherished places to the storm.
“I do hike a lot, so a couple of physical challenges added to it is not that big of a deal, but the emotional side of it is probably the bigger impact for me, personally,” Woodsy shared. “Just seeing places that I’ve been going to for sanctuary for decades decimated in that way, it’s probably one of the more difficult emotional experiences, honestly, of my life.”
Like any safe adventurer, they’ve gotten through their hiking heartache with the buddy system.
“Rachel, she’s my hiking buddy, so we’ve been doing a lot of these things together for emotional support, and we had debated doing some hiking in Lake Lure,” Woodsy said. “Something came up and we switched plans, so it’s on the docket slowly, but surely I will make my way down there. But, I’m definitely taking my best friend with me when I go.”
For additional information, Aughtry has compiled her own guide to the region for visitors and local alike. Read her Summer Guide here.
One hike Woodsy and Aughtry recommended was Laurel River Trail. We gave it a shot: