In the wake of Hurricane Helene, MountainTrue is dedicated to addressing the urgent needs of our community.
Come out to the Narrows section of the Green River to watch the 24th annual Green River Race – the most competitive and challenging whitewater paddling race in the country. Festivities kick off with a Pre-Race Party on Thursday, October 31st from 6 PM until 10pm at New Belgium. Wear your best costume - there […]
Join us for a contemplative fall hike up Bearwallow mountain. This easy-to-moderate trail climbs one mile through lovely mountain forest, and opens up onto a large grassy field at the top. This spectacular summit will be the site for some guided reflection before looping back down the mountain. MountainTrue's Forest Keeper Coordinator, Rhys Burns, will offer some ecological insights along the hike, and Creation Care Alliance director Scott Hardin-Nieri will provide some spiritual context around caring for our ecological neighbors. We will hope to catch some fall colors, but the view is outstanding regardless. We will meet at the trailhead at 9:00 (after hopefully carpooling from town!) and get everyone back to town by noon. Please bring water (1L recommended), snacks, layers, sturdy shoes, and anything else needed to enjoy a lovely fall morning outside.
Duke Energy is trying to raise our electric bills to pay for dirty energy. Again. The company’s latest rate hike proposal would increase residential electricity costs by another 6.7% – or about $97 more per year for the average customer. Duke’s proposal lacks any direct investment in renewable energy and would raise our rates to […]
Duke Energy is trying to raise our electric bills to pay for dirty energy. Again. The company’s latest rate hike proposal would increase residential electricity costs by another 6.7% – or about $97 more per year for the average customer.
Duke’s proposal lacks any direct investment in renewable energy and would raise our rates to burn more gas, create a “deferral” account of up to $2.5 billion for Duke to access in a future rate hike, and call for customers to foot the bill to clean up coal ash – even though Duke knew this coal ash was toxic as far back as the 1980s, and did nothing to prevent it. The rate increase would also come only two years after their last rate hike, and would be their fifth rate hike in ten years.
On January 16, join MountainTrue members in Morganton to tell the NC Utilities Commission: Enough is enough. Don’t let Duke pass the bill for more dirty energy to customers.
Join us for a a hike to the part of Nantahala National Forest that will be impacted by the Buck Creek Timber Sale. Our Public Lands Biologist, Josh Kelly, will explain how timber sales work, what makes for a good timber project, and show us what areas will be impacted by the Buck Creek Project. We'll hike through a less frequented part of the National Forest on an out-and-back section of the Chunky Gal Trail. This hike is considered difficult: this section is 5 miles long and includes substantial elevation gain.
On Thursday, March 12th, the North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold its Asheville hearing on the latest proposal by Duke Energy to increase electricity rates. Duke Energy Progress is requesting an average 14.3% increase in residential electric bills to pay for new fossil fuel investments, coal ash mismanagement, and capital investments at coal plants. The […]
Join us for an online panel discussion via Zoom during which our staff and select guest speakers will explore issues of interest in the draft management plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests for recreation users such as mountain bikers, horseback riders, hikers, and paddlers. The speakers will discuss the plan alternatives and what they hope will end up in the final management plan. Please register in advance to submit questions for our panelists beforehand. We will also leave time during the session for live Q&A with the audience using the chat feature.
On Thursday October 8th, Virtual Hendersonville Green Drinks welcomes author Danny Bernstein to discuss her newest book DuPont Forest, A History. DuPont Forest protects thousands of acres of trees, five lakes and more than one hundred miles of multiuse trails. It took not only the generosity of a multinational company but also Southern Appalachian grit and self-reliance and local activism to make these benefits available to all. DuPont Forest is young, and its future is still unfolding. Author and hiker Danny Bernstein traces the past of DuPont State Recreational Forest and shows its potential. Sign up to get the Zoom link to access the webinar.
Join MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. This hike offers breathtaking views of the fall foliage, and if we are lucky, we will catch glimpses of the Monarch Butterfly migration. Due to the pandemic, we are restricting group size for outings to 10 participants. Sign up today!
We will be hiking the Pilot Cove Loop Trail in Pisgah, which is approximately 4 miles long. The trail starts in a lesser known part of Pisgah National Forest and winds upward among the brightly colored sourwood and black gum trees. After opening up onto a beautiful rocky outcrop, the trails travels through recently logged forested as well as much older sections of forest. There are some steep inclines on this trail, but Bob will be making frequent stops to rest and interpret the flora and fauna.
Join us for a hike on the Bartram Trail, one of North Carolina's premier long distance trails. We'll tackle a 4.6-mile lightly trafficked section near Highlands, NC that provides spectacular views into the Tessentee Valley of Macon County. On this stretch we'll summit Jones Knob and Whiterock Mountain. Though these peaks measure well below 5,000 feet in elevation, they are good examples of a spectacular geological feature found in our region: both are plutons, mountains comprised of erosion resistant rock sporting massive open cliff faces.
