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 23rd annual Green River – the most competitive and challenging whitewater paddling race in the country.
Join us for a special workshop on monitoring and protecting water quality in our national forests! Participants will get out into the Pisgah National Forest to learn some of the common sources of erosion that might be observed on a hike or ride through the woods. We will explore "Best Management Practices" and common issues with timber sales, road construction, and storm-water systems and educate participants about how to monitor and report when erosion is occurring. Come learn how you can help keep the waters clean and the forests healthy!
Do you to want help Save Pisgah’s Ashes? Then come learn about then first! Join MountainTrue’s Field Biologist, Josh Kelly, and Forest Keeper, Rhys Burns, on a beautiful and educational hike through one of our surviving local ash tree groves. Our ash trees are under threat from the invasive Emerald Ash Borer that has decimated the ash communities of WNC. Soapstone Ridge is home to one of the ash communities that MountainTrue has worked to save. The hike is an easy, 2-mile out and back, with some moderate elevation change towards the end, making this a great hike for families or folks who don’t want to spend the whole day outdoors. We will make plenty of stops along the way to talk about the Emerald Ash Borer, the ash tree treatment process, and anything else of interest we stumble across! We hope you’ll come away inspired to help us Save Pisgah’s Ashes, or at least join us for a beer afterwards at Ecusta Brewing for an information session about the Save Pisgah’s Ashes campaign.
Come grab a beer with us at Ecusta Brewing, where we will be available to answer any questions about ash trees or our work treating the Emerald Ash Borer infestation. We will stick around from 4-6PM, and $1 from every Dead Drift IPA sold will go to the campaign! We hope you’ll be inspired to […]
Celebrate the arrival of spring with this moderate 6.8 mile out-and-back hike into the Green River Gorge. Guided by expert ecologist and MountainTrue Public Lands Director Bob Gale, we will search out the season’s first ephemeral wildflowers such as trillium, bloodroot, and toothwort. Because the Game Lands lie at a lower elevation, they have milder temperatures, giving us the chance to be among the first to see early spring vegetation and wildflowers. Our path will follow the Green River and offer continuous views of its quiet stretches and splendid rapids. The trail will lead us through a healthy eastern hemlock grove, past many dying hemlocks, and alongside several trees in stages of recovery. As we pass these hemlocks, we will learn about the ongoing threat of the hemlock wooly adelgid in our mountains. Finally, we will hike up to a rock outcrop and enjoy a view of kayakers as they tackle the legendary rapids of the Narrows below.
Join us for a lovely 5.5-mile hike along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Rattlesnake Lodge. Our Public Lands Ecologist, Bob Gale will lead this hike and share with us his extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region. This trail boasts more than thirty varieties of flowers, including dwarf larkspur, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and blue cohosh to name a few. This time of year is prime for spotting these wildflowers, as well as seeing, or hearing, a number of warblers, vireos, and other birds that have returned from their winter in Central and South America. This hike will take us past the ruins of Rattlesnake lodge: a summer home built in 1903 for Dr. Chase P. Ambler. The hike is moderate, and we will take frequent stops to investigate any birds, wildflowers or other items of interest that we find along the way!
Lewis Creek Preserve is an eight-acre preserve protected and managed by Conserving Carolina. MountainTrue Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, will lead a slow hike along the trail, interpreting the plant life, wildflowers, and value of pollinators on this property. The visit includes a boardwalk which overlooks an example of the remaining rare Southern Appalachian Bog ecosystems. Bob and MountainTrue have special expertise in managing these bogs and in addressing their threats, including non-native invasive plants.
Join MountainTrue and a guide from the Museum of the Cherokee Indian on a hike that highlights Cherokee History, stories and medicinal knowledge.
Join MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. This hike offers breaktaking views of the fall foliage, and if we are lucky, we will catch glimpses of the Monarch Butterfly migration. 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 amongst 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.
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 […]
