WE ARE OPENING ALL OF OUR CLIMBING PROGRAMS, Beginner to advanced courses. While many areas we use in Pisgah National Forest remain closed, many beautiful state parks have opened. To book go online, review the tour details and then email us your date at [email protected].
2 changes: we need a 2 week notice to submit state park permit requests. There will also be an extra fee of $40 to cover permit fees.
BOOK NOW. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESS.
A video highlighting a couple of my favorite donated items. A heartfelt thank you to friends, family and strangers from across the globe who have donated. Thanks to those who continue to help and volunteer to be boots on the ground during this long road to recovery. A huge thanks of gratitude 🙏 goes to Mallory who sorted supplies in our Outpost (that project would have made my head explode 🤯 💥). LASTLY thanks to the hookers for keeping Scott Thrift 's head warm, crochet hookers that is Hookers Against Disasters . Your blankets, hats and scarves are gonna be loved so much this winter ⛄️ ☃️.
PS. If anyone is needing bathrooms (fully enclosed composting outhouses) and shelters please message me. We also have volunteers seeking families to do 🎁 for Christmas for local families so I am looking for any current needs or programs in our area.
Lots of folks have asked how can we help YOU and I point them to others to help. We honestly were spared any severe damage to our home and business. We will be posting some volunteer work weekends on our page to focus on the following: carpentry projects that didn't get finished before winter moved in, fixing tobocco barn roof, fixing culverts, grading/gravel, river bank restoration and river clean ups. Please watch 👀 for dates and rsvp!
ANOTHER WAY TO SUPPORT US!!!! Follow us for updates on reopening tours and lodging. When those things open by God please 🙏 book stuff! Support our passion and love for the outdoors and what we do by booking tours at ncoutdooradventures.org. We also sell boats, tubes etc and we have lodging at Hidden Holler, unique mountain river farm-stay ! All details online!
Here is our gofund.me page too: https://gofund.me/f57ac613
#AppalachianStrong #helene #HeleneRecovery #ncoutdooradventures
Saturday’s have not been a normal weekend play day in some time. Today our 4-wheel adventure led us to #chainsawchuck and his amazing crew searching debris piles on our road. It was followed by some yummy 😋 dinner cooked by my amazing neighbor.
🎥 CAN WE PLEASE REMEMBER MISS INFORMATION 😢 is running rampant and has many unforseen negative impacts! Rumors addressed in video.
This week on top of my other career in healthcare Scott Thrift and I asphalt patched a neighbors drive, filed our new non-profit business license with the county, now waiting on state id# for Resilient Appalachia Disaster Relief Fund, met with volunteer groups in our area to 👄 talk about ongoing relief efforts, sorted supplies at our Outpost to prepare them for their new home at the church's ⛪️ relief station (glad they are staying open), created a solid document and data base for collecting information from individuals for funds distribution, worked on our FEMA 💩, applied for grants, and am finally starting to sort through what of our 20+ adventure tours we can start booking for next season because I am usually advertising #blackfriday2024 deals by now for them.
So this is what progress looks like for many Outdoor recreation businesses living along rivers in WNC areas devastated 💔 😢 by #helene! THIS IS HAPPENING ALL ALONG THE TOE AND NOLICHUCKY RIVERS!
#ncoutdooradventures #AppalachianStrong #WildAndScenic #americanwhitewater #usaraft
American Whitewater Sierra Club USA Raft Adventure Resort NC Outdoor Adventures French Broad Riverkeeper Mountain Growing Relief Project Hidden Holler, unique mountain river farm-stay Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts America Outdoors Association
Sandcastles of the Toe in WNC
What's up with all that sand? The entire Toe RIVER Valley is choked up with it! Why? Mining has deep roots in these beautiful mountains. Spruce Pine has a vibrant history surrounding mining, not just in the tech world but the gem world too. While quartz silica supports the smart technology of the 🌎 it also employees many in our area!
However, it doesn't go on without creating a few negative environmental impacts in our watershed and can even cause problems with the air we breathe. No I am not speaking of the toxic dust/mud rumors! I am simply speaking to the fact that breathing in any dust particles in excess is bad 👎, period!
I hope in the future this event will lead to better flood monitoring & mitigation, better warnings & response, working flood gauges, ➕️ maybe the Mines can help us with the major task of stream bank restoration & erosion control measures through a massive live staking program! Live stakes are $$$! We can plant fruit bearing trees....some do great in sandy soils like plumbs and pawpaw trees...it is a win win 🏆! The tree provides erosion control measures while also providing free food!
@travelwithmikenna #ncoutdooradventures Hidden Holler, unique mountain river farm-stay
Helene before reality set in
This video takes place on Friday 9/27 during Helene and spans from around 9:45am- 11:30am. We waited out the worst of the storm and were venturing out to check damage and find cell signal. Once we absorbed the fact that homes were washing away across the river from us, we went into rescue mode and began checking on those closest to us that were in harm’s way. We climbed the mountain to check on Mr. Garland. Soon other neighors arrived through the woods to check on folks too. Mr Garland assured us that those down the road from us, on our side of the river, were ok. They were high enough for now!
We sat with him and watched the river. He had a line of leaves that would determine if he would evacuate. He told us tons of history about our area, his family, mountain people and how in 75 years he had never seen the Toe like this! The water eventually stopped rising and it never crossed his “go” line. We had no idea of the widespread destruction that would be revealed in the coming days.
We returned home to do our chores and fix dinner before the sun went down as we chased the light. We could not get word to family or friends that we were ok and we had no idea what was going on outside of our little holler! The silence was terrifying.
The sun rose and so did we. Neighbors gathered on the railroad tracks by the river. We couldn’t get to the other side. The river is still flooded. Were the bridges left? Were we all trapped with no cell or electricity? Was everyone ok? The only news we had was what we saw or what our neighbors’ neighbors saw and heard. Most of the homes across the river were all gone but a couple were left standing. We didn’t see ANY people across the river for almost 2 days and that scared us all! Several were feared dead. Little did we know!
We would spend the next few hours, days and weeks helping some evacuate, helping others get food, water, gas and life or death meds. It was neighbor helping neighbors. For 5 days we were alone, with zero
Ropes and 🚜 tractor Flipping
Ropes 101: Flipping a tractor for a neighbor with climbing guide and owner of NC Outdoor Adventures with Scott Thrift ! The sand and mud now covers the entire end of their new homestead and he lost several acres of river frontage! Of course we first built it for people to pull it and flip it. Then we decided the truck made it easier! #ncoutdooradventures #AppalachianStrong #Helene
What matters reveled to us by 🌀 Helene
"EVERYONE DROPPED THE POLITICS DIVIDE BS AND CAME TOGETHER TO GET A JOB DONE AND TAKE CARE OF ONE AN OTHER" Cleaning sand out of my shoes and pondering what I would say when we had cell service again after hurricane 🌀 Helene. What is important and what is not!? When it boils right down to it; only a few things matter life, love, family, friends, neighbors, community, faith and hope. EVERYTHING ELSE IS A DISTRACTION. Love each other and our planet and we will be alright!
It is hard to explain the panic we felt and hiking we did in search of cell signal to let our family and friends know we were alive and ok. Eventually we made peace with the fact that no one had communication with anyone! We were alone. We were devastated and in the dark, 🔕 🤫 silence. No word to or from the 🌎 world outside. We tried to communicate our search for those suspected missing by yelling across the river. It was an odd feeling.
From sun up to sun down for close to two weeks we rode 4-wheelers to rescue people, animals and deliver food and water to neighbors who did not evacuate. We are still caring for many on our road who are still without power. Many are returning and beginning to start the long haul of recovery.
HELENE RECOVERYVolunteer work weekend 10/26-27
Update with a video of fall colors in TN and NC. Fall in NC stands for fallen trees on the NC TN border :( #leafpeeping
This Saturday and Sunday (26th, 27th) we will have a crew of folks from Catipillar Heavy Equipment Co from Charlotte up to volunteer in Red Hill. They will be working on a few problem areas like driveway erosion, small landslide stabilization, walkways, and drainage issues as well as general picking up of debris along the river's banks from Red Hill through Relief. We will also hop over to the Green Mountain side of the river to help a neighbor over there dig her home and cars out. She and her husband will need extra hands to sort through their home to see what is salvageable. I will create an event tomorrow and post.
Community and volunteer BBQ dinner Saturday at 530 with pulled pork, slaw and Brunswick stew to warm your bones!
Those who live in this area (Red Hill, Tipton Hill, Green Mountain, Relief) and could benefit from the use of some CAT Equipment please email me at [email protected] with address and needs. We are trying to plan out the use of the equipment for this weekend and if we can't get to everyone we will plan other volunteer opportunities to help those in need.
🙏 🤲 Volunteers needed: We have limited parking but are looking for around 25 additional volunteers. IF YOU WANT TO HELP EMAIL [email protected] WITH YOUR NAME, WHEN AND HOW YOU CAN HELP. Bring shovels, trenching tools, chainsaws, etc. MASKS 😷 RECOMMEND ON ANY OPS BY THE RIVER DUE TO DUST INHALATION!
🚛 We need gravel but I am hearing it is hard to come by. Does anyone know where we can get gravel or can someone donate a few dump truck loads? Vulcan? The Mines maybe?
Needs: 🗑 🚮 WNC needs places that have dumpsters to donate some to all WNC disaster zones so folks aren't forced to throw trash etc in the river and on the rivers banks to be buried! PLEASE!
🏠 🛖 🏚 Need folks who have tiny homes or sheds and trailers or even shipp
HELENE UPDATE
Today’s update puts me a wee bit on a soap box with a touch of irritation! First and foremost, if you are not associated with a rescue team, organization, medical unit, or appointed to a team via one of our volunteer reception centers or fire depts you SHOULD NOT BE OUT SIFTING DEBRIS, POSTING UPDATES, or doing any official rescue ops…. PERIOD. Emergency Management etc have procedures in place for a reason! We have people willy nilly marking stuff with orange paint or orange and yellow tape, and it is slowing down welfare checks, body recoveries and other work where official agencies have marked information for other teams! “Volunteers” have brought us clothes or items found SIFTING through debris without marking the location found and without reporting possible remains to the sheriff’s dept/medical examiner/SBI. It is making us rework the wheel in places that have already been searched and using resources when they are desperately needed elsewhere. We even have folks bringing their pets as cadaver dogs. We appreciate the help but glory seekers seeking a name for themselves is despicable and it is slowing down our recovery efforts. Not to mention the first rule of SAR is not to become a victim or a liability yourself…..and the folks we have seen doing this are doing just that!
😠 😡 Next, our neighbor is still missing! Someone posted on fb today that his body was recovered and then posted a video but refused to brandish any other info on how he came by this information to Lenny’s family when they contacted him. Lenny’s family then reached out to us about this as they had not heard anything. We assure you the first person to be contacted when and if he is found will be the family…NOT SOME STRANGER in Spruce Pine and certainly not on FB!!!!!! Your actions caused more undue trauma and tears to a family that is devastated and searching for answers. Misinformation of this nature directly inflicts harm. ✋️ 🫸 STOP SHARING rumors or secondhand
It was a beautiful day but the task at hand was daunting; we were searching for signs of those still missing from #helene. We are still in recovery mode and it is like looking for needles in a ton of haystacks....only the haystacks are building size piles of thick debris.
Yesterday and the day before we woke drank coffee and headed out with teams to search. Huge thanks to Project Skyline at the Skyline Village Inn for mobilizing this group with the #101airborne unit. Together we combed through debri piles on foot, atv and by boat, searching over 6 miles of river.
While no remains of the missing were found over the last two days we worked, other teams in our region have found and identified remains of some of the missing. Some are being found by the river in Erwin which is a 30-45 minute drive from us and over 15 miles down river.
Project Skyline
