Post-Hurricane Trail & Business Recovery

Plus, news from Cycle Forward

A favorite photo of mine from along the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2014

Yesterday was Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the U.S., so I happened upon this passage from former United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (she was the first Native American to hold the honor):

"The earth is leaning sideways
And a song is emerging from the floods
And fires. Urgent tendrils lift toward the sun.”

--from “Singing Everything”

I began to think about the songs that are emerging from the most recent floods. Hurricane Helene has had a catastrophic impact on so many places. Milton brought on yet more hardship. And still, a new song may be emerging. Perhaps many songs.

I write this from Pittsburgh, hundreds of miles from the most affected areas, so I want to acknowledge that my observations are coming from the outside. (If you remember the grief “ring theory” that I’ve referenced in the past, I’m way, way, way on the outside.) I’m following the news, hearing peoples’ stories, and feeling for people and places I care about, but that is all.

One small thing I can do from afar (besides making donations) is gather some news specific to trails and trail-serving businesses. Both tend to fall low on the list of concerns immediately following a crisis, but there are recovery efforts underway, so I thought I would share what I’ve been seeing:

• First, an article on what’s going on in Asheville (certainly just one of many communities impacted by Helene, but this Outside magazine column shares the writer’s account of living in Asheville following the flooding). Read This is What it’s Like to Live in Asheville After Hurricane Helene if you want to have a deeper understanding of what the last couple of weeks have been like there. If nothing else, scroll down to see how members of the outdoor community – everyone from flyfishing guides to ATVers – used their skills and equipment to access remote areas.

• Small business loan programs are being tapped (SBA loans, for example) and created. This article, Golden LEAF funds $7.5M in Small Biz Loans for Helene Recovery, describes how the nonprofit Mountain BizWorks in Western North Carolina has paired up with Golden LEAF to create a recovery-focused small business lending program. The bridge funding includes rapid decisions about (and access to) funding with favorable terms.

• Trail organizations are setting their sights on rebuilding as well. I saw a video from along the Swamp Rabbit Trail in South Carolina that showed miles upon miles of cleared trees. A trail user thanked the city for doing this so quickly, stating that people rely upon the route for their daily commutes. On the hard hit Appalachian Trail, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy started the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund with the help of AllTrails. The ATC says the fund will be used to create more resilient treadway and trail features, restore the surrounding landscape, and protect the trail for generations to come. They also plan to support the recovery of A.T. Communities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.

• One of the most known towns along the A.T., Damascus, Virginia (“Trail Town, USA”), was severely impacted by Helene. The A.T. is still closed both north and south of Damascus. The 800 person community is also located along the 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail. The trail group has started the Virginia Creeper Trail Rebuilding Fund. At the same time, part of the trail (between Damascus and Abingdon) has been reopened and folks there are asking people to visit and support the local bike shops, outfitters, and other small businesses that rely upon fall trips.

But What About Visiting?

I saw an image of a Western North Carolina billboard stating “VISITORS NEEDED.” It listed a bunch of communities that are ready for tourism. My knee-jerk reaction was thinking that more visitors would simply put further strain on local resources (many hotels are housing displaced residents, for example). I did some research, though, and all of the communities named aligned with ones the state tourism agency has listed as being ready for visitors on its travel advisory page. So, yes, apparently there are communities that generally rely upon fall travel that are receiving visitors.

If you are thinking about visiting Western North Carolina and other states suffering the effects of either hurricane, obviously do your research and be a respectful guest. You might expand your search to include checking the websites of local communities, small businesses, and trail organizations. For example, in the aftermath of Helene, the Florida Trail Association shared helpful information on how the hurricane had devastated the Gulf Coast, its communities, and the trail. “Do not travel to affected areas” was the message (along with a link to their trail closures page, where a pop up still comes up telling people not to use the trail until the FTA has assessed the damage). And whatever you do, don’t go looking for hurricane-damaged communities just to satisfy your curiosity.

Sending Love

From a CBS story on the Mountain River Family Campground in NC

I suspect that most of you won’t be visiting Florida’s Gulf Coast, Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina, East Tennessee, or Southwest Virginia this fall. You can still send your love and support in a variety of ways. Maybe it’s booking future trips, buying gift cards, ordering merch, or even booking a trip you know you won’t be able to take, like people did in support of the Mountain River Family Campground in NC (here’s the story).

Send love, send money, and please don’t forget about people and communities that have been severely impacted by extreme weather this fall.

Sincerely,
Amy

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Upcoming Events with Sherrie Flick, Rivers of Steel, The Baby Bello

When writer Sherrie Flick announced that her new book, Homing: Instincts of a Rustbelt Feminist, was coming out, I knew I wanted to do an event with Sherrie. A few months down the line and we are planning TWO programs together. Each will explore sense of place, focusing primarily on Southwestern Pennsylvania. How does a region respond to the loss of industry? Why do we leave? Why do we stay? These are the kinds of questions Sherrie asks in Homing and which we’ll explore in these conversations. Sherrie and I grew up a town apart in 1980s Beaver County and now both live in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood. I know these are going to be interesting discussions with a lot to consider. Here’s what we have in store:

Homing - Exploring a Sense of Place in Southwestern Pennsylvania
October 24, 6-8 p.m.
Hosted by Rivers of Steel at the Pump House in Homestead

Sherrie will read from the book, I’ll interview her, and then Carly McCoy of Rivers of Steel will interview both of us. Place, placemaking, and heritage being at the center of Rivers of Steel’s work, this should be a really interesting chat! We’ll have a reception and books on hand.

Rustbelt Reflections
November 9, 7-9 p.m.
Hosted by The Baby Bello in Beaver Falls

The Sherrie and Amy show continues in our home county! We’ll be joined by artist Christopher “Kit” Miller, who uses clay from his dad’s garden in his paintings. Kit’s work will be on exhibit at The Baby Bello. I can’t wait to talk with Sherrie and Kit about sense of place and cultivating both gardens and communities during this discussion.

In Case You Missed It…

I recently attended and wrote about the World Trails Conference. I thought I’d link to that post along with some other recent posts. The conference reflection is first on the list.

"You Can't Bake a Cake Without Flour"

Spellbound on the North Atlantic

Leadership Reflections

Creating a New "We"

How about those Northern Lights?