Pink Beds repairs in partnership with CASP
The TPC Trail Crew joined a crew of volunteers from the Conservative Anabaptist Service Program (CASP) this past week to repair damage on Pink Beds Loop trail that was caused by Hurricane Helene.
The long boardwalk on the south side of the loop suffered significant impacts with downed trees and high water destroying a series of sections of this extensive trail structure.
TPC and CASP teamed up to repair 56 feet of boardwalk on this very popular, iconic Pisgah trail just in time for warm spring weather as more hikers head out to the woods.
In addition, the crews reset 3 bog bridges that had been washed out of place during the storm and constructed a new 20-foot trail bridge to replace a washed-out bridge on the north side of the loop.
A long-standing tradition on the Pisgah, the annual service trip of CASP volunteers has resulted in major infrastructural improvements for years. In fact, a crew of CASP volunteers originally built the Pink Beds boardwalk in 2013, with following crews completing many great projects including assisting TPC with constructing the new Butter Gap trail shelter (2023) and Deep Gap trail shelter (2024) on the Art Loeb trail.
Consisting of skilled carpenters and craftsmen, CASP volunteers bring a valuable skill set to the forest for an entire month each year and we are proud to work beside them again in 2025.
In addition to their week spent working with us on Pink Beds Loop trail, this year’s CASP crew worked with FIND Outdoors for three weeks on the Cradle of Forestry campus replacing trail bridges on the campus’ paved trails and completely reconstructing the log loader exhibit which had been destroyed by a fallen tree. Many thanks to CASP for their hard work, expertise, and ongoing service to Pisgah.
New staircase construction on Andy Cove Loop trail
A “before” photo of the previous staircase on Andy Cove Loop trail
Earlier this month, our Trail Crew constructed a new 20-step staircase on Andy Cove Loop trail. A public-facing trail just beside the Ranger Station, this .7 mile trail serves many forest visitors and is a favorite spot for families. The Crew replaced the existing deteriorating wooden check steps with a large box step staircase utilizing dimensional lumber with a comfortable step depth and a solid design.
An “after” photo showing the newly constructed staircase on Andy Cove Loop trail
Final touches on the Estatoe trail
The Trail Crew has been putting the finishing touches on our reconstruction of the Estatoe trail, as they work on replacing the remaining two boardwalks on the east end with turnpike and performing rehab and finish work. We expect to complete this major project in early March and, with the recent completion of the DOT’s pedestrian bridge and the imminence of spring, timing couldn’t be better for this overhaul of Pisgah’s portal trail.
Two weeks of collaborative invasive plant treatments with EcoForesters
Our Invasive Plant Management (IPM) Crew has had a busy month, too. They’ve completed the first phase of a project to remove kudzu infestations along the Davidson River corridor and completed a treatment of autumn olive along Avery Creek Road. Both efforts were completed over the course of two weeks in partnership with EcoForesters, an Asheville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and restoring our Appalachian forests.
This combined crew of professional technicians exceeded expectations, performing an initial treatment on 13 acres of kudzu along the Davidson River corridor from Cove Creek down to the forest entrance and on 11 acres of autumn olive along Avery Creek Road.
With the initial treatment complete, our IPM Crew will perform follow-up treatments later this year and for the years to come as we continue the needed long-term management of these sites and begin to restore ecological balance. Many thanks to EcoForesters for their professionalism, collaboration, and support on this project.
Invasive Plant Management Crew attends invasive plant symposium
In addition to this collaborative project with EcoForesters, and their continued work at North Mills River Campground, the Crew participated in the North Carolina Invasive Plant Council and South Carolina Invasive Pest Council Joint Symposium in Wilmington last week.
While there, they met like-minded professionals in the invasive plant management world, shared their work, attended presentations and field trips, and learned about new resources to support their work controlling the spread of non-native invasive plants.
The symposium’s purpose is to bring together state and local agencies, nonprofits, community organizers, volunteer groups, private landowners, and associated experts to expand the conversation and report the actions being taken to manage invasive plants in the region.
The symposium offered important new tools, resources, and networks to assist in managing and combating this widespread and pernicious challenge to our region’s forests. It also offered a session about invasive plant management in a post-natural disaster context that will be helpful as we recover after Helene.
With spring coming, we continue to prepare for the busy season, for Pisgah Project Day, for the upcoming River Rangers season, post-Helene repairs, invasive plant treatments, spruce restoration, and more. We are proud to support the efforts of our local U.S. Forest Service staff and to serve in the stewardship of the forest. Thanks, as always, to all of you for your continued support of The Pisgah Conservancy and the Pisgah Ranger District.
