The Problem
In 2013 the U.S. Forest Service applied for state-funded RTP (Recreational Trail Program) grants for heavy maintenance on Ivestor Gap trail and Graveyard Ridge Trail between Ivestor Gap and its intersection with the Mountains-To-Sea Trail.
If awarded, their primary goals were to mitigate sedimentation impacts to the Dark Prong watershed, a critical high-elevation habitat for native brook trout and other important species, and to provide much-needed deferred maintenance on these difficult-to-maintain trails.
These trails are old railroad grades from the logging days that were later inherited into the trail system. Due to their wide trail beds, large berms, and the dynamic environmental factors common to high-elevation Pisgah terrain, they are nearly impossible to maintain without the use of heavy machinery.
The U.S. Forest Service was awarded an RTP grant for their proposed work on Graveyard Ridge Trail, but unfortunately, they did not receive the grant for work on Ivestor Gap Trail.
For those familiar with this area, it is clear that this presented a problem. The only access for trail building equipment to reach this section of Graveyard Ridge is via Ivestor Gap Trail. Without significant rehabilitation work on Ivestor Gap Trail, the planned work on Graveyard Ridge would be rendered impossible by these logistical challenges.
The Solution
As the RTP grant awarded to the U.S. Forest Service for work on Graveyard Ridge approached its expiration, TPC set out to find a solution. Thanks to generous financial support from the Lastinger Family Foundation, we contracted Singletrack Trails to perform the needed improvements on Ivestor Gap Trail.
Their work included:
- The installation of new rolling grade dips
- Hardening the trail and filling ruts with stone
- Chiseling obtrusive high spots in bedrock
- Ensuring positive drainage throughout the 2.2 mile section of trail between the Sam Knob parking lot and the trail’s intersection with the Graveyard Ridge Trail at the border of the Shining Rock Wilderness.
The Result
Previously, this was a rough trail with large pools of standing water, significant ruts, and negligent drainage. This completed work allows for a better user experience and a more sustainable route of access to the many high-country trails and big vistas in this amazing area of the Pisgah. It also provides first responders with better access to the area.
And, of course, it allowed the U.S. Forest Service to move on to the next phase of work on Graveyard Ridge.
The completion of the Ivestor Gap Trail Rehabilitation project has allowed TPC to conduct additional work in this area, such as the TPC Trail Crew’s work on the Art Loeb Trail section on Tennent Mountain in Fall 2023 and a collaborative planting to restore red spruce on Graveyard Ridge in Fall 2024.
