Field Notes From Will & Soleil: PAS Volunteers, Trail Builders, Mountain Bikers

When we think of trails in Pisgah National Forest, we often think of legacy trails, old logging extraction routes that have narrowed over time into single track. The Avery Creek Trail, in Pisgah National Forest is a prime example of this legacy. The utilization of a combination of side slope bench cut and fall line trail has resulted in a steep, fast, rooty, rocky trail that many of us love. However, the downside to legacy trails is they generally have erosion issues, often leading to the classic “Pisgah ditch.” That sediment has to go somewhere, oftentimes into surrounding streams, thereby hurting trout habitat, which then can result in trail closures and reroutes.

The goal of adopting the Avery Creek trail is to combat this erosion, enabling us to continue utilizing and riding a trail that many of us love. To do that, we're working towards creating drainage off the trail and adding rock armoring to protect and stabilize areas that are susceptible to erosion using native and non-native stone purchased by Pisgah Area SORBA. 

In the last year and a half, we've led over 1,365 hours on the trail over 49 workdays, with around 50 different volunteers, representing over $42,200 in value to the forest. We've built over 60 drains, 300+ sq. feet of rock armoring, and cleared multiple trees off the trail. We've purchased and placed 15 tons of rock and aim to source and install much more. We plan to continue our work with the Bobcat walk-behind skid steer, and Canycom tracked hauler to build drainage, haul, and place rock in the trail tread so that we can continue to use and support the trails we love!

Our mission? Keeping our beloved trail ride-ready and sustainable. We're not stopping here, though; more work and rocks will be ahead! We are powered by volunteers like you helping us. Thank you for supporting Pisgah Area SORBA and helping us to keep these amazing trails open!

— Soleil & Will, Avery Creek Trail Adopters