I Explored Helene Damaged Mountain Bike Trails

[@MatthewCallier]

Bless the volunteer trail builders and maintainers.

[@Chubacca838]

I've worked on trails for a few years. Storm downed trees are the worst! I've luckily never suffered any injury, however the same cannot be said about an old boss of mine. He was clearing out a bunch of trees fallen together and accidentally cut a limb that was holding tension for another tree, which snapped at his ankle. He kept working the rest of the day with pain, clearing over 10KM of trails. Turns out the next morning he found out he had a broken bone in his leg. Thankfully he was wearing proper PPE, I can't imagine how much worse it could've been!

[@SnowIsMyTerrain]

Heh, I find the saw work to be the most interesting part a lot of the time. It's always interesting figuring out how to tackle a particular tree or problem. It is no joke though, and you absolutely have to know what you're doing and be able to know your limits. That said, if it's something you're interested in, many of the bigger trail orgs have a process to work on getting you trained and certified so you can cut on public land! Go do some dig days, put in the work and ask around. I've spent a lot of time doing backcountry saw work on some of the more unloved trails in my area and it's been super fun (and yes, I am doing it legally)

[@RoblovesMTBs]

Thanks for calling awareness to all of this!

[@ulyssesbarajas7958]

Dude, your productive and positive approach to problem solving is very much appreciated. A great communicator.

[@ryan3416]

good on those volunteers. The definition of Yeoman's Work right there. God speed in your recovery from Alberta Canada.

[@SteveKimbo]

I'm sending this to my local MTB group here in the middle of the UK. We can't get people to volunteer to help move some stone around never mind clear up after a hurricane. Love the community spirit - this is why MTB rocks 💪👊

[@chiefsilverback]

That's sad. My riding group will trade a group ride for a work session, and we coordinate to leaf blow/clear downed trees etc...

[@micahnuckols5046]

A lot of that work is some of the best work you can do because there's nothing like being outside on a nice day with great people getting exercise and doing something to make things nicer for the community.

[@Casitascrawlers]

Its amazing that the Forest Service even had the time & resources to work on the trails. Looks like it washed away the dirt all the way down to rock. After a huge fire the next rain season we had some bad storms & it damaged our trails so bad the were closed & impassable. Eventually we went & did an exploration ride & some areas we couldn't even tell where we were.

[@SnowIsMyTerrain]

It looks like they're volunteers who've gone through and gotten their certification from the USFS (well.. USDA technically) in order to be able to saw on their land. Out here much of the saw work is done by folks like that because, as you pointed out, the USFS is stretched thin.

[@Casitascrawlers]

@SnowIsMyTerrain Those are some dedicated people for sure. I've done trail maintenance & according to our Forest service you can cut back brush but yiy cannot do any work as far as the dirt & rocks on the trail there has to be a hydrologist there. One time I spent hrs. doing maintenance only to get back to my truck & find someone broke my window & stole whatever they could but I'm smart enough to not leave much it was my broken window that pissed me off. 🤨

[@RodMesa-e2t]

Those volunteers are Big Damn Heroes.Thanks for sharing this story of what's going on post Helene and how the community is responding. It's what America is all about.

[@invictarose203]

Hey Seth! I volunteer to do disaster response and was sent to TN and NC for disaster relief. I was stationed out of Morristown TN and worked primarily in NC, specifically Bat Cave NC. the damages were extensive. Chimney Rock NC was absolutely terrible. Many roads were completely shut down and closed off due to damages of the roads, roads completely blocked off by downed power lines, trees, and other debris. The community coming together to help each other is the reason I do what I do. I love seeing everyone come together for a cause to help each other clean up and recover from events like this. I only wish North Carolina got more recognition for the damages they took in the storm. And I can only hope the recovery efforts are fast and the effected people are able to build quickly. Hope all is well Seth, your channel also gives me hope to keep going out and riding!

[@Mr.Possums]

Saying these men and women are doing an amazing job is an understatement. 🙏

[@daledubose3032]

Those trail workers are heros

[@avmaviator]

Although I appreciate getting trails back online, fixing mtb trails so some people can go have fun/a work out is not hero stuff. If they were down helping people clear mud out of their houses or rebuilding essential roads I would be more inclined to call them heroes…

[@Dwyeb73]

@@avmaviatorthere are hero’s on different levels. Just sayin.

[@Bullhead2017]

@@avmaviator Agreed.

[@aloraluna3455]

Thank you volunteers, trail builders, foresters, forest and conservation workers, and you too, Seth, for bringing us these updates.

[@hippiebits2071]

I love how you are letting people know the realities of the importance of tourism in the area and keeping people posted as things are opening back up in the region. Keeping these people working and able to rebuild their lives there is so important!

[@dennisfloyd8514]

Well done Seth. I live in Ma and there is zero news about this. I wouldn’t know how bad things are if it wasn’t for your channel. Good on you for brining attention to this issue. Good luck, keep doing what you do!

[@jackkelsey5043]

Thank you so so so much for putting out this video, Seth! The volunteers and linemen up here have been working absolute miracles, and thanks to them, many places are now ready to reopen, at least partially. Many towns up here, especially along the open sections of I40 and Hwy 74 DESPERARELY need tourism, so plan a visit or three folks!

[@Oldermountain]

Its understandable but crazy that the public there cant clear. I live in rural Idaho, where random people clearing isnt just allowed, its highly encouraged. And most trails still have dozens of trees down.

[@jemsmay2167]

Thanks for sharing Seth. I’m actually amazed how good it is given the circumstances. Great work by the recovery/repair crews, really surprised how rapidly they have made progress. Great work by you calling attention to all the hard work and giving the crews the help and recognition they deserve.

[@SpammsMcghee]

I'm so happy I was able to visit and ride there a few months ago. We stayed in Lake Lure, which got absolutely hammered. Can't wait to get back to the area and spend my money and help the community any way I can. I really wish I lived closer, I would definitely be volunteering on the weekends. Keep up the great work Seth, and thank you to all the good folks helping out.

[@joeanon3888]

We had a terrible storm here in KY that hit Mammoth Cave National Park and our local IMBA Chapter cut over 250 trees off Big Hollow trail... we love our trail volunteers!

[@Brett0206]

At 2:24 you can tell how deep the slide was when it was flowing. There are mud splashes about 10 ft up the trees near the creek.

[@Brian-sz2ti]

Rode bent creek yesterday, looking so good! Thanks for all the work!

[@mikebambamvincent2024]

I live down in the Hickory area. It's wild that 15 to 40 minutes north they got devastated. The mudslides are so insane and tributaries that were puddles feeding in the rivers like they were large creeks..it's hard to believe. Many prayers to all the families who survived and the volunteers that are supplying help.

[@mattmurphy24]

I visited the area a couple years back on a cross country road trip with my daughter. We camped and swam at lake Powhatan, had lunch in Asheville , visited folk art center, then drove, hiked and swam along the blue ridge parkway on our way to smokey mtn national park. Great nature and friendly people. We both really enjoyed the area. A highlight on the trip for sure. Good Luck on the recovery. Thanks for the video.

[@subyrally]

The service team from Fox Factory were out there the Friday the forest reopened. We went through the bottom half of Trace up to Coffee Pot. Ran out of time by the point we made it that far up.

[@iamdamo]

Amazing to see such a rapid response! Kudos to all the volunteers.

[@glitchman3194]

Excellent information about the trails. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the ride

[@Aftereality]

Thanks for the info, great to see all the work by the community

[@Elmo6855]

Really appreciate the focus on WNC recovery.

[@Everton4109]

My local bike group went to WNC to help trails and greenway cleanup. Which locals were actually using for horses and goats for supply support. Great experience.

[@abbigalerivera2596]

I started mountain biking back in January, and my boyfriend showed me this KZbin channel. We made it our goal to get good enough to visit Berm Park and planned a whole trip to go to Asheville this fall. We switched things around and we are going to Brevard instead, but I am glad to see that Asheville and the trails are on the road to recovery!

[@zsanterre]

they need to obviously make that spring a trail now. look at all those slabs 😍

[@spaceman4782]

This is what I keep telling people who are still trying to keep tourists out of western NC- you literally need them to continue existing.

[@daowner89]

I am glad they are getting stuff done the volunteers are awesome and the best people you can possibly have. With the economy down there being low this is a prime time to allow Class 1 E-bikes to Ride. I have family and friends that want to come on trips but one is 67 years old and just cant ride like he used to at 30. Another is working on weight loss and has already loosed 165lbs with riding a E-bike but cant enjoys these trails on a regular bike yet. I know it probably will never happen but just a good time to think about it.

[@mcdonoughnicra]

If tourism brings in that much money, maybe the need to beef up the budget a bit.

[@tylerk.7947]

Yeah. $6000 a year for all the trails in pisgah ranger district?! That is nothing!

[@davidkazyak7658]

Agreed. Elections matter!

[@Nahtanav]

no, time to beef up the budget for the ciitizens that live here that dont get any government assistence

[@mcdonoughnicra]

@jayatron684 Agrred, however in order to bring back rhe so badly needed revenue of tourism, it will need to be balanced.

[@MattPierceUSA]

Allow e-bikes. Tourism dollars will easily double.

[@BrentJenkins10]

People have been doing work! Rode Bent Creek yesterday and 90% of trails are cleared already and there were so many trees down. Awesome work!

[@wiseguygazette]

I live in Roanoke which is like Asheville's little brother. So cool seeing how close you are to the blue ridge parkway. Love driving the parkway in Roanoke

[@sixty2612]

I had an experience just like yours with the landslide. In 2020 the Catalina mountains in Tucson had a huge fire, then one of the wettest monsoons ever. The thinned forest meant huge runoff. There was a particular spot on Red Ridge that used to be a small, rocky creek crossing that was now a 100-foot wide wash from being completely covered in sediment runoff. Took a lot of work to get that trail running again.

[@drmoynihan]

WOW - we were just in the Appalachian Mountains around Boone for a Wedding in June. Our friends were safe but roads were out and recovery slow. Very informative, including the cost to the community and the whole State of North Carolina's economy. Thank you for sharing.

[@Dwyeb73]

Great to see people coming together for a greater cause. In that area right now there is something that everyone can do if they are willing and able.

[@lidarman2]

Brings back memories of the 2013 flood here in Boulder, CO and the trails destroyed. Then later, we had trails destroyed by wildfire and some of them have barely been rebuilt and opened again.

[@alexander.sollie]

Same here. LHOHV is a silver lining though.

[@seattlegrrlie]

That's awesome Seth (and all the volunteers). Need to plan a vacation to N. Carolina. Rent a bike, hit your trails and eat your foods

[@jacejenkins8813]

The nostalgia I got from seeing a PoV riding video from Seth, I miss this format of videos.

[@ArisaemaDracontium]

That sawing advice at 7:40 was sound. Bucking felled trees is dangerous enough, storm felled trees are probably a whole mess of pressure and forces pushing in all sorts of directions.

[@martysoulard7349]

Thanks for sharing Seth. It is heartwarming the depth of human character in action there.

[@rachelcanada4258]

Thank you for continuing to share the reality of what happened with Helene. The mainstream news is sharing none of this.

[@DexterGoneWild]

We still haven't been granted access to FATS near Augusta, GA. But we cut over 500 trees on just one of our 3 mile trails in town! Augusta got hit with the 100mph since the eye of helene road directly west of us. I'm so glad I got my USFS Sawyer certification. I've been able to help with the cleanup and lead a few teams to get these trails going again!

[@ECEV]

I used to ride fats 10-15 yrs ago. Great trails. Lived right across the Savannah from there. Used to row across the river to bike. Hope they get the trails restored.

[@jasonseiverling5354]

Seth, you're a hella good guy. I hope to shake your hand one day. I've said it before, you got me back into bike riding. Thank you for everything you do.

[@Greenfuego]

Clearing snag patches like that is for the well-qualified c-fallers. Great to hear that so many volunteers are showing up to get the forest open again. Beautiful country. I’ll have to,add it to my bucket list

[@jynxyboy95]

I have never been there, but it sure does look absolutely amazing with some insanely awesome trails. Thank you to those whom tend to trails and maintain them. You guys/gals are heros of the cycling world that uses trails!

[@coreyglenn6068]

I did some volunteer trail assessments over in Montreat after the storm. A lot of the coves were protected. If the trail was on the wrong side of the mountain, it had a problem. If it was on the right side, we could have opened it then and there.

[@AllDayBikes]

I will be honest, I don't care for the region as viewer. However, Anywhere I see people helping people is worth a watch in my opinion. Same with Cleetus and all those dudes with Heli's. I am so far from all those places, yet I will watch because it helps Stifel the negativity. I also like bikes though so slightly biased towards those channels haha.

[@chucky3000.0]

Thanks for all you're doing Seth!

[@willkeene661]

Honestly, those washed out trail beds look like a lot of fun. If this happened at windrock they'd leave the trail as it is.

[@steveschafer6298]

Thanks for posting! Will be up there to ride 11/7--11/10 and do trail work in DuPont. Good to see a lot are open. It's also good to see how awesome people come together to tackle problems in the wake of the storm.

[@sevenninthsfabmachine]

I used to work at the Penland School of Crafts. Gutted to see the damage to your community. Thanks for keeping eyes on western NC. I love the Pisgah and would like to return soon. Greetings from the Humboldt County redwoods! ❤️

[@rotorblade7363]

Thank you for the video. It's great to see the recovery efforts.

[@avocadotoast9489]

Looking forward to getting back out to Berm Park.

[@Powermoose1TV]

Shout out trace ridge! So happy these guys are out there volunteering. They’re the best

[@JacobTechShit]

Love this channel

[@jg2wheels]

My son and I camped at Mills River this past April. Crazy seeing those trails washed out from the Parkway. As you said though, not nearly as devastating as the communities affected. 😔

[@MrDocSeus]

2:56 wow. I feel like I owe the USFS $6k for the use I’ve gotten out of Pisgah alone. Definitely going to be getting on some volunteer trail work days.

[@livefreeandshred9818]

We had a trip planned in March 25 and I’m hoping that we can still make that happen. I want to come and support the community, looks like the trails and roads took a huge hit.

[@stevehague3836]

thank you for updating us on conditions

[@sasquatchhimself]

Thank you Seth. Ive road tripped to Pisgah the past 4 years for the mtb trails. I was worried about the community and the trails down there and was wondering how i could give back to the area that i love so much. I didnt know how to donate, but the links you provided gave me the information i needed. Thanks a lot for putting this out.

[@marvinkamei7007]

Now this is a bike video of imprtance aound the country!! thanks .best one yet!

[@victoriaeldridge4967]

On the other hand, you will have some seriously fun Tech trails 😊

[@Offroadviking]

Great point about how far this will span with economical impact. I'm located across the mountain in Unicoi County. I rode up to a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday then into Asheville. It's pretty overwhelming thinking about how long it's going to take just to get everything back to operating order. Great video as usual 👍

[@FrankLempka]

You look good with the weight loss Seth!

[@jwb143]

Crazy shit. Shout out to the builders. I’ve always wanted to visit Asheville and im gonna come help build and ride one day.

[@efmtb]

seth you should buy a few more of the chain saws and try turning them into an actual chain with the sharp parts on the outside. you should also see if it would work as a chain whip.

[@jeffpower6473]

How would the teeth make it through the derailleur?

[@efmtb]

@ single speed

[@damnedlock2956]

I was wondering when trails were going to be fixed....I knew it was kinda last on the list of important things but Im glad its getting cleared...its good to know what trails are good and what is bad.

[@future46r]

I absolutely looked at that slide and thought “how bout a downhill trail” Wnc is awesome

[@VaultCord]

Great video, good luck to Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah

[@samuelskinny]

As a “sawyer” i can say that i question what im doing half the time. Just try to be a safe as i possibly can. Now im in Florida so i wont pretend to know what you mountain boys go through. Its a whole different ballgame! Also for getting some trails clear, understand that sometimes we just dont have the manpower. Due to various issues with state staffing, i am solely responsible for 50,000 acres of roads and trails with no co-workers.. all of my sawing and road work is solo, so patience is greatly appreciated!

[@johndavis3938]

It would be cool if there was something like TRP that takes a portion of all ammo sales, it goes towards wildlife management. Some could be done for outdoor gear and bikes and that goes toward trail repair and maintenance.

[@OldManAzeban]

Vermont was devastated by Irene and hasn’t recovered yet; that was over a dozen years ago. Used to be ranked for foliage season. The landscape devastation and our local government not doing anything to repair the damage has greatly impacted the economy. For a state that’s primary source of revenue is tourism.

[@ethanmccorkle6693]

My buddy and I want to take out bikes and ride down to ashville on the parkway from roanoke, we've had some of our parkway washed out and it takes FOREVER for the parkway to be fixed. I really the parkway can be fixed within a reasonable amount of time for the sake of yalls economy and me and my buddy's senior trip. Thanks for inspiring me and my friends to bike and we pray for all of yalls safety down in NC.

[@rethridermtb3262]

Great to see the recovery efforts are going so well. Unfortunately our first. trip to Asheville was scheduled for September 29th through October 6th, so we had to change plans.

[@XaviarCraig]

Great to see that people are trying to clear the trails already after such a horrible disaster. Though, I do fail to see why you cant just ride across the mudslide area. It looked like there was a lot of rock there so it should be stable enough. It would definitely be very difficult but as a feature I'd think it'd be fun almost Trials-Like section of obstacles. Also you guys clearly hiked across it walking your bikes so its perfectly fine for hikers I'd say!

[@wickedmountainfilms]

That’s the man Scotty boi!!! Getting it done

[@bchearne]

For some reason road edges seem to cause runaway erosion during big floods. Even old logging road edges ended up being the start point of big erosion during Helene

[@todd727300]

In the big scheme, that isn't really damage. That is how mother nature builds all that beauty. It'll all be good, trail will have to be fixed and cleaned up and at some point, nature will move the trail again.

[@Cjbman]

The landslide looked like a perfect rc crawler spot.

[@Wiroe]

Got my 2 bikes stolen the other night, so none of this nice autumn riding for me… Posted an ad on pinkbike buy/sell under stolen bikes, the Spark and Tyee. Would really appreciate if people around Europe keep their eyes open 🙏🏼

[@orulz1]

It strikes me that many of the mudslides started at a spot whwre the natural grade had been altered. In some cases it is an embankment for an old logging road that gave out and set the slide in motion. In more instance than just this one, though, it is the venerable blue ridge parkway that served as the catalyst.

[@rob-c.]

Where there aren’t any trees too. Trees are great and preventing erosion.

[@Mikesonbikes]

We aren't able to work on our ranger district yet. Man I can't wait to get more trails clear for our community.

[@Vincent-_-123]

Congrats on the 1 million.

[@brilog69]

Thanks Seth! Great news. I love those trails!

[@marcodm]

Bring in some big boulders across the creek. Keep filling with smaller and smaller stone. Water can always pass through. Flood surge like that dont think will happen in a long time again

[@RockyPondProductions]

6:36 those Nordic style chain saws are legitimately terrible. They barely work and bind up all the time to the point where you can't get through much. A small foldable saw is a way better option.

[@stujm8376]

Looks like where I ride in Italy, the difference being that it’s hunters that drag trees across trails as they hate mountain bikers… the hills are for everyone, they just think they own them. I hope enough people help out, it’s cool to see people working together

[@michaelfleming4015]

I worked on the trails at Oleta using a pocket chainsaw very similar to yours. Good times!

[@nathanboy7448]

Broken trails are better than no trails

[@JoseOsorio-s6e]

I hope you guys are safe have a good day berm peak❤

[@angelicacrosby778]

Thanks for the update stay safe 🎉

[@kendrewreviews]

It would be great if those cut down trees could be used for riding features, benches, or something. Perhaps public funds can be used to pay for local artists to carve them into sculptures

[@MikeLeFish]

In the UK, we still have significant chunks of forest and woodland closed off due to damage from Storm Arwen 3 years ago, there simply aren't enough forestry crews in the country to go around, so they've had to triage it. Whole swathes of forest have come down, it completely changed the landscape. Both fortunately and unfortunately, we don't have the same level of economic impact from it, as there has been comparatively little proper investment in MTB in the UK, so no real tourist draw outside of a couple specific trail centres. As a result, there haven't been as many people affected by the damage - which is obviously a good thing - but at the same time means there has been far less urgency to repair it.

[@timetoslaughter]

I thought I saw a Seth doppelgänger walking around CB drinking coffee on the morning of I think the 22nd of September. I see you brought the snow that weekend.

[@nmzamora]

I wish more public funding went to these types of services. This one actually has a financial ROI, but many don't and that's used as the excuse for not doing it. Sometimes it's good to spend money just for people's happiness in the community.