“The Blue Ridge Parkway is fortunate to work in partnership with organizations like the Carolina Mountain Club, which connects skilled and passionate individuals with the National Park Service, and helps to maintain a vast network of trails for the public,” reads a letter by Acting Superintendent J.D. Lee. “The Carolina Mountain Club has done extraordinary work this past year and over the 90-plus years of the club’s existence.”
In particular, the letter noted club members’ work to maintain their dedicated 146 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and their response to cleaning up from Hurricane Irma’s damage along the Parkway.
“Within two weeks after the storm, your teams had cleared over 500 trees from 82 miles of trail, all while portions of Parkway were inaccessible to vehicles, making your days that much longer,” the letter reads. “The dedication of your crew is the reason why visitors are able to hike on Parkway trails today.”