A trail crew from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has been working all summer to repair trails in the Shining Rock Wilderness area that were washed out in the deluge last September due to the back-to-back tropical storms that swept across the mountains.

“Our work included restoring the area’s trails and laying boardwalk over severely eroded, muddy terrain,” said Dawn Russell, one of the crew’s squad bosses. “Hikers said we made a big difference and noted how nice the trails looked.”

Using shovels and picks to dig through rugged terrain, the crew created nearly two miles of new trail. They also built 500 feet of split-rail fences that would direct hikers to stay away from boggy sections.

As part of the hurricane recovery in the National Forests, the Cherokee crew worked on more than 20 rehabilitation projects since June. But Russell said the Graveyard Fields area in Pisgah National Forest’s Shining Rock Wilderness was the most difficult assignment.

“We carried hundreds of 10-foot wood poles and lumber on our shoulders while we crossed creeks and climbed steep terrain,” said Russell. “We spent one month just hauling all this wood.”

In building 600 feet of boardwalk, the crew laid 8-inch-by-10-foot poles onto level trail surfaces, nailed two-by-six boards on the poles, and drove steel poles through the boardwalk to secure it to the ground.

The crew also removed the barrage of downed trees that high winds blew across trails. The crew used chainsaws, pulaskis, chainsaw wenches, and firefighter rhinos and rakes to clear the trails.

Noted for its firefighting mission, the crew also responds to other national disasters, such as hurricanes.