On the Blue Ridge
On the Blue Ridge is a podcast featuring conversations with people making an imprint on the Blue Ridge Mountains in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Guests include writers, artists, makers, chefs, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and citizens living in and around the region.
On the Blue Ridge
10: Les Love on Clearing Trails and the Carolina Mountain Club
Les Love is the president of the Carolina Mountain Club, the oldest and largest hiking and trail maintenance organization in the Southeastern United States.
If you’ve ever set foot on the Appalachian Trail or Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Western North Carolina, odds are the Carolina Mountain Club helped clear the way. Now more than a century old, the member-run volunteer organization helped build both trail corridors through the region and continues to maintain over 400 miles of trails across Western North Carolina—while also leading more than 200 hikes per year.
In this episode, Les reflects on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene—from watching trees fall in his own yard to the club’s challenges in helping to reopen trails. He shares how the Carolina Mountain Club supports first-time volunteers, explains what a typical trail workday looks like, and explores the legacy of the club.
Carolina Mountain Club
carolinamountainclub.org
Join the club
Learn about volunteer opportunities
Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.