Trail Clean-Up at Bass Lake With Appalachian State University Students

On Saturday, March 1, 2025, the Appalachian State National Park Trust Club assisted the Volunteers in the Parks (VIP Volunteers) with a trail cleanup at Bass Lake in Blowing Rock, NC. The weather was nice and warm, giving us a break from the relentless cold spell sitting over the Blue Ridge mountains. This stewardship event had about 41 people attend and all helped assist the VIP’s in clearing the Bass Lake trail from storm debris, such as downed branches, limbs and even went as far as to help clean out the water drainage pipes from a buildup of leaves and mud to help keep storm runoff off of the trail and in their respected areas. 

Volunteers met the VIPs at Bass Lake in the morning around 10am and went over a short safety briefing and discussion about what we were doing, how to properly use our saws, and how to be aware of other people around you when cutting to avoid accidents and injury. Of course, we got to wear fun neon volunteer vests to let visitors know about our presence and what we were there for. 

Ken Carpenter, the leader of the VIPs, also gave us some insight into the area’s history. Cone Lake had been renamed Bass Lake and was drained and repaired in 1942. It lies on the Moses H. Cone estate, which is home to the Cone Manor. Moses H. Cone was a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. 

The group was originally supposed to meet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it was still closed due to weather earlier in the week. Bass Lake was chosen because there was an ice storm, and the Park Service needed assistance clearing the trail. 

The outing had an uplifting and encouraging atmosphere. Everyone there was willing to help and put in the effort to help clear the trail while making conversation and friends with other volunteers. Of course, the warmer weather lifted everyone’s spirits as well. We had walked and cleared almost a mile up the trail and it was very rewarding to see all of our progress on the way back to the parking lot. Encouragingly, there were several trail visitors who thanked us for our help and efforts in getting the trail back in shape. 

The most significant part of the outing was the amount of support and volunteers that were able to give up their Sunday morning to help make a difference in their community and lend a hand to the local Park Service. The top of the trail also had a nice viewing area of the surrounding area and an old apple orchard. 

At the end of the workday, around 1 pm, volunteers walked back to the parking lot to return borrowed equipment and regroup one last time for any closing statements. Volunteers and participants left with a sense of purpose, accomplishment and belonging and knowledge of a new place to share with their friends!