Rising from the River: The Founding of NORA

When Hurricane Helene tore through our mountains, she didn’t just bring destruction—she revealed our strength.

In the storm’s aftermath, silence fell where the Nolichucky River had thundered. Roads were gone. Access was severed. The river—our lifeline—was choked with debris and shadowed by uncertainty. But from that silence rose something fierce and deeply rooted: community.

We were river guides, paddlers, educators, and backcountry leaders—people built for wild terrain. When Helene hit, we did what we knew best. We moved. We mobilized. We responded. Using boats, backpacks, chainsaws, med kits, and decades of wilderness experience, we turned our skills toward recovery. We became search and rescue crews, first responders, and supply lines. We carved makeshift roads to cut-off hollers. We delivered food, medicine, and hope where FEMA couldn’t reach.

And more than that—we reached out, and the country answered.

We coordinated supply runs from across the Southeast and beyond. Trucks arrived with fuel, meals, and medicine. Volunteers came from out of state—guides, nurses, trail crews, and donors who saw what was happening and wanted to help. We turned outfitter shops into donation depots. We kept the supply lines moving when the official channels stalled. In a matter of days, a grassroots response became a national one—built on trust, skill, and sheer willpower.

And when the waters finally receded, we realized something: this wasn’t the end of our work. It was the beginning.

As cleanup transitioned into rebuilding, we turned our eyes upriver—to the railroad corridor that runs along the Nolichucky Gorge. What we saw alarmed us. In the rush to rebuild, common-sense safety and environmental practices were cast aside. Railroad contractors were seen digging the river bottoms and banks for material. Erosion control was missing. Tracks and ties littered the corridor. The regulatory agencies appeared to be turning a blind eye.

We knew we couldn’t stand by. Nolichucky has always carried us—through joy, through hardship, through history. Now it was our turn to carry her. Paddlers and river advocates stood up. We wrote letters and made phone calls. We reported unauthorized practices and created an organized response. Upon inspection the Army Corp, National Forest and state agencies were shocked. Notice of Violations were given and initial corrective measures ordered. Moving forward the Nolichucky Gorge would have some level of protection.

That’s when we founded the Nolichucky Outdoor Recreation Association—NORA—a collective of guides, paddlers, environmentalists, educators, and citizens dedicated to protecting this river and the people who depend on it. Our mission is rooted in stewardship, community resilience, and common-sense advocacy. We’re not here to block progress—we’re here to shape it with integrity, transparency, and long-term thinking.

And we’re not just thinking about today. We’re building something for the future.

Our Wilderness Connection and Outdoor Leadership Training programs are in development for the youth of Unicoi County. We’re using our skills in guiding, survival, wilderness medicine and environmental education to mentor local kids—offering them connection, confidence, and purpose in the outdoors. These programs are designed not just to teach skills, but to grow leaders who will one day stand in our place and protect what we’ve fought for.

Because NORA isn’t just a response to disaster. It’s a commitment to resilience.

Every trail we clear, every river mile we clean, every student we guide—it all comes back to one truth: this place matters. The Nolichucky shaped us. Now, we shape the future.