On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit the United States, making landfall in south Florida before turning inland and lashing Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee with torrential rain and winds topping 100 miles per hour. In the southern Appalachians, the damage was sobering: An estimated 125 people died across North Carolina and Tennessee alone, with millions more losing power, water, or even their entire homes. On the Appalachian Trail, Helene caused severe damage, flooding some sections and knocking down thousands of trees. Immediately following the hurricane, some questioned whether a thru-hike of the trail would even be possible in 2025.

Grayson Haver Currin decided to try it and find out. Over a week in April, Currin, a writer and Triple Crowner, covered roughly 140 of the trail’s worst-hit miles, from Newfound Gap to the Nolichucky River, checking in on the trail—and trail communities’—recovery along the way. In this video, he explains what he found—and why he’s optimistic about the AT’s future. Watch below, or read more about his trip in the Backpacker feature he wrote about it, “Hurricane Helene Turned the Appalachian Trail Into a Highway Pile-Up. I Hiked it to Survey the Recovery.” —Adam Roy, Editor-in-Chief