Written By: Samuel Racine

Today’s adventure truly lived up to its name. Dr. Cheek was kind enough to take us to one of his old hiking spots, where we were able to fully enjoy the outdoors and embrace the beauty of North Carolina. The view at the top of our hike was extraordinary. I had never seen anything like it before, and seeing all the different mountain tops at once will remain one of the most memorable moments of this trip.

On our descent, we all fell multiple times, which highlighted the very real dangers hikers face on these trails. In my own experience, in my volunteer fire department, there is a frequent response to calls involving hikers who are lost or injured on these difficult secluded paths. This reinforces the importance of prior planning and proper training to ensure the public can receive an efficient and effective emergency response.

At the end of our hike, we encountered an SUV stuck in the snow. We assisted the driver, further contributing to the prosocial behavior we have witnessed throughout Asheville. Situations like this demonstrate how small acts of leadership and empathy can have a meaningful impact, especially in hazardous conditions.

Later in the day, we attended a conference at UNC Asheville. The main speaker was a NOAA professional from North Carolina and a survivor of Hurricane Helene. His presentation was especially moving and insightful. He described the challenges his family faced during extended outages of water and electricity, and his use of data and visual graphs made it easier to understand the immense power of the storm. He briefly mentioned that vulnerable populations are often excluded from modern mapping efforts and that he is unable to fully speak on their experiences. This administration, he argued, is playing a dangerous game of equality instead of equity, which further underscores the importance of prosocial behavior in times of crisis, as the people of Asheville have clearly demonstrated.