Peter Mills stands with the toes of his work boots at the edge of the Ivy River north of Asheville, North Carolina. The warm January day, while strange, is a pleasant change from a long, cold, and snowy winter in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Mills, president and owner of Elevated Trail Design, started his company on the cusp of the modern era of trailbuilding in this region. His approach to trail projects is tempered by a business management degree from the University of North Carolina Asheville Center for Health and Wellness and his years growing up on local trails. Mills’ resume now includes high-profile projects such as YouTube star Seth Alvo's Berm Park in nearby Canton, the Greenslick trail in Pisgah National Forest, and countless other projects in the area.

Under Mills’ feet, the portion of the Ivy River that delineates his property radiates a peculiar cobalt glow. The water flows gently among coarse river rocks, their grain showing an oxidized newness creating a nostalgia for idyllic western rivers carved by glaciers.

Turning around, he scans acre after acre of debris piled up on his riverbank—whole trees lifted into piles 20 feet high and intertwined with door jams, joists, and roof beams. Broken medicine cabinets intermingle with fragments of family photo albums.

A few months prior, on Friday, September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene smashed into western North Carolina. The storm dropped more than 30 inches of rain and flooded rivers to levels not seen since the Great Flood of 1916. It triggered over 2,000 landslides and damaged more than 600 roads, 800 bridges, and 70,000 homes. In its wake, Helene left 100 people dead.