underbrush

Consecutive 12-month periods with up to twice the normal amount of precipitation produced a lot of “smaller fuels” in the form of underbrush and grasses, he said, “and that ends up being the foundation for fires to very efficiently spread.”

Setting fires in the Sandhills of central North Carolina requires an understanding of moisture levels in the scrubby underbrush, and she gets a better sense of it in bare feet.

Their use, coupled with selective clearing of smaller trees and underbrush in another Indigenous technique called thinning, reduces the severity, intensity, and tree mortality of wildfires.

In 2022, around 11,000 acres were “treated” with underbrush removal, selective logging and preplanned burning.

The trail itself is notably thick with underbrush and can be junglelike in some spots, especially once you descend into Robe Canyon itself.