Mount Pisgah Platform Reconstruction Memorial

11/05/2024

10/04/2024

If you’re curious how the platform fared against the onslaught of Hurricane Helene; the NPS was curious, too. With the Parkway closed, it’d be difficult for me to check, so a few Rangers made the hike to check it out.

Report: all’s well.

Thanks to my good buddy Moose who helped with this effort.

12/25/2023

Project complete! Annabelle and I hiked to the summit of Mt Pisgah to attach the plaque in memory of Lisa. That’s the last item to complete this memorial.

I see her bright, wide smile in my mind’s eye. I hope many, many people will enjoy this observation platform, further, I hope many will see Lisa’s name and appreciate these mountains as she did, and smile bright and widely.

There will be a ribbon cutting in the spring, no firm date yet, but as I learn it, I’ll post it here.

Thanks again to all at the Blue Ridge Parkway Fountain, the Carolina Mountain Club, the Pisgah National Forest, the U.S. Youth Conservation Corps (the original builders of the platform, back in 1979), and everyone who donated funds to finance this worthy project.

12/18/2023

Freya and I picked up the plaque for the memorial to Lisa Hambrick Hagebak
from my dear friends and project partners at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The only thing left to do is make the summit hike on Mt Pisgah and install this beautiful plaque on the new and improved observation platform.

Once installed, the project will be 100% complete. Promise made/promise kept.

Thanks to everyone who contributed $, the volunteers and contractors who did the work, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for taking up the project (they put a link on their website, advertised in print, handled press releases, handled the fiscal responsibilities, and coordinated between the NPS, Forest Service, Carolina Mountain Club, and Sinclair Communication-owners of the Mt Pisgah funicular).

If you’re looking to do some end of the year charitable giving, I recommend the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. They’re excellent stewards of the donations they receive.
https://www.brpfoundation.org/donate

11/01/2023

It’s “nearly” finished. All to be done now is to mount the plaque that explains who reconstructed it and why. That’ll be done at the ribbon cutting that’s not yet scheduled.

10/27/2023

The reconstruction is nearly complete!

10/21/2023

It’s happening!!! We’ll be there for a ribbon cutting in just a few weeks! I’m so thankful for everyone who gave to this project, to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for bring conduit and organizers, the US Forest Service-Pisgah National Forest office, the National Park Service-Blue Ridge Parkway Office, the a Carolina Mountain Club, and Sinclair Communications for the use of their funicular to get supplies to and from the summit of this beautiful mountain.

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12/08/2022

THERE’S AN UPDATE- I received an email from Jordan Calloway of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation that it seems that Spring of 2023 will be when the work to do Mount Pisgah Platform Reconstruction Memorial will begin.

I’m hopeful- here’s the email in its entirety:

“ Hi Hawk,
Long time, no see my friend! I just wanted to check in to let you know we're making progress with the project at Mount Pisgah and I have some photos to share. Your initiative is always on our minds, so I'm very pleased that I can finally give you a bit of news.

We've been coordinating with our friends at Carolina Mountain Club on some of the work plans, but most importantly, we have firmed up our transportation plan. So- progress, yay!!!

Our project manager, Kevin Brandt, pulled together a site visit a couple of weeks ago with some of the CMC folks, representatives from the USFS and Sinclair Broadcasting as well as potential contractors. You may have heard about it from the CMC team since I know you are involved with them.

There is still a possibility they will have to use alternatives for moving materials but it sounds like the funicular will be a good option. They are planning on 4-5 trips based on the volume. The plan is mid to late spring '23. We will be in touch with you more frequently after the beginning of the new year to see how we can better coordinate on this project now that we seem to have some traction.

I'm attaching some photos of the site visit. Zoom in and you can see how steep the funicular is up the side of the mountain.

Lots of people working together to make this dream happen!!

Jordan Calaway
Chief Development Officer
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation”

06/03/2022

I got HUGE news today!! The Mt. Pisgah Memorial Project is 100% funded!!! A couple of big donors stepped in last week to give $10,000 which will as to the money we had raised so far, totaling over the $20,000 needed to fund the project!!!!

Fundraising is complete, building is next. And nope, I’ve no idea when this will be scheduled. I’ll keep everyone posted about when the build day will come, but when it does, I look forward to seeing you there.