Trey Moore Named 2025 “Paddler of the Year”
Trey Moore, center, with APEs president Brad Eldridge, right, and TEHCC Liaison Andy Steffan, left, at the TEHCC Spring Meeting award presentation.
Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts (APEs) and the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoe Club (TEHCC) have named Trey Moore, Eddyhopper Workshop, as the 2025 Paddler of the Year. This annual award, which has been presented since 1990, recognizes exemplary service and active involvement in TEHCC, APEs and the regional paddling community. The award was presented by Andy Steffan on Friday, April 4, 2025, at the TEHCC Spring Dinner Meeting in Kingsport, TN.
Trey quite literally was the tip of the spear in our local relief efforts after Hurricane Helene, focusing much of his energy on the community of Poplar, NC. Many have traveled through Poplar to access the Noli Gorge, and the small town was decimated during Helene. The high water flooded the road through town, taking houses, cars and trees in its path. In the process, the Forest Service boat ramp for the Gorge was basically erased by the floodwaters.
Trey was one of the first—if not the first—people to help get the road to Poplar cleared. After seeing the devastation, he helped organize supply runs from Erwin, TN, to Poplar. After Poplar organized as a community supply center, people from outlying communities were able to ride four-wheelers down what was left of the railroad tracks to deliver food, water, fuel, clothing and other items to Poplar, where volunteers then distributed the supplies upstream.
Trey also was instrumental in the first Search & Rescue mission through the Nolichucky Gorge. In those early days, nobody knew the extent of the damage in the Gorge—or what hazards remained. Search & Rescue squads were open to help from our local expert paddlers including Trey, who helped guide teams down the river looking for survivors.
Trey also identified some of the medical needs for survivors in Poplar and beyond. He coordinated the first insulin deliveries and developed the Poplar Community Center into a thriving and robust relief operation. Every time I went there with supplies, or to haul off trash, Trey was there.
If you know Trey, you know his gentle nature and open heart. If you haven’t had the opportunity to paddle with or learn from Trey, I can tell you he is one of our best. If you’re looking to improve your skills and mastery of your craft, reach out to Trey and Eddyhopper Workshop for instruction.
Efforts to regain public access to the Nolichucky continue, and Trey is an organizing member of the Nolichucky Outdoor Recreation Association (NORA), a cooperative of local outfitters and people who make a living on the river. They will have a website up soon; in the meantime, please support our local efforts to restore Nolichucky access whenever and however you can.
