Gorge closure order

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drm
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by drm » October 12th, 2017, 5:44 am

GPNF said Indian Heaven would be closed through the Fall and most of it opened recently. I don't put much weight in the end dates listed for those closures. They will reassess as time goes on and after some heavy storms go through. Much of Herman Creek did not burn and what did was low intensity according to the intensity maps. Who knows about Eagle Creek and Tanner Butte, but I bet some low intensity burn areas open in a month or two. Is the road to Wahtum Lake still closed? The immediate lake area did not burn and they are not dipping in it any more.

I would add that as the season changes, casual hikers stop hiking and only experienced people head out to most of those trails, and they are more capable of making intelligent decisions on the conditions they find.

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retired jerry
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by retired jerry » October 12th, 2017, 6:02 am

I pride myself in being a rule breaker, although mostly I just joke about it

I bet one could do a winter backpack up Herman Creek. It would be interesting to see what things look like. They're being very cautious to leave it closed.

I'll wait until spring. They have their hands full repairing things.

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drm
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by drm » October 12th, 2017, 7:38 am

For low intensity burn, there is little to fix. High intensity burns will have lots of logs down so I don't want to go there anyway except right after being cleared. I think ridges were hit harder than canyons, so I expect Nick Eaton will be in worse shape than Herman Ck.

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retired jerry
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by retired jerry » October 12th, 2017, 8:29 am

on that one map it showed Herman Creek, Nick Eaton area was less heavily burned, so I'm crossing my fingers

but we will only know when they open it

bushwhacker
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by bushwhacker » October 13th, 2017, 6:01 am

Here's another good reason to not go sneaking around out there:

http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/3 ... -politics-

In the meantime, police haven't been shy when it comes to citing trespassers who enter closed recreation areas like Multnomah Falls or Ainsworth State Park.

More than a dozen fines have already been imposed, notes U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Rachel Pawlitz. Foresters and police made more than 150 contacts just on the weekend beginning Sept. 30.

"It doesn't sound so large if you assume it's people who made an honest mistake," Pawlitz said. "But we're not going to hesitate to hand those (citations) out if people need pushback."

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drm
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by drm » October 13th, 2017, 6:36 am

I think the vat majority of people, of hikers, are accepting of closures now and for a while. I have heard that PCT thru hikers who violated fire closures in some places were fined sometimes well in excess of $1000. The issue comes if the closures really go on for years.

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Water
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by Water » October 13th, 2017, 10:47 am

like 6 years later off trail travel, any camping along trail, is banned along pole creek/east side of 3 sisters..

the elk do 1000 times more damage every day and nip every last bit of fresh growth and emerging vegetation along the riparian areas.

but following a unofficial trail, that existing well before the fire, and is still visible and mostly able to be followed after the fire, is a federal crime.
Feel Free to Feel Free

Rather B Hiking
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by Rather B Hiking » October 13th, 2017, 12:25 pm

Chase wrote:There are people (rangers, FS employees, others?) at several closed exits on 84 who have the job of keeping people out of the closed areas. They are supplied with porta potties, so I'm guessing they are there for a while. There's even a ranger waiting at the PCT in CL.
They had ODOT and OSP vehicles at all of the ramps for several days when I-84 first reopened. Now they have civilians out there. From their appearance, I would guess they may have hired some of the local tweakers. Well, what else are they going to do, with no cars at the trailheads to break into?

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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by Lurch » October 16th, 2017, 7:41 am

Water wrote:like 6 years later off trail travel, any camping along trail, is banned along pole creek/east side of 3 sisters..

the elk do 1000 times more damage every day and nip every last bit of fresh growth and emerging vegetation along the riparian areas.

but following a unofficial trail, that existing well before the fire, and is still visible and mostly able to be followed after the fire, is a federal crime.
I think you may be missing the point of a wilderness area.

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BigBear
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Re: Gorge closure order

Post by BigBear » October 17th, 2017, 12:13 pm

I think that you do have to protect people from themselves. Sometimes these protections go too far, but all you have to do is sort thorough the oregonhikers.org archives to see a guy running on flowing lava in sneakers (among other things). This morning's news included a guy jumping off a cliff secured only by a rope (note: climbing ropes are not guaranteed past 2 or 3 falls...not sure if they are guaranteed for purposeful jumping). Last year a Portland man walked 1,000 feet off the boardwalk at Yellowstone and fell into a geyser.

In September, a group of kids started a 2 acre fire in Hood River while the city was under a level-2 evacuation notice ffor a 40,000-acre fire started by fireworks on a trail partially closed due to a fire started 2 months earlier by fireworks. The gene pool needs some serious thinning.

The outrageous part of the Eagle Creek Fire trail closures is that the kid who admitted to starting the fire (a class A felony punishable to 20 years in prison, as per the Bend Bulletin covering wildfires in that part of the state) has received no fines...but, people walking on the trails are receiving fines up to $1,000. It's not that I'm condoning the illegal hikers, but what's up with the arsonist not being charged???? Hello!?!

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