Indian Heaven Wilderness is partially RE-OPENED!

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xrp
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Indian Heaven Wilderness is partially RE-OPENED!

Post by xrp » September 3rd, 2017, 3:39 pm

https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail ... ilderness/

Sections: Section H / Washington
Tags: Trail Closure
September 3rd, 2017
The Pacific Crest Trail is closed in Indian Heaven Wilderness from Forest Road 60 at Crest Camp (~mile 2195) north to Forest Road 24 at Sawtooth (~mile 2212) due to a new fire near East Crater.

This is a developing situation.

5 Oct 2017 update:

10/5/17: Most of the Indian Heaven Wilderness has reopened. Some trails still remain closed due to the East Crater Trail. These include the Pacific Crest Trail No. 2000 between the intersection of Trail No. 111 north (near Blue Lake) to its intersection with Trail No. 176 (near Bear Lake); all of Trail No. 48 is closed; and Trail No. 179 is closed from its intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail approximately .94 miles north to the point it intersects the northern boundary of T 6 N, R 8 E, Section 14. Please call Mt. Adams Ranger District 509-395-3402 for up-to-date information.
Last edited by xrp on October 5th, 2017, 8:11 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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kepPNW
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by kepPNW » September 3rd, 2017, 4:44 pm

Our "lunchspot with a view" at Peggy Lake today, about 1pm...
  • Image
Fire's apparently a mile or so northeast of Blue Lake.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

Aimless
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by Aimless » September 3rd, 2017, 8:43 pm

Considering there hasn't been a cloud in the sky for over a week and it is Labor Day weekend, I am willing to lay a considerable bet this was human-caused.

justpeachy
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by justpeachy » September 4th, 2017, 7:49 am

We were camped at Bear Lake and had to evacuate. A firefighter we talked to said the fire had only started that morning. Last night on Inciweb it said the fire was already 1,000 acres, after less than 24 hours! The fire started at East Crater so the East Crater Trail was closed. That was our route out, so we had to go to Cultus Creek Campground instead. A promised Forest Service shuttle never materialized so a kind couple took us back to our car. I estimate the fire was only about a mile away from the East Crater Trailhead when we rescued our car at 8pm last night.

The photo below was taken at Clear Lake on our way out yesterday, at 3:45pm. I agree this has to be human caused and I'm betting it was a campfire. For reasons I cannot fathom, there was no campfire ban in effect and we saw several of them at Bear lake Saturday night. Who wants a campfire when it's 80 degrees out?

Image

Chazz
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by Chazz » September 4th, 2017, 8:52 am

Oh man... I love that area. At that rate of growth, I'm not real hopeful that the areas I love around there are going to go untouched.

justpeachy
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by justpeachy » September 4th, 2017, 6:18 pm

On their Facbeook page, the GPNF has posted a re-route for PCT hikers. It's all road, but at least there's a way around the fire.

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drm
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by drm » September 4th, 2017, 6:24 pm

justpeachy wrote:It's all road, but at least there's a way around the fire.
Via Denver?

I've heard plenty about the cultural attachment to fire for campers. For me it's simple: in these conditions, either you do without the fire, or you do without the camping. I don't think anybody should be told they can't have a fire when they camp. But if that is their attitude, then they can't camp in these conditions.

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retired jerry
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by retired jerry » September 4th, 2017, 6:26 pm

if it's hot like this a fire is not comfortable

I usually make a fire if it's cool. Unless it's raining too much.

I wonder if it'll ever rain again?

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drm
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by drm » September 5th, 2017, 6:21 am

retired jerry wrote:I wonder if it'll ever rain again?
It's raining ash in many places.

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retired jerry
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by retired jerry » September 5th, 2017, 6:25 am

There's ash all over in Beaverton.

Those beautiful trees I used to walk around in have come back to me.

That's all right, I can't wait to get back up there and see how it will be then.

Those poor stupid kids that set off the firecrackers. One thing is, the forest was ripe for a fire with the lack of rain and high temperatures.

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