Mary's Peak, Mt Hebo and Cascade Head closures

[romann]

Don't want to be a bearer of bad news, just to warn if someone planned to watch eclipse from these locations.. That's right, they all will be closed/restricted and accessed by permits only; in the case of Cascade Head, it's first come, first served basis. It's better to change plans now than find oneself in traffic in front of closed gate (I am still in the research phase, with all the best places closed).

In case of Mary's Peak they closed roads miles from nearest trailhead (maps), so hiking it up is not an easy option - they let hikers-n-bikers pass at 6 am on Monday, but it's pretty far to hike it in 4 hours.

[pdxgene]

Mt Hebo is (or at least was) going to let a small amount of people up by the old guard station but the huge meadow area is definitely off limits.

[BigBear]

On one hand, I question what happened to public access to public land...

but on the other, I know that the roads won't be able to handle the amount of traffic that would exist if these places remained open, especially Cascade Head with the one-lane gravel road. It's too bad that the "officials" couldn't have announced these decisions months ago before everyone made plans.

I heard that Madras and Prineville had some traffic issues earlier this morning. Let the games begin?

[adamschneider]

I heard that Madras and Prineville had some traffic issues earlier this morning. Let the games begin?

Sort of. The big music festival at Big Summit Prairie starts today, and most of those people are going to be arriving via Prineville.

[romann]

Just an indication of what traffic will be on Monday, when everyone heads back at the same time
http://www.kgw.com/news/eclipse/eclipse ... /464948514

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office expects about 30,000 people to arrive in Central Oregon Thursday, then 37,000 Friday, 44,000 Saturday, and 43,000 Sunday.