Oregon Hikers

Today we hiked to Elk Cove via Vista Ridge (the flowers are great in Elk Cove right now, snow 99% gone), and saw a small forest fire a few miles north of Mt Hood. On the way back we met a group of about 20 firefighters equipped with everything from shovels to a chainsaw. As it turned out, the fire was started by lightning a few days ago. The firefighters didn't give any evacuation orders or anything, but they posted a sign on Timberline trail @ Pinnacle Trail junction (3/10 mile east of Wy'east Basin) saying the trail is closed due to fire... Probably an overshoot given how small the fire looked and how wet the area is (with some snow still lingering around). Just FYI.

I spent the night above Dollar Lake Friday, and noticed the fire Saturday morning. Ran into a fire crew at the Elk Cove TH on my way out. I gave them some info, sure hope they got it under control! The photo was taken from the ridge viewpoint on my way down the Elk Cove trail Saturday afternoon.

It's a lot more smoke than we saw later in the evening (5 or 6pm)! Though it became more and more hazy, probably because of this fire. Yep, hopefully it wouldn't have much impact on the short backpacking season up there.

I hiked the PCT from Lolo Pass to Pulpit Rock today and noticed the smoke too. By the time I got back to the TH about 3, I couldn't see any smoke coming up at all. Perhaps it is out?

The view about 1 PM (Sun. Aug. 28th) from near Pulpit Rock:



dn

Thanks for the update!

romann wrote: The firefighters didn't give any evacuation orders or anything, but they posted a sign on Timberline trail @ Pinnacle Trail junction (3/10 mile east of Wy'east Basin) saying the trail is closed due to fire...

This may be a stupid question, but does this mean that the Pinnacle Ridge Trail is the one that's closed? Or a portion of the Timberline Trail over to Elk Cove? I was planning on going to Elk Cove on Tues/Wed for an overnighter.

Hmmm.... well, wet or not, the forest in that area hasn't burned in a long time, and is LOADED with debris. Looks like a lightning fire (there were lots over the weekend) that could have really lit up the north side in a dryer year.

Tom

andrew wrote:

romann wrote: The firefighters didn't give any evacuation orders or anything, but they posted a sign on Timberline trail @ Pinnacle Trail junction (3/10 mile east of Wy'east Basin) saying the trail is closed due to fire...

This may be a stupid question, but does this mean that the Pinnacle Ridge Trail is the one that's closed? Or a portion of the Timberline Trail over to Elk Cove? I was planning on going to Elk Cove on Tues/Wed for an overnighter.

The sign was on Timberline trail just before Pinnacle junction, it didn't specify which trail. As of the hiking to Elk Cove, I'd say it's time to go but obviously cannot advise here... just watch if the smoke gets stronger. The fire was barely smoking when we saw it, and firefighters didn't seem concerned that there were many people walk by them on the "closed" trail. Then, they may put the fire off by Tues/Wed.

I can see the fire on Mt Hood from White Salmon and it does not look small! (1:00AM Sun) Just a heads up. I saw the lighting that started it...if you know about the Gov experiment seeding the clouds in Hawaii and this area then you know things are not normal and the lightning did not look normal. Huge thick lighting often horizontal for almost a wide as you could see and strange looking spirals when it would head down and then turn around and go back up sometimes coming back down. Never seen anything like it before and I'm almost 60...err actually 35 and single....but anyway it was not normal looking lighting but what was strangest of all.....it was dead silent. No sound at all except for one normal looking strike and that made normal thunder sound....but other than that I watched a huge silent lighting show of the strangest looking lightning just before dawn. If you think the Gov can't make clouds and rain just come to White Salmon and watch how fast the new high tech con trails turn to cloud. Looks like it has a few side effects too. We had green spots of grass on the hills till two weeks ago.

John^^

The government started the thunderstorm that started the fire? Whatever. It's actually common to have t-storms occur when cool marine air mixes with warm air.

That must be some good stuff you are smoking!

This article is the first that I have read about the fire, outside of PH.org... http://www.kptv.com/story/15353119/wild ... nds-trails

The photos in the story show quite a bit of smoke.

does this mean that the Pinnacle Ridge Trail is the one that's closed?

Fox12 is reporting that the Pinnacle trail is closed.