I had a little time this morning before a much needed haircut appointment so headed off to the gorge for a look at how the Tish Creek bridge project was progressing.
First, a few comparison shots from along the hwy showing how slowly the ice is melting:
Just east of Multnomah Falls on 2/12:
Today, 3/1:
I took several more comparison pics and will post more much later as the season progress.
The EC trail was muddy for the first quarter mile or so but the work the volunteers did made it very easy going for the entire way. Where the ice still holds court, (90% of the way) the fir sprigs and dirt over the ice give decent traction and I did not need any devices to help me (though I brought them just in case!).
The new bridge still needs to have some work done to remove a couple of supporting braces and both ends need to be back filled with rocks and dirt to make entry and egress smooth. That likely has been finished as of this writing since I passed a couple of men heading in to finish the job just as I was heading back.
The old bridge was still sitting near the TH. Now that the stress is off of it and it has straightened out, it looks like it could be repaired and reused with not too much work:
The new bridge is made mostly of some composite material and though it looks at a glance to be steel, it is not. Hopefully, it will last for a lot longer than the recent one!
No trail clearing had been done beyond the bridge and it is as dangerous as ever. I went a few hundred yards beyond and, running out of time, called it a day:
My heartfelt thanks to the forest service for getting this project put together and to the many volunteers who cleared the trail so the job could be finished in time!
Finally, a hike at a good pace!!
Don
Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
- Don Nelsen
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- Location: Vancouver, WA
Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
SO, I gotta ask Don......
Did you cross the bridge
Did you cross the bridge
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4382
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
The tape only said "cuidado & caution", not "closed". I'll take the fifth on that, though!Guy wrote:SO, I gotta ask Don......
Did you cross the bridge
dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
Don Nelsen wrote:The tape only said "cuidado & caution", not "closed". I'll take the fifth on that, though!Guy wrote:SO, I gotta ask Don......
Did you cross the bridge
dn
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
Based on Don's description of the bridge.....wait for it.................
here's the USFS guide to Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Trail Bridges!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link
Found this little tid bit in the FRP Trail Bridge Failures chapter.........................
Does anyone know if there are any sharks in Tish Creek?
here's the USFS guide to Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Trail Bridges!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link
Found this little tid bit in the FRP Trail Bridge Failures chapter.........................
A catwalk collapsed in New Orleans, LA, on August 7, 2002, at the Aquarium of the Americas. Ten aquarium members on a special tour fell into a tank of sharks. Sharks and visitors survived the collapse.
Does anyone know if there are any sharks in Tish Creek?
"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
― E.B. White
― E.B. White
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
Uh-oh....Peabody wrote:Based on Don's description of the bridge.....wait for it.................
here's the USFS guide to Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Trail Bridges!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link
Found this little tid bit in the FRP Trail Bridge Failures chapter.........................
A catwalk collapsed in New Orleans, LA, on August 7, 2002, at the Aquarium of the Americas. Ten aquarium members on a special tour fell into a tank of sharks. Sharks and visitors survived the collapse.
Does anyone know if there are any sharks in Tish Creek?
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/20 ... -the-week/
- Eric Peterson
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Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
Don Nelsen wrote: Finally, a hike at a good pace!!
Wow, new GPS?
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4382
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
Yep, finally upgraded. I think this one is a little optimistic but once downloaded to TOPO the truth will out.Eric Peterson wrote:Don Nelsen wrote: Finally, a hike at a good pace!!
Wow, new GPS?
Eric, we must get out again!!!!
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
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- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
The trail is closed about 1/2 mile past Fern Creek Bridge, so you can do Tish and then Fern Creek then stop 1/2 mile later.
And by closed, I mean that we posted and flagged it closed, not just that it is a bad idea to cross it (which it is). We hung out for a while and everyone who saw it agreed and turned back.
We did go up, tools in hand, to see if we could scratch a trail through it but it is in a very steep chute but the slide is very soupy and unstable. There is reportedly a second, worse slide beyond this one. When the slide dries out and stabilizes we can go in and dig new tread....The slide is about 50' long on about an 80% side slope, 200' above the creek.
By the way, to the PCTA volunteers, you got the trail looking great all the way to Tish Creek! Thank you very much. Edan.
And by closed, I mean that we posted and flagged it closed, not just that it is a bad idea to cross it (which it is). We hung out for a while and everyone who saw it agreed and turned back.
We did go up, tools in hand, to see if we could scratch a trail through it but it is in a very steep chute but the slide is very soupy and unstable. There is reportedly a second, worse slide beyond this one. When the slide dries out and stabilizes we can go in and dig new tread....The slide is about 50' long on about an 80% side slope, 200' above the creek.
By the way, to the PCTA volunteers, you got the trail looking great all the way to Tish Creek! Thank you very much. Edan.
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4382
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Eagle Creek to Tish Creek and little beyond
trailupdater wrote:The trail is closed about 1/2 mile past Fern Creek Bridge, so you can do Tish and then Fern Creek then stop 1/2 mile later.
And by closed, I mean that we posted and flagged it closed, not just that it is a bad idea to cross it (which it is). We hung out for a while and everyone who saw it agreed and turned back.
We did go up, tools in hand, to see if we could scratch a trail through it but it is in a very steep chute but the slide is very soupy and unstable. There is reportedly a second, worse slide beyond this one. When the slide dries out and stabilizes we can go in and dig new tread....The slide is about 50' long on about an 80% side slope, 200' above the creek.
By the way, to the PCTA volunteers, you got the trail looking great all the way to Tish Creek! Thank you very much. Edan.
Thanks for the update.
Has the slide gotten worse from when Peder and I were there mid Feb? Or, is there something worse beyond this?
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller