Oregon Hikers

Peabody wrote:Here's a link to the USDA forest Service closure order. Link

"Violations of these prohibitions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both. (16 U.S.C.551, and 18 U.S.C. 3559 and 3571)"

Is the fine reduced by $30.00 if you have one of those illegal NW Forest Passes

Field report: exit 28 open, parking allowed. I didnt investigate trail status. Exit 35 appears open too.

Latest closure order maintains the closure through September 2018!

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 561878.pdf

aircooled wrote:Latest closure order maintains the closure through September 2018!

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 561878.pdf

& the whole undamaged Larch Mt area still included

aircooled wrote:Latest closure order maintains the closure through September 2018!

"...or until rescinded."

Bases are being covered. The current closure is not enforceable as a complete ban past ~ May/June, since the current closure area goes from the river up to approximately the lip of the Gorge. (The exception is stuff west of Oneonta, including all of Larch Mountain.) So while the Bull Run keeps people out on the western part of the closure, Eagle Creek and everything to the east should be accessible once Wahtum Lake and other back ways open in the spring/summer.

We'll see how long the closure order ends up lasting. I suspect it will be determined by a balance of how much trail repair they get done in the intervening time vs how much mutiny they'll have on their hands if at least some of the Gorge isn't open by the time the weather gets nice.

Chip Down wrote:Field report: exit 28 open, parking allowed. I didnt investigate trail status. Exit 35 appears open too.

We drove Woman's Forum to Bridal Veil Exit 28 yesterday. Road remains closed and guarded right after the Angels Rest parking area which is also all barricaded off. You are allowed to stop in pullouts along they way. we stopped and peaked over into Shepherds Dell (trail closed with a barricade) and didn't get shot or anything

yeah "or until rescinded"

it's just a legal/bureaucratic document to make it official

I'd like to see Herman Creek/Nick Eaton Ridge opened, that looks lightly damaged

When the heavy rains are over in late spring they'll better be able to assess slide damage

I wonder what the budget is, final cost will be for all the guards still sitting in cars guarding access points?

State Parks had scalers on ropes at Shepperds Dell in the fall; they were pulling down anything loose from the burned cliffs above. They'd like to open that little trail, but they need a bit of winter (only 2 1/2 weeks old) to see how well it holds. One crushed skull is all it would take to set things back a long way.

Low-level trails will be scouted early this year and more will open up in spring. The deeper trails, now under snow, will need to be scouted when the snow melts. The aerials don't tell the whole story: a lot of it was not canopy fire but in the undergrowth. That can still cause serious drainage/stability issues as the winter wears on.

The worst trails will be under cliffs, like Shepperds Dell, but magnified 100 - 1,000 times; that includes McCord Creek, Eagle Creek, Oneonta. The reboot on these may take quite a long time and some skilled engineering. All of the burned faces are way more unstable than they were, and an enormous amount of material has come down already. Again, have to wait for winter to take its toll to see how badly it ends up.

I'm hoping they'll open liberally but post big sturdy signs at closed trails (that they check on regularly); that will make it more difficult for the idiot fringe on Facebook/Instagram/Snapshot to sue for taxpayers' money if/when they or a loved one gets injured/killed.

Not a lot of news, but there is a new story out about the Gorge trails on OregonLive.com today 1/18

http://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/ind ... incart_std