Oregon Hikers

Anyone see this guy yesterday (Saturday 4/8) around the Horsetail Falls area? Mult. Co. Sheriff says he called in to say he was lost on the old Rock of Ages Trail. That trail and the upper Horsetail Falls trail has to be pretty overgrown by now one would think. Not to mention it's supposed to be still closed.

https://www.kptv.com/news/mcso-search-f ... _id=666189

bushwhacker wrote: ↑

May 9th, 2021, 2:55 pm

That trail and the upper Horsetail Falls trail has to be pretty overgrown by now one would think. Not to mention it's supposed to be still closed.

MultCo Sheriff's Office posted some pics of the area taken during an SAR training operation back in December
https://twitter.com/MultCoSO/status/1391494560883171328

He was found safe. I wonder if he gets a fine for hiking in a closed area.

Subject found!

dirtman wrote: ↑

May 10th, 2021, 8:46 am

He was found safe. I wonder if he gets a fine for hiking in a closed area.

He's 71. He can just say he was confused.
(Waiting for the members older than me to say "screw you, Chip!" )

I've heard conflicting info on whether the "Rock of the Ages Ridge" trail is closed.

He's a man. He could just say he didn't want to stop anyone to ask for directions.

Screw you Chip!

Chip Down wrote: ↑

May 10th, 2021, 6:31 pm

dirtman wrote: ↑

May 10th, 2021, 8:46 am

He was found safe. I wonder if he gets a fine for hiking in a closed area.

I've heard conflicting info on whether the "Rock of the Ages Ridge" trail is closed.

I can assure you, RoA is most definitely closed, and largely non-existent. We've had to call safety on that trail multiple times and pull teams out due to conditions over the past couple years. If the weather had been even slightly worse this would have been a very different search.

Lurch wrote: ↑

May 11th, 2021, 7:33 am

I can assure you, RoA is most definitely closed, and largely non-existent...

Even before it was closed it had become largely non-existent.

Oh yes, "Screw you Chip!"

I hiked the 400 trail from Multnomah down to Horsetail Falls on the morning that they found him. As I approached, I noted that the beginning part of the RoA trail was unusually clearly visible, presumably from all the SAR traffic. Even if you didn't know there was supposed to be a trail there, it was the kind of thing someone might spot and say, "I wonder where that goes..."

There wasn't any "trail closed" sign--not surprising, since officially there's no "trail" to close. But it sure wouldn't hurt to get some kind of danger / area closed signage up there, because I can see it drawing unsuspecting people in, especially as the season picks up.