Bull Complex Fire

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bobcat
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Bull Complex Fire

Post by bobcat » August 19th, 2021, 6:57 am

The Bull Complex Fire is the first 2021 fire that has seriously affected trails in northwest Oregon:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7773/

It's burned up Elk Lake Creek and the Welcome Lakes Trails and positioned on the ridge above Lake Lenore and the foot of Big Slide Mountain.

Here's the USFS closure map. No way to get into Bull of the Woods now (not that you'd want to).

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 940113.pdf

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drm
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by drm » August 19th, 2021, 9:42 am

bobcat wrote:
August 19th, 2021, 6:57 am
The Bull Complex Fire is the first 2021 fire that has seriously affected trails in northwest Oregon
If only it would be the last of 2021 to seriously affected trails in northwest Oregon . . .

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Charley
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by Charley » August 19th, 2021, 10:11 am

My hiking buddy and I have a saying: "hike it before it burns."

Bull of the Woods Loop in 2017:
IMG_3333.jpg
IMG_3301.jpg
IMG_3174.jpg
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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RobFromRedland
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by RobFromRedland » August 19th, 2021, 2:44 pm

bobcat wrote:
August 19th, 2021, 6:57 am
The Bull Complex Fire is the first 2021 fire that has seriously affected trails in northwest Oregon:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7773/

It's burned up Elk Lake Creek and the Welcome Lakes Trails and positioned on the ridge above Lake Lenore and the foot of Big Slide Mountain.

Here's the USFS closure map. No way to get into Bull of the Woods now (not that you'd want to).

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 940113.pdf
The only saving grace (if there is one) is that most (not all) of that area burned in 2010 - much of it is reburning now (pink is the perimeter from 2010 and orange is the current fire perimeter):
BOTWFire20210819.jpg
Lake Lenore all burned in 2010 - I was there before the fire and it was beautiful - not so much anymore - the trail down to the lake had pretty much disappeared when I went there a year or two after the fire. I don't know if it has been restored or not.

There is a pretty good segment of Elk Lake creek that had not burned, but is now burning as well.

Hopefully the fire slows down soon.....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW! What a ride! - Hunter S. Thompson

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Water
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by Water » August 20th, 2021, 1:55 pm

anyone know if Hawk Mountain cabin survived last year's fire?

Surely someone has done a fly over even if ground-access has been closed.

It's been a year, haven't been able to find a lick of information on it. I suspect it didn't but.. that just means there's not a mouse problem anymore I guess..
Feel Free to Feel Free

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RobFromRedland
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by RobFromRedland » August 20th, 2021, 2:02 pm

Water wrote:
August 20th, 2021, 1:55 pm
anyone know if Hawk Mountain cabin survived last year's fire?

Surely someone has done a fly over even if ground-access has been closed.

It's been a year, haven't been able to find a lick of information on it. I suspect it didn't but.. that just means there's not a mouse problem anymore I guess..
The Hawk Mountain cabin did survive - they had people staffed there to protect it. I have not seen it since the fire, but there were definite reports of it surviving from the FS.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW! What a ride! - Hunter S. Thompson

justpeachy
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by justpeachy » August 21st, 2021, 10:08 am

That's a shame about Elk Lake Creek. I have hiked a portion from the Elk Lake side, but not from the east end.

I too heard through the grapevine that the Hawk Mountain cabin survived.

I forget where I saw this (possibly the MHNF Facebook page) but the Bull of the Woods Lookout has not been wrapped. They could not find a safe place to land a helicopter with a crew, and they determined it was too unsafe to have them hike in and wrap it. So let's hope the fire doesn't get that far.

Gold Butte HAS been wrapped.
Gold_Butte_Wrapped_12Aug2021_BullComplexFires.jpeg

greenjello85
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by greenjello85 » August 21st, 2021, 6:49 pm

bobcat wrote:
August 19th, 2021, 6:57 am
It's burned up Elk Lake Creek and the Welcome Lakes Trails and positioned on the ridge above Lake Lenore and the foot of Big Slide Mountain.
It might actually help welcome lakes trail. It's gotten crazy over grown. Hope most of the big old growth on elk lake creek survives!

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BigBear
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by BigBear » August 22nd, 2021, 5:06 pm

Where are the little green men? I'm thinking spacecraft from a distant planet.

Seriously though, I did not know there was such a thing as wrapping a structure when fire approaches. Hopefully it works. I wonder if homes in the path of fire can get wrapped.

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retired jerry
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Re: Bull Complex Fire

Post by retired jerry » August 23rd, 2021, 5:40 am

as I remember, they wrapped the shelter at Cairn Basin during the Dollar Lake fire. It burned right up next to the shelter.

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