Don't plan on hiking Cooper Spur any time soon

[Splintercat]

Odd that the closure includes non-vehiculer travel, as the trails through the burn are still open to foot travel...

I'm always a little suspect when mass logging is proposed to remove "killer" trees, since most snags stand for decades after a fire. But I suspect the USFS lawyers have made this call for the agency, based on this sort of nonsense. Frivolous lawsuits will be the death of our civilization..!

The National Park Service also removes "hazard" trees in burn areas along roads and other busy areas -- but I don't remember seeing this broad a treatment (for example, in Yellowstone). You always have to wonder if the USFS is selling the wood, which is the moral hazard of "protecting" forests that you are also tasked with selling to the highest bidder.

Guess I'd better do the Tilly Jane trail before they close it, too! (not to mention Vista Ridge).

Tom

[Roy]

From the Forest Service Link:

Because of the large number of trees this will likely be done with heavy machinery and this may drive the need for environmental analysis and mitigations to insure that natural resources are protected during operations.


In other words thousands of idollars spent on government inter departmental / agency study before anything ever gets actually done!

It reads as if they are surprised that these trees have rotted & something has to be done now

Contractor will make money on the study and some one will most likely collect a chunck of change for awarding it.

[rainrunner]

With the road closed, we got the shelter area to ourselves when we spent the night this weekend.
There were a lot of hikers making their way to cloud cap and the shelter on the Tilly Jane trail, but they were all gone well before sunset.
We hiked up the Polallie Ridge trail and made it to the shelter on the first day and camped, then stashed the backpacks, and used day packs to head up to the top of Cooper Spur the next morning, we returned the Tilly Jane trail back to the car.

[retired jerry]

That's what's good about the road being closed. Maybe a few people at the two trailheads but hardly anyone beyond.

[SonOfTamarack]

Odd that the closure includes non-vehiculer travel, as the trails through the burn are still open to foot travel...

I'm always a little suspect when mass logging is proposed to remove "killer" trees, since most snags stand for decades after a fire. But I suspect the USFS lawyers have made this call for the agency, based on this sort of nonsense. Frivolous lawsuits will be the death of our civilization..!

The National Park Service also removes "hazard" trees in burn areas along roads and other busy areas -- but I don't remember seeing this broad a treatment (for example, in Yellowstone). You always have to wonder if the USFS is selling the wood, which is the moral hazard of "protecting" forests that you are also tasked with selling to the highest bidder.

Guess I'd better do the Tilly Jane trail before they close it, too! (not to mention Vista Ridge).

Tom

Yeah, it does seem a bit suspicious. I mean if all you cared about was safety why wouldn't you fell all the snags that might fall on the road, but fell them pointing away from the road. I imagine they'd provide even more erosion control and be nice nurse logs for future forests.

[SonOfTamarack]

Spoke to Janeen Tervo, the new District Ranger at Hood River district today. She says that the initial plan is to cut back 50' from the road (after an impact study), then over winter and next summer cut back 100' from the road. No body, whether on foot, bike, car, or horse, will be allowed up past the gate except forest service, fire, police, search and rescue, Crag Rats, and concessionaires for Tilly Jane and Cloud Cap Saddle campgrounds. Tilly Jane trail up from the gate is open.

So the short version: no access up Cloud Cap Rd past the Cooper Spur ski area this OR next summer.

Janeen Tervo seems very nice. One could call her at 541-352-1201.

[Splintercat]

Wow. That's really disappointing -- and truly overkill, too. Thanks for the update-

Tom

[Water]

i dont understand one bit cause unless my memory has failed me I do believe I drove up there the year after the fire. did it get radically more dangerous? or were they just THAT NEGLIGENT that they let us drive up the year after.

this is all major BS. MAJOR. Also pls contrast this with Mt. Adams, a cash cow for the FS--they got that road opened up exactly in time for when the fee was required on Adams. just a 'coincidence' for sure. think it a few years they'll close it to deal with trees? doubtful.

[Waffle Stomper]

I was up there last fall, I was more concerned about the hunters. 100' seems excessive. I wonder if there is still value as timber.

[Splintercat]

I wouldn't think so after five years, Waffle -- but then again, the legal struggle over the St. Helens blowdown timber lasted for years.

This is a photo from 2010, and shows a section that they cleared right after the fire:



So, I guess we're going to have a sea of stumps and felled trees like this all the way up the road, now? So that the Forest Service lawyers are content? Seems absurd - yet another black eye for the agency. I really wonder who does their PR sometimes.... sheesh!

Tom