Hey Jerry...

[airoff]

"Hikers of the Pacific Northwest have a great reason to celebrate: the Eliot Glacier crossing on Timberline Trail #600 is scheduled to be repaired. The trail will be rerouted this summer with the goal of completing the project in 2017 depending on weather conditions. The project will be completed by forest staff working with volunteers and contractors."


http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/ne ... EPRD489782

[maryannpdx]

This is great news! Thanks for posting.

[Chip Down]

Will be interesting to see how many people continue to use the relatively easy safe crossing we have now. I guess the main enticement to use the new trail will be a bridge. It's not explicitly stated there will be a bridge, but it's strongly implied. Would be nice to start out from Cloud Cap with an assurance of getting across the water, regardless of weather or water level.

[vibramhead]

I guess the main enticement to use the new trail will be a bridge. It's not explicitly stated there will be a bridge, but it's strongly implied. Would be nice to start out from Cloud Cap with an assurance of getting across the water, regardless of weather or water level.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I emailed the MHNF recreation manager last Sept., asking whether this project would include a bridge. Here's her reply:

We aren’t considering a bridge at this time, although we always have the option to go back in and install a temporary bridge if we feel we really need one. That said, we are moving towards not installing bridges on our more rugged wilderness trails. The goal of this project is to provide a reroute to mitigate resource concerns with user created trails and trail braiding and provide a safer route for people to use to cross the Eliot Branch. Sometimes bridges instill a false sense of security for these crossings, which are inherently dangerous. At this time, we are focusing on educating people about glacial crossings and not installing any new bridges.

This doesn't make much sense to me, since I think that the "sense of security" provided by a good bridge is very real, compared with the alternative. If they just don't have the money for a bridge, I'd understand.

[texasbb]

If they just don't have the money for a bridge, I'd understand.

I might speculate that they just don't have the money for bridges.

Speaking from a cynical legal perspective (i.e., acknowledging that there are bottom feederslawyers out there), if the FS admits to the safety "need" at one crossing, it opens itself to liability for all the others it doesn't bridge. Shakespeare was right (when taken out of context): "First thing we do..."

[Chip Down]

MHNF recreation manager: "Sometimes bridges instill a false sense of security for these crossings"

I'm having a real hard time seeing that as anything but an asinine statement. Trying to keep an open mind, but it's really hard when I see something as patently foolish as that.

If no bridge, I think a lot of people will just cross up high. Would be interesting to station a couple observers at the new crossing and the current crossing and see how the counts compare.

I could say more, and I'm greatly tempted, but I know it's far too easy for threads like this to turn into ugly political debates, so I'll leave it at that.

[adamschneider]

Will be interesting to see how many people continue to use the relatively easy safe crossing we have now.

The crossing "we have now" will not always be there; one good jökulhlaup and all the loose stuff below Eliot Glacier will get re-configured again. As I understand it, the new trail will cross in a spot where the glacial debris has already been scoured down to the bedrock, or nearly so. That'll provide some long-term stability to the route.

[scrambler2]

I support the decision to not have a bridge since there are quite a few other bridgeless crossings on the historic TT. While relocating the washed out trail section is needed, taming the mountain by installing structures in wilderness areas is just not ethical in my opinion.

[Guy]

I think the new reroute is a good idea, I have no strong feelings either way on a bridge, if there was one I'd use it, if there isn't I'll still go!

I do think what Chip says is possible though and without a bridge people will continue to use the upper crossings. there are times of the year when they may in fact be safer. Where most people cross now the water flow is divided between 2 main wide shallow creeks.

If I understand things correctly the new crossing will be at a point where all that water is flowing in one channel.

Either way I'm glad something is being done.

[retired jerry]

I scouted that out last summer. There are a bunch of stakes and ribbons. I walked down to a place a little below the proposed route and it was very steep for a short distance so I turned around and crossed up above. They asked me to not post any pictures or GPS track.

I don't think Eliot is the worst stream to cross. Sandy, Newton, White River are worse. If there was just a trail down to the stream it would be okay. I can see why they don't like bridges, because on a number of those canyons, there are periodically huge floods that take out broad swaths. Not feasible to have bridges.