Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

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pablo
Posts: 1451
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by pablo » November 25th, 2018, 10:40 pm

Did Larch Mtn., this report is about the section from Wahkeena junction south starting with the nice new bridge that replaced the one destroyed - new one is longer, wider.

ImageNewBridge1 by pauljess999, on Flickr

ImageNewBridge2 by pauljess999, on Flickr

Some patches of blowdown and a small amount of tread problems but mostly passable. Maybe 6-7 patches of blowdown some harder to bypass because of smaller trees with lots of branches.

ImageBlowdown3 by pauljess999, on Flickr

ImageBlowdown2 by pauljess999, on Flickr

ImageBlowdown1 by pauljess999, on Flickr

Lots of standing dead trees that will be crashing down for years to come. How long will it take for the fire killed dead trees to start falling?

ImageDeadTrees by pauljess999, on Flickr

ImageBurnt2 by pauljess999, on Flickr

ImageBurnt by pauljess999, on Flickr

Franklin Ridge junction, trail is closed.

ImageFranklinRidgeJunction by pauljess999, on Flickr

Nice views from Sherrard Pt. today

ImageAdams by pauljess999, on Flickr

Horsetail Ridge and the ridge hosting Rock of Ages Trail. Lots of dead trees, I wish I could live long enough to travel those ridges once the trees fall and views open up.

ImageHorsetailRock by pauljess999, on Flickr

Silver Star

ImageSilverStar by pauljess999, on Flickr

Lots of fun.

--Paul
The future's uncertain and the end is always near.

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Chip Down
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Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by Chip Down » November 26th, 2018, 4:50 am

"Sorry we can't afford to replace that missing sign at the trail junction. But hey, good news, we erected this new welded steel bridge on concrete footings!" :lol:

squidvicious
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Location: Troutdale

Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by squidvicious » November 26th, 2018, 8:46 am

Thanks, loving the reports. Now we just need a Devil's Rest to complete the set.

Lurch
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Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by Lurch » November 26th, 2018, 9:19 am

pablo wrote:
November 25th, 2018, 10:40 pm
Lots of standing dead trees that will be crashing down for years to come. How long will it take for the fire killed dead trees to start falling?
They've started falling already, some are quite severely damaged.. The obvious charred sticks are just a fraction of the total, many don't know they're dead yet, their roots have been too damaged to survive but the fire may not have crowned out the tree. From past reports I've read, most of the ones that are going to fall naturally will likely do so over the course of the next decade..

It's wide open and clear now, in a decade it's going going to be a tangled mess of dense new growth and snags. BV Plateau may be a pretty good simile, the forest that comes back isn't always like the one that was lost. Even if it were, there's decades of growth needed before it resembles what we're used to for a forest :|

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kepPNW
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Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by kepPNW » November 27th, 2018, 6:48 am

Hey, so nice to see you up there! What a day. So many familiar faces on the newly, but only somewhat, unfamiliar landscape. I was actually quite pleased that the devastation didn't begin to approach my worst fears for that trail, the place I was when the EC fire started. Thanks for the TR!
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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Splintercat
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Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by Splintercat » November 27th, 2018, 8:04 am

Thanks, Paul - super helpful!

Tom :)

ThePortlandeer
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Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018

Post by ThePortlandeer » November 27th, 2018, 3:41 pm

I'm generally not very bothered by most of what was burned in the fire, but then I find pics like this showing a stark contrast to your first picture. In my head, some of the older, larger trees survived...I guess that is where they live now.
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