Closed: Benson Bridge, Mult/Wahkeena access, Triple Falls

[Eric Peterson]

The good news is there is no actual slide covering the trail. There is some earth sliding above the paved path closer the the Benson Bridge which was enough of a concern to close the trail while it was warmer and wetter, I can't imagine the slide going anywhere right now in the current freeze, but it's still officially closed with barricade and caution tape.

[payslee]

Ironically, there is a genuine washout / rockslide/ I-hope-we-can-get-thru-on-our-way-back imminent trail failure on the paved part of Wahkeena. Same place it washed out a year or two ago. Ice, rockslide, and BIG holes in the trail. I'll post pics tomoro. Wear your spikes if you're trying to get up that way the next few days.

Great to meet you today EP!

[Lurch]

Is Wahkeena actually closed? And to my recollection the trail to Triple was "closed" but passable? I haven't seen pics of the new slide yet...

For those of your curious about where the highway trailhead to 400 between Multnomah and Oneonta is..

[payslee]

At least as of 11/30, the Wahkeena trail was officially open.

Although that is not entirely obvious because they have tons of construction fencing at the trailhead.

Open status may change shortly as the washout gets worse, which I think it did even just in the hours we were up there. Once the ice melts, I suspect that hole will just keep crumbling.

Most folks who'd made it up past this were turning around at Fairy Falls, which was solid slopey ice.

I LOVE my microspikes. It almost felt like we were cheating. And they led me to venture to places that are highly not recommended, such as ice-staircases next to a waterfall abyss. Not that I would ever venture onto, hypothetically, all of the abandoned Wahkeena trails.

An awesome day in the woods.

-payslee

[miah66]

So ironic they are pouring money into repairing the TH with a fancy new approach and walkway and then the trail up the hill fails completely.

[arlohike]

Ironically, there is a genuine washout / rockslide/ I-hope-we-can-get-thru-on-our-way-back imminent trail failure on the paved part of Wahkeena. Same place it washed out a year or two ago. Ice, rockslide, and BIG holes in the trail.

That looks terrifying, and I can't even imagine how it would be fixed. I'd hate to take that trail out of my rotation, especially with these other closures in the area. What expectations should I have toward something like that being repaired? I'm finding more time to hike in the winter, but I haven't been doing it long enough to know what a typical timeline would be, or if these are "wait until summer" kinds of repairs.

[arlohike]

I found this thread, showing that the Wakheena Falls hole is already repaired, with interesting photos of how they did it:

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... 25&t=20510