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.
NewBridge1 by pauljess999, on Flickr
NewBridge2 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.
Blowdown3 by pauljess999, on Flickr
Blowdown2 by pauljess999, on Flickr
Blowdown1 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?
DeadTrees by pauljess999, on Flickr
Burnt2 by pauljess999, on Flickr
Burnt by pauljess999, on Flickr
Franklin Ridge junction, trail is closed.
FranklinRidgeJunction by pauljess999, on Flickr
Nice views from Sherrard Pt. today
Adams 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.
HorsetailRock by pauljess999, on Flickr
Silver Star
SilverStar by pauljess999, on Flickr
Lots of fun.
--Paul
Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
The future's uncertain and the end is always near.
Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
"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!"
-
- Posts: 525
- Joined: May 11th, 2015, 8:41 pm
- Location: Troutdale
Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
Thanks, loving the reports. Now we just need a Devil's Rest to complete the set.
Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
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
Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
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...
Back on the trail, again...
- Splintercat
- Posts: 8333
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Portland
- Contact:
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: May 5th, 2015, 1:28 pm
Re: Larch Mtn - Nov 25, 2018
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.