Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

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GRover
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Joined: July 31st, 2020, 7:05 pm

Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

Post by GRover » July 31st, 2020, 7:33 pm

I walked today the route described for Lower Beaver Creek Canyon. The Beaver Creek North Footbridge has been fully washed out/removed. Creek flow is of course low (July 31st) and one can still stay dry amid crossing via some small logs placed by residents (a little south from the north footbridge remnants, these small logs are visible from boardwalk on west bank) or further south over the larger stones of the creek bed, though the trail coming back north on the east bank from this more southern point is much more overgrown and muddy. Trekking poles will benefit both crossing and swiping away blackberry canes.

Although a long-term Gresham resident I had never been to parts of this route before and was unaware of Robins Way up from Harlow House nor the Strawberry Meadows Greenway. I thank you for expanding my local world! This walk inspires interest in local history and erosion processes. Many impressive Doug Firs right in the middle of the city of Troutdale!

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bobcat
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Re: Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

Post by bobcat » August 1st, 2020, 7:12 am

Thank you. It's a wonder they kept that bridge there so long after it became all twisted. I'll make the updates in the Field Guide.

squidvicious
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Location: Troutdale

Re: Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

Post by squidvicious » August 1st, 2020, 8:29 am

They are replacing it
Beaver Creek Canyon North Pedestrian Bridge Replacement

Last I heard was that "pending" post from before things shut down with the pandemic, but if they've actually removed the old bridge then it sounds like they got the funding and it's going ahead.
Although a long-term Gresham resident I had never been to parts of this route before and was unaware of Robins Way up from Harlow House nor the Strawberry Meadows Greenway
Did you actually walk the Robin's Way trail? That was closed due to a landslide, so I'd be curious to hear if they have now completed that work and officially reopened it.

squidvicious
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Joined: May 11th, 2015, 8:41 pm
Location: Troutdale

Re: Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

Post by squidvicious » August 1st, 2020, 9:38 am

OK, I'm in Sandee Palisades, so I just had a quick trot down to have a look. Reports of "removal" are somewhat exaggerated. More a half-assed "cut away the bridge span part and just leave everything sitting there."

There's a barrier across the walkway with a "bridge closed" sign--somewhat redundant, since the actual bridge span is gone. I'm afraid this has more the look of a stopgap measure for a replacement project that is not, in fact, going ahead this year.
20200801_100312[1].jpg
span cut away
20200801_100246[1].jpg
barrier on approach
I wonder when/why they did that. Looks like last time I saw the bridge was April 6. There was--and had been for a while--a sign up that said, "Meh, it's fiiiiiine." (paraphrasing).

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GRover
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Re: Lower Beaver Creek Canyon --- North Bridge removed

Post by GRover » August 1st, 2020, 6:18 pm

Good question! I did walk Robins Way. It felt more overgrown/neglected than closed. At lower end near Harlow House there are 3 or 4 very steep, muddy steps where the seep is having its way (acceptable and seemingly unrelated to slide). At Harlow House end going up I recall no posted signage of any kind about the trail.

Trail along the face of bluff is narrow but didn't feel missing (perhaps enough walkers have reformed the slide into semblance of trail or perhaps the 2019 Phase I has removed the slide material to uncover former trail).

From the upper end coming down the only evidences to inform are an orange cone and orange striped sandwich board (not blocking trail and not accompanied by signage but just sitting off to the side not far from the picnic table and Robins Way informational sign pictured in the trail description). I wonder if these items were kept there for opportunistic day use by contractor during Phase I and then forgotten at end of that project since they don't seem to serve any function now.

The only other trail-related official items throughout the route which I saw were the dog bag pedestals at various points and I noticed no notices upon them.

Sorry for long, detailed answer to a simple question :)

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