My wife and I, and our 2 dogs, went camping up near Granite Peaks last weekend and were amazed that the 6310 road has been turned back into a gravel road. There was also an active thinning operation going on from the bottom up 5-6 miles, so be aware of logtrucks if you are going into this area. It was a nice escape from the heat and the masses.
After returning home last night I noticed on the Mt Hood Nat'l Forest website that the very campsite that I had been camping at for the last 20 years down a 1/2 mile spur road is scheduled to be decomissioned in the next 5-10 years. I think I , as well as hunters and woodcutters, have done more maintenance to this road then the FS in the last 20 years by cutting out logs and brush out of the right of way. Don't be surprised if your favorite get away in the woods will no longer be accessible.
I also noticed that the 160 spur road off the 7010 road that gets you to the Baty Butte Trailhead has a similiar fate in 5-10 years. There is an abandoned trail that comes down about 1-1/2 miles, but that is a couple of miles short of the 7010 road. Our only other access will be from the bottom at Joyce Lake or at Lost Creek Meadows on the Mollala side, unless the BLM decides to decomission some of it's roads in that area also.
The only road that I saw that was going to be turned into a trail was the one to the Dickey Creek Trailhead, because of the wilderness expansion in that area. Decomissioned roads, at least those that I have had the pleasure of hiking on aren't very hiker friendly. The 1/3 mile segment that the Fish Creek Mtn. Trail has on it's course is a monotonous up and down motion not unlike the bobble-head dogs you used to see on dashes or in the rear window area of cars in the 60's. And it's surface is fairly smooth compared to some other decomissioned roads that look like dumptruck loads dumped on the road or the more drastic trench warfare stuff we have seen recently.
Before it is all said and done, we may have to become Road Advocates, just so we will be able to access our trails.
Take a look:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects/nepa_project.shtml?project=25666
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects/nepa_project.shtml?project=29386
Donald
Crap. It started with Lookout Springs and went downhill from there. I understand the need to deomission some of these roads, there are way too many out there. However, some do go to fabulous places and need to remain. I think you're right, we need to advocate for our favorite roads too. Abbot is sure to follow, who knows what else…
If you've been camping there for 20 years then you need to make your voice heard. Otherwise it's just a project conceived in some distant office, trying to erase your own personal history.
Here's what I wrote:
Hello, I’d like to make a comment. I am a trail restoration volunteer for the Clackamas River Ranger District, and spend much of my life there.
On the Map of East Fork Collawash River and Elk Lake Creek
Road 125 along Elk Lake Creek on the Collowash is shown to be decommissioned. I would like to let the agency know that this is a long standing camp.
Our family (and I’m sure many others) have camped in this beautiful spot for many years. It is kept clean by users and is in excellent proximity to the Elk Lake Creek Trailhead in Bull of the Woods. Road 125 itself is about ¼ mile long so not much would be accomplished by the decommission.
There are about 4 established camps along the road, with fire rings and ample flat terrain for tents etc. There are few other places to camp in the area due to heavy impact from 1970s logging, so It would indeed be a tragedy to remove access for respectful users of this part of the district.
Thank you for your consideration.
-Robert Koscik
Yay! More power line corridors thru the district!
I love it.
We subsidize wind mills that ruin the scenic beauty of the east gorge, north central Oregon, the Wallula River Valley, etc., for a piddle of current, for which we now need to rip another swath through the woods so it can be traded by PGE to whom?
As for the road losses. We do need to get the FS to put all of 545 on it's "system". I have brought it up a million times. Otherwise it doesn't show up on their screens and it will not be factored into the decisions.
Maybe we can ask BARK to help fight this one. Road 7010-160 spur that is. At least up to the trail. Even to the lower crossing at, from memory, Stroupe Creek?
Are we in a period of intense change in the district? Or has it always been like this? My history here isn't as long as some of you lifetime fellows and ya can't always believe what you read. But it seems like there are some real sweeping changes lately that really does affect the future of the area, from the wilderness bill to road closures and thinning logging. I guess they felt the same way in 1950 when road building began. Change is a bitch....