Well that pretty much puts to rest any possibility of locating the Moore Creek trail. I had located the bottom and top segments, but the logging in the middle area had kept me from locating much of any tread. After locating a marijuana grow area next to Moore Creek a few years back and the unrelenting shooting from the quarry below, I hadn't been back.
The sunlight this morning in Oregon City was very orange and there was some ash on our cars. It must be an intense fire to be throwing ash that high.
Here's a news flash from the Sheriff's office:
CLACKAMAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ASSISTS WITH 36 PIT FIRE NEAR ESTACADA
News Release from Clackamas Co. Sheriff's Office
Posted on FlashAlert: September 14th, 2014 4:29 PM
The fire is currently spreading and is over 1000 acres in size. Hwy 224 is now closed from North Fork Reservoir, east to Ripplebrook due to the fire and very hazardous conditions.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is asking that the public avoid the area so fire crews can have clear roads for travel to fight the fire.
Please do not call 911 if you see smoke, however if you do see a fire or any other emergency, you are asked to call 911.
They've evacuated the Silver Fox RV Camp, and some of the folks saw the blaze crest the mountain and got out of there before the evacuation order was issued.
Substantial smoke in the Portland area - I can smell smoke but being down on the river I can't really see it like in some of the news photos. Rob's photos are better than the ones in the news.
The road is closed indefinitely. You don't want water dropping on your car from a few hundred feet!
They are upgrading the response to Type II tonight or first thing tomorrow.
The detour is either up the rough road from Salem or over Mount Hood and down past Little Crater Lake and Timothy. The route past Clackamas Lake puts you on the scenic route to Olallie.
Here is the Inciweb site for this fire: inciweb.nwcg.gov
They had stopped all traffic on 224 yesterday while the helicopter was doing its drops. We watched it make 3 or 4 passes. Once it was done (had to go refuel?) they let traffic thru again.
This is really disheartening.....
Lots of ash in Oregon City / Carus area this morning.
Did the fire burn all the way from Moore Creek to North Fork reservoir? The wind was blowing that direction. There's facilities with electricity at Lazybend on the north side of the highway that could be in the fires path. Not good