A scene from the past

AlanLichty

Moderator
This last weekend the folks who study forest fires (Burned Area Emergency Response or BAER) published a map called the Eagle Creek BAER showing the extent of the burn damage in the Columbia River Gorge. As might be expected the fire hop-scotched it way around the canyons and didn't torch everything to the ground but it damaged a lot of the ground cover and clobbered the ridge lines. The full map can be found here:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/ORC...e-Creek/picts/2017_10_04-19.43.14.983-CDT.pdf

It is highly unlikely we will be able to access any of the trails before next spring since the loss of ground cover has raised the slide/rockfall hazard levels to extreme. The crews trying to assess the burn experienced this first hand with highly unstable soils above and below the trails. One of the hardest hit areas appears to be Wahclella Falls and Tanner Creek.

This is an image I took along the trail above Wahkeena Falls a few years back that is most likely no longer there if the map is accurate.

WahkeenaSpringsTrail.jpg


C&C always welcome.
 

Ben Egbert

Forum Helper
Staff member
Beautiful scene, very sorry to hear that it's been damaged, probably for the rest of the lifetimes of us older guys. Glad you have a captured image of it's glory days. It will return, eventually.
 

TimMc

Well-Known Member
Thanks Alan--the gorge has been on my list to get back to for several years. Never think of places like the gorge as not being there when I want to go. Note to self, quit procrastinating.
 

AlanLichty

Moderator
That map is interesting to see to what degree the fire burned in there.

Jim
Yeah - I originally saw a reduced version of the map and looked around to find the original so I could look at the details. There have been a few scattered videos in the TV news broadcasts and in particular the mouth of Eagle Creek itself. The map shows that as being in the "Low" zone but the damage at ground level was far from minor.
 
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