The gorge, after all this weather

[Double Tree]

Will be curious to see, hear, how the gorge trails fared with all the snow, ice and heavy wind storms this last week. I live in North Gresham, so get nearly the weather that Troutdale does. I can only imagine the effect of the winds in the burn areas, on the dead trees.

Currently awaiting what should be the final ice storm tonight, in east county. Another day off work tomorrow. Can't drive on the ice.
Kelly

[lordgares]

It will be interesting to see for sure. Hard to believe that less than two weeks ago I was at Catherine Creek and there was mostly clear skies, temps in the mid 40s, and grass widows starting to bloom.

[squidvicious]

I was out Monday on Multnomah - Wahkeena loop, and was shocked to find almost no new damage from the storms at that point. The only thing that was new was one tree at Wahkeena below the bridge.

That said, I'm currently sitting in troutdale without power because yesterday and today, rather than being the end, seem to be the worst of it so far for the east side.

[rubiks]

I hiked up to Triple Falls from the Horsetail Falls TH on Monday. There was one big tree that fell and is blocking a few switchbacks on the section heading down to the first bridge after Horsetail Falls. There were a couple other stepovers here and there.

Overall not too bad, but it seems like the worst of it probably happened from Tuesday this week onwards.

[squidvicious]

Well, small hitch in getting there at the moment. HCRH is closed, and 84 access isn't an option now either

Multnomah Falls Lodge is closed until further notice due to flooding. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THE LODGE VIA THE I-84 TUNNEL. Please travel responsibly.

https://twitter.com/CRGNSA/status/17485 ... mJ1SQ&s=19

(Worth clicking for some impressive flood video)

[Don Nelsen]

I went out Tuesday (1/23) to do a recon on Herman Creek and stopped by Eagle Creek to see how it had fared. I got about 100 feet and chickened out:



The road to the south parking area is plowed but there's only two or three possible spots to park.

Continuing on to Herman TH, I had to park along the frontage road where it was just barely wide enough for two cars.

I donned my spikes and headed up the road to the usual TH, surprised that the layer of freezing rain was thick enough to hold my weight! There's about 5 or 6 inches of snow with an inch thick layer of ice on top of that then another two to three inches of snow atop that. I broke through every now and then, but it was an easy hike at the start.

Another guy started up right after me and passed me at the powerlines. He said his goal was Indian Point. I wished him luck. About ten minutes later I met him as he was coming back down. I could see marks in the snow where he had slipped off the trail and down the slope a couple of times so wasn't surprised he had called it a day. He had on spikes too.



The problem is deep snow over the trail at a 40 degree angle, still with that layer of very slippery solid ice beneath.

One of the switchbacks:



I persisted another 2/10 mile past when he had turned back, but it was way sketchy, and sanity took hold, and I turned back to try another route: The ridge paralleling the trail starting at the last switchback before the 405E connector trail to the PCT. I'd hiked this ridge before, but it was a couple decades ago and in much better conditions and knew that it was, or used to be, a fairly easy bushwhack. There's a huge rockpile on the way up and in the snow and ice, no way could I get past it.

I would have kept going past here but without an ice axe, it was too dangerous.



Looking back down the ridge. an easy hike, so far.



Defeated!



It never stopped raining, too, and the temperature was 35 degrees, both when I started and when I got back to the car.

I think it's going to take a while longer to get back on the gorge trails!

dn

[squidvicious]

I think it's going to take a while longer to get back on the gorge trails!

I'm glad for this report. I've been growing a little uncomfortable with the continuing closure at Multnomah. I kind of like bad trail conditions, and I like getting out to gauge it for myself. I don't like the FS deciding that because some people shouldn't be out in it, nobody can be out in it. Terrible, icy, damaged, possibly impassible conditions aren't new. Even flooding in the tunnel isn't unprecedented. OK, lots of that happening all at once is notable, but their ongoing response has felt like a policy change in a bad direction.

But if you're saying you were turned back, that gives me some confidence that it actually is just that bad.


ed: I see they just announced that tomorrow they will reopen access from 84. But just the lower viewing platform and gift shop. Trails and everything else still closed

[Charley]

I went out Tuesday (1/23) to do a recon on Herman Creek and stopped by Eagle Creek to see how it had fared. I got about 100 feet and chickened out

You're smart!

I like mountaineering. I actually like risky activities.

I'll use crampons and an ice axe for a mountain summit, but using crampons and an ice ax to hike Eagle Creek just isn't my thing. The risk to reward ratio is way out of wack for that!