Columbia River Gorge conditions after the big Eagle Creek fire - 2018 (Redwood: neighborhoods, live)

[MtnSurfer]

Hi all,

We're planning a trip to the area to check out neighborhoods and also plan to visit the great outdoors. I've heard that many of those beautiful Gorge trails were ravaged by the Eagle Creek fire. But have any of you been back out there since they've reopened? If so, what does it look like? I've hiked some burned areas that literally look like a war zone afterwards (like a bomb was dropped) while others among the redwoods seemed to spring back rather nicely. What is your experience or thoughts on those trails affected by the fire?

Thanks,
Derek

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Redwoods are relatively fire proof. Unfortunately, that's not what was growing in the Gorge.

Mature Ponderosa pine are fire resistant, but we have had fires in Central Oregon, just in the last couple of years, that were hot enough to kill the Ponderosa pines. I doubt that the Gorge had many Ponderosa pines. Most likely the trees were Doug fir, and those go up like a torch. It will be a long time for that area to recover. New trees will have to grow from seedlings.

[PNW-type-gal]

A lot of the trails are still closed. I've been seeing bits and pieces in the Big O about various trails, here is a summary article from January:

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires..._trail_fa.html

It does give a couple links to check on specific trails.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Redwoods are relatively fire proof. Unfortunately, that's not what was growing in the Gorge.

Mature Ponderosa pine are fire resistant, but we have had fires in Central Oregon, just in the last couple of years, that were hot enough to kill the Ponderosa pines. I doubt that the Gorge had many Ponderosa pines. Most likely the trees were Doug fir, and those go up like a torch. It will be a long time for that area to recover. New trees will have to grow from seedlings.

Thanks to no forest management in "scenic areas," there were a lot of dead forests in the Gorge that burned very hot and destructively.

[StealthRabbit]

Many trails in affected area will remain closed for a few yrs (erosion control / falling trees...)

The recovery should show good signs within 10 yrs and ~ 40 yrs will be ~90% recovered