The upper Eagle Creek Trail and other trails are closed due to the Indian Creek Fire. The official PCT remains open.

Resources

• Closure information
• Closure map

The post Indian Creek Fire in Columbia River Gorge appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

As of last week, the initial PCT section of the Diamond Peak Loop (after cutting over from Yoran Lake) was covered in at least 6-10 feet of snow and we had to turn back before even reaching our first night to camp. Those experienced at using GPS and who have appropriate snow gear might succeed but we did not (we were stopping every 10 minutes to consult GPS and topo maps as trail was hidden and frequently found ourselves off course). Due to the melting snow, the mosquito populations are dense and mosquito netting, bug spray and clothing head to toe is recommended.

The post snow pack too deep to find trail – Deschutes National Forest appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

As of mid-July, Crater Lake NP staff is asking PCT hikers to avoid walking the Rim trail due to hazardous snow conditions and road construction on the West Rim Drive. PCT hikers are being asked to stay on the official PCT route west of the Rim. And please note, due to the lingering snow pack on the PCT some sections of the PCT have not been logged out yet. So, please plan accordingly. Hikers can visit the Rim Village to view the lake but please return to the main PCT route as you continue your journey. The PCTA and CLNP staff thank-you. Good luck and be safe!

The post Hazardous snow conditions on Crater Lake’s rim appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Due to the Whitewater Fire in Oregon’s Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, the PCT will be closed for an 11-mile stretch starting at the Woodpecker Trail junction (PCT mile 2026.7, GPS 44.6811, -121.8554) and ending at Breitenbush Lake (PCT mile 2037) on Monday, July 31 (see update below). There are no easy reroutes for this closure—which includes Jefferson Park—so stay tuned for more information.

UPDATE from the USFS:

The PCT section will close Monday, July 31, 2017. That is why the incident webpage does not show closed yet. Beginning Monday, July 31, 2017 portions of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Jefferson Park access will be closed.

PCT sections to close: Pacific Crest Trail (#2000) the section north of Woodpecker Trail (#3442) junction to Breitenbush Lake; South Breitenbush Trail (#3375) east of Bear Point Trail (#3342) up to the PCT (#2000).

The following trails remain open: Woodpecker trail (#3442); Bear Point Trail (#3342)

The post PCT Closure in Oregon due to Whitewater Fire appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

The official Pacific Crest Trail is closed for 8 miles in Crater Lake National Park from the intersection of Lightning Springs Trail (mile 1825) north to Red Cone Camp (mile 1833). Hikers will want to hike the Rim Trail through the park. Equestrians will need to shuttle around as the Rim Trail is not open to stock.

Other trails are closed as well. Please read the closure order below.

Resources

• Closure order
• Spruce Lake Fire and Blanket Creek Fire on Inciweb – note that the Spruce Lake Fire is being collectively managed with the Blanket Creek Fire and they share the same Inciweb page
• #BlanketCreekFire on Twitter

Maps

The post Spruce Lake Fire in Crater Lake National Park appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

The Blanket Creek Fire is burning approximately 5 miles west of the Pacific Crest Trail in Sky Lakes Wilderness, Oregon. The fire is in the vicinity of miles 1806-1816. The trail is not officially closed at this time but we are told by the U.S. Forest Service that it may close.

Please be sure to check for the very latest updates if you’re thinking of heading into the area.

The Spruce Fire is burning just to the north and has closed the PCT in Crater Lake National Park.

Resources

• Spruce Lake Fire and Blanket Creek Fire on Inciweb – note that the Spruce Lake Fire is being collectively managed with the Blanket Creek Fire and they share the same Inciweb page
• #BlanketCreekFire on Twitter
• How to react to wildfires

Imagery

The post Blanket Creek Fire in Sky Lakes Wilderness, Oregon appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Multiple fires are now burning along the PCT in the Three Sisters Wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail is closed between Elk Lake (mile 1,950) and Lava Camp Lake (mile 1,980) near McKenzie Pass and Highway 242. Much of the rest of Three Sisters Wilderness is also closed and will remain closed at least through the eclipse.

Update at 8:25 pm on 8/17/17: we no longer recommend walking from Elk Lake to Sisters. The fires in this area are growing. It’s probably best to sit tight. Read more about how to react to wildfires.

Resources

• Eclipse Update: Three Sisters Wilderness Closure Area – August 15
• Willamette Wildfires 2017 Facebook page

Closure map

As of 8/17/17 there is no current closure map. We are told that the closure is expanding. Stay tuned for an updated map from the Forest Service.

Oregon and Northern California PCT closure interactive map

How to get around the closure

This closure, combined with the Whitewater Fire closure on Mt. Jefferson, means that it is hard to hike much of the PCT in Central Oregon.

There are lots of ways to handle these closures. Here are a few ideas.

If you are in the area during the eclipse, note that significant overcrowding is expected. Hotels and campgrounds—anything reservable—is already reserved. Traffic will be bad on days around the event. On eclipse day, gridlock is predicted along highways in the totality zone. This can seriously affect people trying to start a hike, end a hike, or resupply. Long-distance hikers hoping to pass through Sisters or Bend immediately around the event will be impacted.

1) Hike north from Elk Lake on the east side of Three Sisters to the town of Sisters, Oregon

Update: the Milli Fire grew towards Sisters and we no longer recommend walking any alternate from Elk Lake to Sisters. We recommend leaving the trail at Elk Lake. We’re leaving this information up for a while in case any hikers are already on the alternate.

Map from the afternoon of 8/17/17 shows thick smoke on the alternate (green line)

Download and print this detour map: Elk-Lake-to-Sisters-PCT-detour-map-8.17.17 (21mb PDF). This is a GeoPDF that can also be opened in the Avenza app.

This route combines some very scenic hiking with some road walking.

1. Exit the PCT at mile 1950.1 by heading east on Island Meadow Trail #3 for one mile (towards Elk Lake)
2. Take Cascade Lakes Highway Forest Service road #46 to the north  approximately 5 miles to Devils Lake
3. Head North on South Sisters Climbing Trail #36 (located at the turn in the Hwy) for 1.9 miles
4. Head East (turn right)  on Moraine Lake Trail #17.1 for 2.5 miles
   NOTE: This alternate was modified from here north on 8.17.17 as the Milli Fire grew. Ignore previous directions and go this way instead:
5. Head north (turn left) on Green Lakes Trail #17  for 7.9 miles to Park Meadow Trail #4075
6. Head east (turn right) on Park Meadow Trail #4075 for approximately 5.6 miles to the Park Meadow Trailhead
7. Travel north on Forest Road #16 for approximately 16 miles to the town of Sisters.

Then, either walk up Highway 242 (not recommended unless the road closes to cars) or shuttle north in a car. To resume walking north and the open portion of the PCT (a 28 mile section, from mile 1980.1-2008.7, is open before you get to the Whitewater Fire closure), head west on 242 to the Lava Camp Lake trailhead.

Doesn’t sound like something that you want to do? You might just head to Bend from Elk Lake and skip walking to Sisters.

2) From Sisters, Oregon

Evening update on 8/17/17: Highway 242 is now closed due to the Milli Fire. Some residences in the Sisters area are apparently under evacuation.

A) The “hike as much of the PCT as possible” option still requires car support

The trail is open from Highway 242/McKenzie Pass (mile 1980) to Marion Lake Trail (Trail # 3437)/Minto Pass (mile 2008.5). It’s a beautiful section if it’s not smokey. Highway 242 is a twisty mountain road that we don’t recommend walking. To get back to the PCT from Sisters, we recommend getting a ride in a car.

Because Highway 242 is closed, you won’t be able to walk from McKenzie Pass to Santiam Pass. If you make it to Santiam, you could head north for a bit. But realistically, with these fires, you probably should just wait for the situation to evolve or skip north.

You’ll then hike north to the Marion Lake Trail. Take the Marion Lake Trail and then the road, west to Highway 22 near Marion Forks. From there, you should get in a car and travel through the town of Detroit and then back to the PCT at Britenbush Lake. We don’t recommend walking the highway in this area. From Detroit, drive up road 46 to road 4220 (a somewhat rough dirt road) and up to Britenbush Lake.

From Britenbush Lake, hike north and have a wonderful time!

B) Take public transit further north to near Mt. Hood <- perhaps the best option at time of writing

Depending on the day of the week, you can take a series of buses from Sisters, through Bend and/or Redmond and on towards Government Camp near Mt. Hood. It seems like using public transit will require overnighting in Redmond, Oregon.

Try asking the last bus driver to drop you off where the PCT crosses Highway 26. It’s at Wapinitia Pass, 7.2 miles before Government Camp. There is a trailhead parking area there. It’s near Frog Lake. This is mile 2084 on the Pacific Crest Trail.

For public transit information, here’s some information

• Cascade East Transit will be key to connections in the Sisters and Bend area. It has a very good website that you’ll want to use.
• Central Oregon Breeze is the main bus that will take you from Bend/Richmond/Warm Springs to Government Camp or Portland.
• Google Maps transit information from Sisters, Oregon to Government Camp, Oregon. Click on “Schedule Explorer” for more information.

C) Get a ride north to Britenbush Lake

If you have someone to drive you to Britenbush Lake, it’s a pretty good option. You’ll skip the Whitewater Fire closure, rejoining the PCT at the northern boundary of the closure.

D) How about going to Eugene and up the west side?

To us, it seems easier to stay on the east side of the Cascades. But if you have some other good idea, go for it!

How about continuous footsteps?

We’ve spent considerable time looking into obscure trails and dirt roads to get you around these closures and have come up short. Especially for the Whitewater Fire, we couldn’t find a good, safe, legal and efficient way to walk around the closure. The idea of walking the Deschutes River all the way to the Columbia River Gorge has been floated, but it’s so, so far away from the trail that we won’t be exploring its feasibility.

The post Fires in Three Sisters Wilderness, Oregon appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

There are big logs down on the PCT just east of the eastern Paradise Loop junction. Also, the eastern part of the loop up to the meadow has many trees down but is passable. Trail 778 up to the loop has trees down but is easier to navigate than the loop and is the recommended trail up there at the moment, and there are some dangerous leaning snags in the big campsite near the old shelter.

That picture is one of 2 piles on the PCT where you have to actually climb over the logs.  Both piles are very near the eastern Paradise Loop junction.  The uphill and downhill are 45-50 degree slopes, so no, they are definitely not passable with a horse.

A crew is scheduled to start work clearing this Monday August 28th.

The post Big log piles blocking trail on Mt Hood, Paradise Park appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

The North Pelican Fire is burning about 3.5 miles east of the PCT in Sky Lakes Wilderness. The trail is not closed but the closure area for the fire uses the PCT as its western boundary. Access to the trail is limited in the area as many of the side and connector trails are closed.

Just to the north of this fire, you’ll want to consider the Blanket Creek Fire which is also in Sky Lakes Wilderness.

Resources

• North Pelican Fire on Inciweb
• Oregon Smoke Blog
• How to react to wildfires

Maps

The post North Pelican Fire in Sky Lakes Wilderness, Oregon appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

A huge fire is engulfing pretty much the entire Columbia River Gorge. I84 is closed, as is the Bridge Of The Gods. 10,000 acres have burned in the last four days....

The post Eagle Creek fire, Bridge Of The Gods closed appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.