[pdedse]

Posted these photos at RE Twins on ADV.rider site, but thought I'd share them here, too.

Beautiful beginning to a 100 mile ride, Mt. Hood shines some 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon:


I wanted to see if a section of hiway 224 southeat of Estacada had reopened.  This scenic hiway hugs the Clackamas River and has always been one of my favorite local rides. 

But in Sept of 2000, a forest fire devoured 140,000 acres, along a 50 mile stretch of this hiway, and it's taken 3 plus years to reopen the road, at least a large portion of it's open. 

But the verdant slopes are no longer.  Mile after mile of the following...







This is why it took them so long to reopen.  They had to clear countless areas where fallen trees lay on the road, and still standing dead ones near the edges had to be cleared:



Not so pretty campground


But it will grow back...I'll never see it again the way it was, but it will be interesting to see what 10, 20 years does for the area.

[gasket]

Very sad for the forest creatures.
From my old photos folder, just a little north of Wollongong East Coast Australia.
Second photo taken same area only a month later, that's encouraging to see.

[pdedse]

That second shot is cool...gives hope.  I'll be checking out the area I went through today a number of times this summer.  I'd like to see signs of regrowth.

[pdedse]

Vimeo video showing helicopter tour of the area

https://vimeo.com/534244001

[davidmtupper]

Most people don't realize that fires are good for the ecosystem in the long term. Yes, it's ugly and yes some animals die, most escape though, but the fire clears the undergrowth and revitalizes the soil. The grasses start growing almost as soon as the soil cools off and the animals follow soon after. There are some pines that drop cones that won't open until they hit about 135F, higher than ambient ever gets, meaning they were designed/evolved for forest fires. The best way to deal with a forest fire is to try to protect buildings and livestock with the understanding that you will lose some, and just let it burn.

[gizzo]

Wow, 23 years later and it still looks like it just burned! 

As @gasket pointed out via a photo, the Australian bush recovers from fire quickly and well. There are a lot of plants here who's seeds won't even germinate without having gone through a fire.

Here's a pic from a few years ago shortly after our own devastating bushfires in the Adelaide Hills. It's looking much better these days but still not quite back to how it was.

[EJJKC]

I’m pacific NW born and bred… words don’t describe how much I miss it.

[GravyDavy]

Posted these photos at RE Twins on ADV.rider site, but thought I'd share them here, too.

Beautiful beginning to a 100 mile ride, Mt. Hood shines some 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon:


I wanted to see if a section of hiway 224 southeat of Estacada had reopened.  This scenic hiway hugs the Clackamas River and has always been one of my favorite local rides. 

But in Sept of 2000, a forest fire devoured 140,000 acres, along a 50 mile stretch of this hiway, and it's taken 3 plus years to reopen the road, at least a large portion of it's open. 

But the verdant slopes are no longer.  Mile after mile of the following...







This is why it took them so long to reopen.  They had to clear countless areas where fallen trees lay on the road, and still standing dead ones near the edges had to be cleared:



Not so pretty campground


But it will grow back...I'll never see it again the way it was, but it will be interesting to see what 10, 20 years does for the area.

I call photoshop on the first pic. You can see all of Mt. Hood without a single cloud obscuring it.