WEEK 7

Columbia River Gorge

TKO BY THE NUMBERS:

Columbia River Gorge trails in 2022

0

Volunteer Participants

0

Hours of Service

0

Feet of Trail Improved

0

In-Kind Value

Week 7 Goal: $12,000

32%
 

Enhancing trail systems through advocacy and stewardship

IN 2022, TRAILKEEPERS OF OREGON…

  • Helped to re-open the Nesmith trail.
  • Helped to re-open the Wyeth trail.
  • Helped to repair the Gorge 400 trail in time for the iconic Gorge Waterfalls 50k.
  • Began work to clear and repair a massive landslide at Elowah Falls.
  • Built 7 gabions across the region to stabilize trail tread.

609 Volunteers

gave their time to help re-open Gorge trails in 2022.

Fire recovery has been a hot topic in Oregon over the last few years,

and TKO’s service efforts have reflected that. In the Columbia River Gorge, TKO contributed to removing hundreds of downed trees and clearing countless debris slides that led to the reopening of Nesmith Point and Wyeth Trail in October 2022 for the first time since the Eagle Creek fire in 2017! These reopenings, along with specific efforts made with our friends at Daybreak Racing to improve the Gorge 400 trail along the Gorge Waterfalls 50k race route, allowed the race to resume in 2022 after four years of cancellation due to fire damage. 

Similar improvements are being made at Elowah Falls. Through our partnership with the US Forest Service, a massive debris slide was cleared and vegetation cut back to open the route to trail users. The bridge at the McCord Creek crossing is yet to be repaired, though the trail is passable for those willing to get their feet wet. You can help us get to work on the remaining projects by donating to our campaign today!

Our friends at Fjallraven and Gorges Beer Co. are sweetening the deal for those who give a gift to Oregon’s trails this week!

Give $30 and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of 10 Fjallraven backpacks!

EVERY DONATION THIS WEEK GETS A FREE BEER AT GORGES BEER CO., all you have to do is show your donation receipt to your server!

There’s more than one way to give!

Anyone who donates their time at a TKO trail party this week (12/12 – 12/18) will also be entered to win the raffle.

Volunteer

New trails in the Gorge

TKO staff and State Parks have started to plan for a new view-packed trail on Viento Bluff.

Car-free Events

TKO is striving to create stewardship experiences that are accessible to people of all backgrounds and experiences. One way we are working to reduce barriers is hosting car-free events and connecting volunteers to alternative transportation options. 

This June, TKO held an overnight service trip on Angel’s Rest that began when a shuttle picked up the crew at the Gateway Transit Center, which is accessible by public transportation throughout Portland. The crew camped at a stream crossing on Angel’s Rest and successfully brushed the entire area over two days! At the conclusion of the trip, the crew was picked up at the trailhead and shuttled back to the Gateway Transit Center. 

It is our goal to host more of these events in the future and involve more people in caring for Oregon’s trails, but we need your help to have the resources to do so!

Give a gift to TKO today. 

DONATE

Latest News

A Vision for Oregon’s River Valleys

Throughout 2023 TKO has been lucky to participate in some outstanding trail projects in the Willamette and Umpqua River Valleys. These projects, critical to maintaining and reopening trails,  allowed volunteers to grow their trail construction skills in some of Oregon’s most beautiful natural areas!

[…]

Two volunteers in chainsaw PPE pose on trail in the gap of a freshly cut downed tree.

Trailkeepers Train the Next Generation of Sawyers

Have you caught the “saw bug” yet? Join TKO on a logout and you just might! This draw to saw work, the itch to feel the saw interact with wood as you cut, captivates many a trail crew member after just one day pulling saw. Saw work is a critical aspect of trail stewardship, and it’s this feeling that TKO has worked to inspire in emerging sawyers across Oregon. 

[…]

A group of volunteers work along a trail winding through colorful cliffs, overlaid by the text "Legacy Builders Week 3: Nov 20th-26th, Support Central & Eastern Oregon Trails!"

Stunning Stewardship at Smith Rock

Smith Rock State Park is an outdoor recreation haven for hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, and beyond. Due to high visitation and the unique, fragile nature of the ecosystem, it is critical that the 12 trails throughout the park are well maintained. We at TKO feel very lucky to have served this special place throughout 2023, and we’re gearing up for another year!

[…]

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