As TKO has grown, our dreams for bigger and better volunteer experiences have, too. Backcountry service trips (BCSTs) have become a major way for our most adventurous volunteers to experience beautiful Wilderness while giving back to trails! These trips, ranging from 2 to 5 days, are fun and practical, being one of the best ways to complete a significant amount of trail work in remote areas. TKO’s first BCST of 2023 was held on the Vista Ridge Trail, a fan favorite wilderness trail climbing the north side of Mount Hood. A crew of 12 crosscut sawyers spent 2 nights camped in the Wy’East Basin, removing a total of 211 logs from the Vista Ridge and Eden Park Trails (that’s nearly half of the total logs cleared from Mount Hood trails this year!)
Like most Oregonians, all of us at TKO love Mount Hood and are committed to its care. In order to continue hosting stewardship and training opportunities, we need your help! This giving season, you can make a difference for Mount Hood with a gift to TKO.
Our friends at Cnoc Outdoors want you to give back to Oregon’s trails!
Give $30 or more and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a Vecto water bladder, perfect for those long distance Mt Hood trails, like the Timberline and PCT!
There’s more than one way to give! Anyone who donates their time at a TKO trail party this week (12/11 – 12/17) will also be entered to win.
Is $30 a bit too steep for your budget? Tune in to our social media this weekend for a special campaign update!
Cleared 510 downed logs
Hosted 62 trail party days
Served 13 wilderness trails
Hosted 15 Saw School training events
Wildfires dominate the concerns of Pacific Northwest residents each summer. The ignition and spread of these fires stem from various factors, notably record high temperatures, arid forest conditions, and human activities.
The good news is that community efforts can thwart such disasters by promoting responsible recreation. In collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, TKO Wilderness Ambassadors actively engage trail users in the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood National Forest, utilizing techniques like Authority of the Resource and Leave No Trace to convey the importance of fire prevention.
Numerous times throughout this summer, a group of volunteers found, put out, and deconstructed a still-smoldering campfire at Burnt Lake (where fires are always prohibited). Similar instances occurred at Paradise Park, on the Salmon River Trail, and more. Most times, it is a case of early education – many volunteers have had positive conversations with overnight recreators who were unaware of fire restrictions that led to safer decisions.
TKO hopes to double the number of Wilderness Ambassadors on trails next year, but we need your help to get there! Give a gift to TKO today.
Every spring, Trailkeepers of Oregon Trail Ambassadors head out onto some of Oregon’s most well-loved trails to welcome visitors and share important information about the trail, hiking safety, Leave No Trace, local flora and fauna, and more. We’ve added more locations to our repertoire for this season and we need your help to meet the growing demand on our trails!
Happy Holidays Trailkeepers,
The TKO Legacy Builders end-of-year campaign is coming to a close on December 31st. We are so proud that this campaign is fueled by a grassroots donor base that builds a kick start of support for a new year. Our approach continues to be that everyone in their own way is a Trailkeeper – giving time, giving passion, or giving dollars. Each of these contributions amount to more protection and enhancement of Oregon’s hiking trails.
From Latourell Falls to Mosier Plateau, TKO volunteers put in 6,171 hours (257 days!) in the Columbia River Gorge throughout 2023 ensuring your favorite trails remain ready to welcome you on your adventures. Read on for fun insight on the wide variety of trails and projects that you, our community, helped us to pursue!
Trailkeepers of Oregon
P.O. Box 14814
Portland, OR 97293
(971) 206-4351