Closing 50 thousand acres of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the Eagle Creek fire shutdown access to 120+ miles of the most highly sought after natural wonders of Oregon. Scenic area staff with the USDA Forest Service are an amazing bunch of folks – fighting the fire to protect communities of the Gorge and historic sites like Multnomah Falls Lodge, then turning immediately to their partners to usher in a response to recover nearly 90+ miles of trails over the last two years. TKO jumped into the trails recovery effort, defining a critical moment in our history where we will look back and realize this changed everything for our organization.
Multnomah Falls and the trails that loop from Horsetail to Wahkeena continue to be a focus for TKO and the Forest Service trail crews. Reinforcing rock walls, building retaining structures and responding quickly to new damages. Rocks and trees will continue to tumble and we will be there to respond. Oneonta is where we turn to next. The Oneonta Gorge may be a distant venture to tackle, but upper Oneonta and the connection to Triple Falls from Horsetail is an opportunity we see coming in 2020 and beyond.
Averaging over twice per week since the beginning of 2018, TKO has had volunteers recovering trails in the Gorge. The freeze and thaw of each winter brings new rocks and burned trees to shift and fall.We will need to be tending to trails within the Multnomah Falls system for many decades to come. Join us, support us today.
In July of 2019, a FS trail crew with a TKO intern hiked to Triple Falls via Horsetail. It was gnarly and damages were significant. There is a bridge that needs to be replaced, meanwhile a substantial rock slide requires a reroute. The bridge replacement and reroute are all under review by the FS. TKO will be starting in from the top near Franklin Ridge, hoping to host multi-day events because of the 6+ miles to hike into the work site.
Urban trails are a cornerstone to nature access for urban and suburban residents, offering countless physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. TKO has been busy throughout the Portland Metro Area and beyond in 2023 ensuring that these trails can continue to safely connect communities with the outdoors!
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!
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.
Trailkeepers of Oregon
P.O. Box 14814
Portland, OR 97293
(971) 206-4351