WEEK 5: CLACKAMAS RIVER & SALMON RIVER

GIVING TUESDAY – 12/3 – ANY DONATION gets you entered to win a PATAGONIA BLACK HOLE DUFFEL

$60+ donations get entered to win 1 of 2 Patagonia Black Hole Duffels!

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Drawing of the Patagonia Duffels WILL BE DONE LIVE AT TKO’s Give & Get Social event SUNDAY, December 15TH 5-8PM. COME JOIN US AND TAKE HOME ONE OF THESE PRIZES! (NOT A REQUIREMENT TO WIN)

TKO's GIVE & GET SOCIAL - 12/15

Can’t give $? Volunteer at the TKO + Patagonia trail party and be entered to win 1 of the 3 Patagonia prizes described above.

TKO + PATAGONIA TRAIL PARTY 12/3

Ensure access to wild and scenic places.

Mt. Hood National Forest is a unique and special place – in essence, an urban Forest with wilderness experiences for the 2.5 million people of the Portland metro region, Columbia Gorge towns and surrounding communities. TKO has drummed a beat here for well over a decade, drastically expanding our stewardship and advocacy efforts.

A number of initiatives have made for a powerful time for trail stewardship in this region:

  • The National Forest System Trail Stewardship Act of 2016 was passed into law by the US Congress, requiring the Agency to significantly increase the role of partners and volunteers in trail maintenance and enhancements. 
  • The U.S. Forest Service established a 10-Year Trail Stewardship Challenge in 2018. This effort challenges the Forest Service and partners nationwide to focus, innovate, and collaborate to achieve a sustainable system of trails that meet the needs of current and future trail users, improve access to national forests and grasslands, and provide health and economic benefits to communities.
  • U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region establishes a Sustainable Trails Strategy to Modernize the Pacific Northwest’s trail network to provide a world class experience in a way that meets the needs of present and future generations and to sustain or enhance the ecological, social, and economic conditions.

Clackamas River Trail has been an annual site for our leaders to care for trails since 2013. Just under 3 years ago, the National Forest Foundation identified Mt. Hood National Forest as the next site for their Treasured Landscapes campaign and we jumped in with trail parties and trainings through our development of a trails training weekend called TKO Tread School. Not only has that training allowed us to engage new volunteers, the program has shed light on trails like the Salmon River Trail.

SUCCESS:

Zigzag and Clackamas

Ranger District Trails

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Feet of Trails Improved

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Stewardship Events

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Volunteer Participants

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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time

MOUNT HOOD’s Clackamas Ranger District

BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR WILD & SCENIC!

This week we identified two scenic sites of Oregon that are designated as National Wild & Scenic Waterways. The trails that correspond to these places are special to us and the Clackamas River Trail has been a place we have touched tools to trail for over 5 years. Two of our most dedicated crew leaders, Elaine & Patrick Keavney, have adopted this trail and are heading out this week to respond to reports of many trees down from storms last month. Join them!

TKO + PATAGONIA TRAIL PARTY 12/3

Stay tuned for May 15-17, 2020:

TKO Tread School is back

With support from the National Forest Foundation and Oregon’s Mount Hood Territory, we have been pleased to offer an annual training event since 2018, nestled along the Salmon River within the Zigzag Ranger District. TKO Crew Leaders, as well as partner and agency instructors, deliver a comprehensive trails training, providing a foundation of trail design and maintenance skills. We’ve got the fun training all figured out, plus food/refreshments and a beautiful place to stay – grab a bunk, pitch your tent, or rent a room for the weekend and get ready to build some trails!

TKO TREAD SCHOOL

Dry Fir Creek and the Salmon River Trail:

Lost trails, found 

After TKO Tread School in May 2019, we were really starting to get our boots planted in building more volunteer support in the Zigzag Ranger District. In early 2019, a women’s hiking group from Portland reported that a loop trail off the east end of the Salmon River Trail (just south of Trillium Lake) was nearly impassable from the encroaching Rhododendron. We kicked things off with their group in late June 2019 and then have followed up with a half dozen trail parties along this beautiful trail. Get ready for more in the years to come.

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Latest News

Trail Ambassadors are getting ready to launch!

By Loren Payne

Spring is quickly approaching! That means before we know it, Trailkeepers of Oregon will be kicking off another Trail Ambassador season. Through partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Parks, the Mt. Hood – Columbia River Gorge Tourism Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Trail Ambassadors will take to trails beginning April 22nd to engage with trail users across the state. We are always looking to grow our team – if you’ve been looking to give back to the trails you love, we want you on board!

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Family Friendly Events are Back!

An adult holds a fern while a child uses lopper to cut it at the base.

Join TKO on the last Sunday of each month to learn all about trail stewardship!

By Natalie Ferraro

Trailkeepers is excited to once again be offering Family Friendly trail parties for 2023. These events are a chance for kids of all ages to learn some of the basics of trail stewardship, spend quality time with family and friends outdoors, and learn the value of taking care of a place they love. We think our Family Friendly trail parties are some of the best fun you can have on a Sunday, but you don’t have to take our world for it. We asked TKO volunteer Jon and his son Liam to share why they love volunteering with TKO. […]

Safety, Fun, Service – becoming a TKO Crew Leader

A close up of two faces. One person wears a blue jacket and a yellow hat, the other wears a yellow jacket and an orange hat. They both have dirt on their faces and are smiling.

Being a Crew Leader with TKO is rewarding work and comes with a fun and supportive community that can’t wait to welcome you!

by Elaine Keavney and Loren Payne

So you’ve earned your green hat, and are getting “hooked” on trail stewardship.  As you get to know your crew leaders, do you find yourself wondering whether leading a crew would be something you would enjoy? Read on for some information about leading crews, and what you need to do if you would like to become a TKO crew leader!

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