WEEK 8: ANGELS REST & ROWENA CREST

FIRST 100 DONORS RECEIVE REI SWAG GEAR & YAKIMA DISCOUNT CODE FOR 2020

$100+ DONATIONS ALSO GET ENTERED TO WIN EITHER:

• A REI OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE FOR 2

• A YAKIMA Dr. TRAY HITCH BIKE RACK

DONATE

Drawing of the REI & YAKIMA GEAR WILL BE ANNOUNCED 1/5 AT TKO’S BUILDERS-KEEPERS HIKE & SOCIAL

TKO'S BUILDERS-KEEPERS HIKE & SOCIAL 1/5

Can’t give $? Volunteer at the TKO + trail partIES and be entered to win the REI & YAKIMA GEAR!

TKO + REI / YAKIMA TRAIL PARTY - Killin WetlandsTKO SCOUT SCHOOL: ADVANCED SCOUTING LAB 12/29

OREGON’S TRAILS ARE SPECIAL, LET’S KEEP THEM THAT WAY.

Angels Rest was where we officially put tools-to trail for the first time in 2008 – grabbing our garden tools and trying our best to glean what we could from our more established partners in Washington Trails Association and Pacific Crest Trails Association. When the Eagle Creek fire hit on Labor Day in 2017, it was the annual return to Angels Rest that was the first trail party we had to postpone. Not knowing then it would take more than 6 months for us to be permitted to scout to the top for the first time. March 2018 we began to restore the trail and kept after it – looping up above the viewpoint to Wahkeena – through spring of 2019. A labor of love, we have volunteer leaders hitting the trail regularly to report back on the work to follow up on.

And just as that viewpoint to the west is a dream, Rowena Crest steals breathtaking views to the east. Jump up the trail and lift to a higher view at Tom McCall Point – passing by some of the most highly sought after and accessible wildflower viewing in the Columbia Gorge. We are officially jumping in to help with our partners Oregon State Parks and The Nature Conservancy who share the land these trails climb through. From viewpoint to viewpoint across Oregon, TKO is ready to tackle all of your trail priorities – we just need your support to climb up.

SUCCESS:

ANGELS REST POST-FIRE

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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

Post-fire moonscape:

ANGELS REST HAS ALWAYS SEEN FIRE 

On March 14th, 2018 TKO Executive Director and (soon-to-be) Stewardship Manager met the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Trail Supervisor for a scout to the top and they were amazed at what they saw. The bottom section on State Parks land was a low severity burn, rolling through the understory with a cleaning effect. Jog up to the Forest Service segment about 2 miles from the trailhead and there wasn’t a leaf left. Some of the trees had seemed to be more toasted, but those were later recognized as being snags from the last time Angels Rest burned in the 90s.

An opportunity was awarded us,

ONE ROCK AT A TIME

There is a strange band of clay that runs through the Columbia Gorge and can be found at Angels Rest – a site visited by over a million people each year. With that strange soil type and crazy level of visitors, the backlog of maintenance is disheartening. We knew that if ever there was a time to move big rock and reconstruct trail tread, while the trail was closed was our chance. And we went after it. Now we seek to advocate for enhancements to this out and back trail. Help support us to build new trail at Angels Rest! 

DONATE

Sticking to what we do, 

LAND & TRAIL STEWARDSHIP – PARTNERSHIP

We’ve found a place helping our land conservation partners with their trail management woes. Whether it be The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, North Coast Land Conservancy or Lower Nehalem Community Trust – we can help one another in protecting our public access lands through partnering and doing what we all do best.

TKO SCOUT SCHOOL: ADVANCED SCOUTING LAB 12/29

An array of the Painted Hills:

TNC’s Juniper Hills Nature Preserve

And just as our partnerships have brought us to Smith Rock and Cascade Head, The Nature Conservancy has asked to have our expertise in trail design and initiating development at this property near Post, OR – a remarkable array of central Oregon landscapes, featuring John Day and Clarno “painted hills” formations. TKO will be heading up volunteer vacations in June 2020 at Juniper Hills. Whether it be ocean views on the Headlands or desert vistas on 10,000 acres between the Ochocos and Maury mountain ranges, TKO is getting after trails in Oregon.

Latest News

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

ACTION ALERT: Forest Service cuts to seasonal staffing will hurt trails and recreational access

This post comes with big thanks to our friends at Washington Trails Association who invited us to borrow heavily from their similar action alert! We invite you to scan the similarities and differences between Oregon and Washington in WTA’s article with a carbon copy for Oregon that we created below. 

If you hike in Oregon, odds are excellent that you’ve enjoyed trails on U.S. Forest Service land. About 39% of Oregon (yes, that’s over 14 million acres of the state) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. National forests contain some of the most iconic landscapes, popular campgrounds and beloved hiking trails in the state. Encircle Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail, hike along a National Scenic Trail like the Deschutes River trail, visit the Oregon Dunes along the coast, or backpack in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and you are enjoying some of the over 15,000 miles of national forest trails in Oregon.

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

Millions of visitors spread out in Oregon’s 14 million acres of Forest Service lands and 15,000 miles of trails. Photo by TKO volunteer leader Neil Cadsawan

A funding crisis is putting Forest Service trails, campgrounds and other types of outdoor recreation at risk. The U.S. Forest Service is currently making major cuts to its workforce that will reduce its ability to maintain trails, clean trailhead restrooms, collect trash and provide essential services. 

BUDGET CRISIS WILL CUT JOBS AND REDUCE SERVICES

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@ by Steve Kruger

Wildfire Resilience, Shellburg Falls Reopens in the Santiam State Forest

Among the many communities, natural landscapes, and hiking trails that were set ablaze in the historic 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, the Beachie Creek fire swept across Shellburg Falls Recreation Area in the Santiam State Forest southeast of Salem. Once the smoke cleared, TKO was called upon to help! […]

@ by Steve Kruger
A large group of TKO Trail Ambassadors stand in front of a waterfall. The image is overlaid by the TKO logo.

2024 Trail Ambassadors Foster a Welcoming and Accessible Outdoors

Trails have amazing potential to bring people of all backgrounds and abilities into the outdoors, yet gaps in information prevent many from doing so. That’s where TKO Trail Ambassadors come in! These volunteers help to create a welcoming environment on Oregon’s trails by offering a friendly presence to answer questions, providing maps and other information, and recommending local businesses and attractions. Looking back on the 2024 season, it’s easy to see the positive impact their passion and dedication had on Oregon’s trails and trail users.

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@ by Steve Kruger
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