Post Canyon

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Post Canyon update: 5/15/2012

Hello riders.

It’s time for a Post Canyon update. We’re a few months out now from the collective realization that we had a huge mess to clean up from the winter ice storm. The trails are looking better, but we definitely have a mix of good news and bad news.

First, here’s the list of open trails as of May 15th: Seven Streams (minus Toilet Bowl), The Boot, Lower 8-Track, Middle 8-Track (but not the connector double-track between the two), Spaghetti Factory, Charlie’s uphill/downhill (one tree down), 140 above the switchbacks, minus the section between FMX and Riorden Hill Road, 140 from Blue Car to Mitchell Ridge (not open), 133 (Borderline), 130, 170 (Dirt Surfer and Sexy Beast), some of the jumps from FMX on up. If it’s not listed, consider it covered in storm debris and downed trees.

Now, here’s the salvage logging news. There are two types of salvage going on. There’s salvage logging, where only the damaged trees are taken out, and there’s the timber sale, where all the trees are going away, also known as the clearcut.

Slated for salvage: GP, 140, all of 8-Track, Twin Peaks. Hopefully this will be done by November.

Slated for timber sale: Seven Streams, Mobius. Hopefully this will be cut this summer sometime.

Yes, I feel your pain. Let’s talk about why this needs to happen.

Concern 1) Bark beetles. Bark beetles are killing forests all over the USA. They’re pests. They’re evil. They love dead trees. Downed trees are perfect hosts for bark beetles, and they’re already burrowing into the trees along Seven Streams (look for little sawdust piles on the downed logs). If the bark beetles make a happy home in the dead and damaged timber, Hood River County (HRC) will no longer have a forest; they’ll have a bark beetle haven. You don’t like paying taxes? Wait until the county has no timber money coming in!

Concern 2) The health of the forest. Let’s step back for a moment and remember that our trails run on HRC forest land. Think of this land as a farm, working on a really long time scale. The trees are there to be cut. Want to ride virgin forest? Go ride in a Wilderness Area (oh wait, you can’t, can you?) Okay, go ride in a National Recreation Area. But I digress. Forests are healthier when all the trees are about the same age. When a section of forest has damage to about 30 percent of the trees, it just makes more sense to cut it and start over, because replanting isn’t going to work.

No, this isn’t about money. The County is losing a ton of money on these timber sales. Well, “losing” isn’t quite right, but they’re making a small percentage of what they’d make if the trees had made it to maturity. This will hit us hard in the long run, and it’s a bummer for all involved: County coffers, mountain bikers, dirt bikers, even the bark beetles, because they’ll have to find another place to live.

That’s your Post Canyon update. Want more information? Hood River County has a trails meeting once a month. Show up and get educated.

Post Canyon update: 2/29/2012

On 2/28/2012, I attended the Hood River County trail meeting to get an update on Post Canyon. The news isn’t great, I’m sorry to say. First, salvage logging has begun in the Riorden Hill and Family Man areas. That’s fine, but there will be more salvage in the GP/8-Track area, and those will be cable salvage. That means the forestry folks will hook a cable to the logs and drag them up the hillside to a landing area. I’ll let you imagine what that will do to those trails. Salvage operations won’t be done until the road dries out enough for trucks to drive on it without destroying it.

Additional salvage sales will be in the Post Canyon, Binns Hill, Partlow Road, Kingsley, Eastside, and Middle Mountain areas. Those sales will take place around March 15th, and salvage operations probably won’t begin until November.

In addition, very sadly, the most extensive damage to the forest is in the 7 Streams and Mobius area. Because of the extensive damage, these areas are most likely targeted for a large timber sale, meaning a clearcut. I know this is bad news to all trail users, and even worse news for all the people who have put time and energy into building trails. The sale will happen some time this summer, and the logging probably won’t happen until next year.

This leaves us a bit short on trails. HRC is looking into a short-term solution of possibly bucking some trees off 7 Streams so we can ride, but it’s important you understand the implications of this. Also, understand that this isn’t settled yet, and may not happen. Clearing trails will cost the county somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000. That they are thinking of helping us in this way is incredibly generous, so if you decide to contact the county forestry department, please acknowledge this and thank them. Please don’t cut any trees. Please. That will only hurt our chances of the county working with us.

All that said, I’d like to share some of the background to these decisions. First, Hood River County brings in money through timber sales, and our trail system runs through their profitable timber. We are lucky to have the trails. Second, damaged trees are bad. They become cozy homes for bark beetles, and that endangers the living, healthy trees. Third, lands that have more than 30% damage really need to be cut and replanted. Cutting trees before they are mature isn’t the most profitable solution for the County, but in some cases, it’s the only solution. That’s the logic behind the potential clearcuts.

Finally, again, please, please, please do not cut trees that are on trails. Each tree is worth $200-$500 to the County, and when you cut the trees, you are removing money from county coffers. The county supports us. Support them.

And show up for work parties!

Thank you.

—–Previous Post—–

During January 2012, a once-in-a-decade ice storm hit the Hood River Valley, coating everything in up to an inch of ice, tearing branches from trees, and knocking whole trees to the ground. Needless to say, this storm did a lot of damage to the Post Canyon trail system. At a meeting on February 8th, the Hood River County Forestry department summarized a plan for salvage logging in and around the Post Canyon / Riorden Hill area.

First off, I want to make it clear that they’ll be doing salvage logging, not clear-cutting. Downed trees and those with tops completely broken off (no green left on the tree, trees that will certainly die) will be removed. Total damage is estimated at 10-15% of the forest (although I did a walk-through, and that’s probably a high estimate), and damage is worst below 2000’. Above this elevation, moisture fell as rain or snow, not ice.

Second, understand that the county has taken the interests of Post Canyon users into account. The first salvage sales will be in the Riorden Hill (GP, 8-Track, Family Man) area, with the intent of clearing up the trail system quickly. If you have time to thank your county reps or forest manager, do so!

Third, remember that the lower sections of trail along Post Canyon road belong to private landowners. Discussions are in progress with them regarding reopening the trails, but in the meantime, please don’t cut anything or work on those trails.

You’re probably wondering about the status of the trails. They’re a mess, quite frankly, but they’re not destroyed. If you want to see photos of lower Post Canyon, click here, and feel free to share the link. Yes, it’s bad, but a few work parties, a few chainsaws, and a lot of people tossing fallen branches will clear the trails in no time. Some areas will probably require rerouting around fallen tress that are out of reach of salvage operations, but it could be worse. On the bright side, lots of wood split by the ice will be available for building bridges and features.

Everyone is excited to get working on the trails. What can you do first? Well, you can start by “liking” the Hood River Area Trail Stewards on Facebook. And then you can join our chapter of IMBA when the page is set up. If you want to do something now, grab your snowshoes (you’ll need them) and start tossing brush off the trails. Don’t cut any logs without checking with trail adopters. Also, if you’re a chainsaw user, please don’t cut anything over 5”, as we want Hood River County to be able to salvage as much as possible. The county needs the money, and we need their support. Help them out on this one.

What’s our time frame? Expect salvage operations to start by March 1st, hopefully when there’s still snow on the ground to minimize soil damage. Expect salvage ops to last a month or so. Then expect lots of work parties, both midweek or on weekends. If you want to help, you can check the County trails page for upcoming work parties, or check the recreation forecast page on this website.

Thanks for all your help!