Oregon - Santiam Canyon after the fires

[keithu]

The late summer wildfires in Oregon devastated the Santiam Canyon and McKenzie River areas. Oregon highways 22 and 126 were closed for a while, but they just re-opened and I wanted to get at least one more mountain ride in before the snow falls.

I started to see some fire damage in Mill City, and by the time I got to Gates it was severe. Detroit is basically gone.

This is what's left of the Korner Post, a motorcycle-themed diner in Detroit. So many homes and businesses are completely destroyed.

Things looked better as I got higher up in the Cascades. I stopped along the Santiam River to eat a picnic lunch in the forest.

I continued south onto OR-126 past Sahalie Falls and back towards the Willamette Valley. Fire damage appeared again near Blue River. Hundreds of homes are gone, thousands of trees were cut during firefighting efforts, and road damage is still visible from falling, burning trees.

It was hard to see all this devastation. I've spent a lot of time in Detroit and Blue River, and it's heartbreaking to see these communities almost completely wiped away.

[keithu]

We live about 30 miles from the fires, and this is what the sky looked like in our yard on September 8. We had ash and even charred leaves raining down on our home and yard.

This was one day's ash accumulation on my wife's car.

[dazzler24]

We over here in Aus feel your pain.  It's heatbreaking to see the destruction and hear the harrowing stories of those who have lost everything including, in some cases, the lives of loved ones.

It will come back.  It's just a matter of time.  It otherwise looks like another beautiful spot in the world.

[kilo3]

Are prescribed burns not a thing out west?  Do they just not happen enough?

[keithu]

19 minutes ago, kilo3 said:

Are prescribed burns not a thing out west?  Do they just not happen enough?

Not nearly often enough. That's the one thing almost everyone seems to agree about, but like all preventive measures nobody is willing to spend that money.

[keithu]

31 minutes ago, dazzler24 said:

We over here in Aus feel your pain. 

Yep, Australia has had more than it's fair share of wildfire destruction, too. In most years there is a great partnership between USA and Aus on firefighting; our firefighters go to Australia when they're needed, and your folks come here to help, too. I don't know if that was possible this year due to the travel restrictions, but I know there were firefighters from all over the US, Mexico, and Canada who came to California, Oregon, and Washington to help.

[dazzler24]

36 minutes ago, keithu said:

Not nearly often enough. That's the one thing almost everyone seems to agree about, but like all preventive measures nobody is willing to spend that money.

Yes, same here and yet the irony is that the consequences of not spending some money up front backburning/maintaining the fire load are that it costs vast amounts of $$ in destruction, loss of income, lives and the environment in the long run anyway!

Two words - Politics and politicians.

[2linby]

Its a nice loop. I should have gone for a ride today. Sorry to see the destruction. We’ll have to talk about your aux tank someday. I’m just down in Eugene. Ill be teaching a PM MC class at LBCC with Team Oregon next weekend. Maybe you could show it off then? 

Edited October 19, 2020 by 2linby

[keithu]

10 hours ago, 2linby said:

Its a nice loop. I should have gone for a ride today. Sorry to see the destruction. We’ll have to talk about your aux tank someday. I’m just down in Eugene. Ill be teaching a PM MC class at LBCC with Team Oregon next weekend. Maybe you could show it off then? 

I can definitely swing by on Sunday, but I'm not sure about Saturday. Does the class run both days?

[3banger]

Wild fires this year are so devastating out west. That melted sign is terrifying.  There are a few that have encroached on some of the paved road access in Western CO.  I managed to check out some burn that devastated some of my favorite off road single track this weekend.

 

[knyte]

That motel sign is something from a horror movie

Hate to see so much destruction, but...life finds a way.  It will all come back in time.

Thanks for the pics...beautiful waterfall

[betoney]

@keithu - that is so sad to see. Such a beautiful region, I have ridden through there many times and stopped at the Detroit marina for short breaks and enjoyed ice cream out on the back deck overlooking the lake. 

[keithu]

26 minutes ago, betoney said:

@keithu - that is so sad to see. Such a beautiful region, I have ridden through there many times and stopped at the Detroit marina for short breaks and enjoyed ice cream out on the back deck overlooking the lake. 

Completely gone, sadly. 

[2linby]

9 hours ago, keithu said:

I can definitely swing by on Sunday, but I'm not sure about Saturday. Does the class run both days?

Yes. It starts at 12:15 pm Ends about 5pm. There is a morning class there until 11:45 am I'll be on site about 11:30 am. Do you know where the training range is?

[Salish900]

I really appreciate the pictures because a while back I worked for Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center, which is an education organization up in that area. I know it well, and Jawbone Flats also burned. That old mining camp held such history, and will be forever missed. That organization will need help rebuilding, if you are in the area. Find them on facebook or online. It was easy to think that wet forest would never burn, but the old trees at Opal Creek held fire scars from the deep past. We just need to let our forests burn more often, but now we live among them.