DOD and GOATS reclaim a section of Alpine Trail burned by the Buckhead Fire

 

Like family and friends visiting a fallen pal in the hospital, the weekend of Oct. 20 & 21 witnessed nearly 30 people hiking up from below the Buckhead fire line to begin rehabilitation of the beloved Alpine Trail, aka Oakridge’s “Crown Jewel.”

Crisp temps and blue skies greeted attendees of Saturday’s trailwork kickoff at Oregon Adventures Red Barn. 16 people joined forces to venture to the closest access point to the burn section. We loaded up gear and hiked over a mile to the top of the burn. We assessed the fire’s damage while quenching our curiosities of how the trail fared through the flames. Props to the fire crews for so diligently controlling this fire given the steep terrain. The trail was chewed up by equipment to make a fire break which afforded the work party a logical spot to start reconstruction.

Read more here (more photos too).
Update 10/30/12: Alpine Trail is now open to all users. However, the USFS is advising that people stay off the trail after heavy rain to allow the new tread to settle in.