It is with a heavy heart that we write this post. We just received notice from the Forest Service that the closures north of Detroit due to the fires last year will remain in effect through this summer.
We’ve pored over maps trying to find an alternate route, but the available options involve long paved miles on state highways. That isn’t the Timber Trail and that isn’t the backcountry experience that we know you’re seeking.
The OTT (and Oregon as a whole) saw an unprecedented number of wildfires in 2020. Some were only minimally impactful to the trail, and others were so severe that even USFS staff haven’t been permitted access yet. Here’s a brief rundown of the fires, closures, and what to expect. Mileage is based on the most current (2019) official route.
Mile 15-18: 2020 Crane Fire - OPEN - Minimal tread damage
Mile 78-79: 2020 Ben Young Fire - OPEN - Minimal tread damage
Mile 79-95: 2020 Brattain Fire - CAUTION - Condition unknown, extreme danger of falling trees
Mile 95-108: 2018 Watson Fire - OPEN - Some restoration complete, expect considerable tree fall and hard to follow trail.
Mile 519-592: 2020 Beachie Creek & Lionshead Fires - CLOSED - No access. No reasonable detour. Use NF10 to descend from Tule Lake to Detroit and the Hwy 22 corridor. More info on closures here and here.
Mile 603-621: 2020 White River Fire - CLOSED - No access. No safe detour. More closure info here.
Anaxshat Passage Hood Tier Loop: 2020 Riverside Fire - CLOSED - No access. No safe detour. More info here.
Enjoying a rehabilitated section of the OTT in the Watson Fire area. Photo: Gabriel Tiller
What does this mean for the Grand Depart? Short answer, it’s still on and we’ll be in Lakeview this July. For those who still want to race the first 540 miles of the trail, your time will go down in the record books for this year. Or, if you want a shorter challenge, we’re tracking records for each individual tier. You could pick one to go after or set a time on 3 out of 4.
We know many of you reading this will be disappointed. Believe us, we’re right there with you. Sadly, this may become the new normal as we accept climate crisis as our current reality, not a hypothetical future. Luckily, these lands know how to heal themselves and have already begun to do so. Mushrooms emerge from the charred soil, followed by wildflowers which attract butterflies and other pollinators. Soon insectivores return as fire-adapted shrubs and other succession species grow in, and eventually these will be shaded out by the towering stands of old growth endemic to these lands. Just a few hundred years, or a blink of an eye, depending on your perspective. Patience is a virtue, as they say.
The 2018 Watson Fire, already bursting with wildflowers. Photo: Gabriel Tiller