A detour of duty
By Dave Powell
For the TODAY
Cascade Head has been a source of fun and frustration since I moved to Oregon. In 2016, I started hiking the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT), which meant by spring I hiked up the trail from Three Rocks Road to the fire road. I then proceeded to look for the old trail that had been closed for nearly a decade. No luck. So I tried the reverse. I found the intentionally hidden trailhead on Highway 101 to head up to the fire road and ran into an overgrown trail with so many thistleberry thorns that it tore up my recently purchased rain gear top. Perhaps that is why my favorite tool for Trailkeepers of Oregon work parties is my extendable loppers. I just love to trim — ie: kill — Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, thistleberry, salmonberry and other sharp, thorny plants to restore trails to passable width and height.
In 2019, Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO) had the goal of closing two of the gaps in the OCT, creating sections of trail to replace walking on Highway 101. Those two sections were south of Neahkahnie mountain connecting to Manzanita, and the northern Cascade trail.
Neahkahnie was opened this spring, and the closed northern trail at Cascade Head needs some work, but it should be open shortly.
To reopen the northern trail was a major undertaking. The trail was closed by the Great Coastal Gale in December 2007, a series of storms from Dec. 1 to 4. On Dec. 2, Oregon was hit by hurricane force winds of more than 72 miles per hour, followed by a stronger storm hitting Lincoln City with winds reaching more than 100 miles per hour. The trail was destroyed by downed trees.
To rebuild, the trail rangers from Siuslaw National Forest cut the downed trees. Then TKO marked the trail — 42 flags placed at 300-foot intervals starting at the fire road. In 2019, TKO work crews were often led by Elaine and Pat Keavney. In September of that year, I was at a TKO work party at Cascade Head. Since it was my fifth work party, I earned my TKO helmet. We were close to opening the trail. We just needed to move the old northern trailhead about 150 foot closer to the southern trailhead on the fire road. Only one more work party and it would have been done. And then things happened! Spring storms dropped trees on the trail, plants grew to close trail sections, and COVID prevented and reduced work parties.
So another sustained effort commenced this year. I had hiked up the trail in April, noting trees fallen across the trail, and a section destroyed by the root ball of a downed tree. Forest rangers again worked to rebuild the trail, as did Elaine and Pat.
So this Sept. 18 there are five in the TKO work party. Our job is first safety, second fun, and third work. It has finally rained (yeah — I can now cookout on my charcoal grill), although the drizzle during the day will tighten my back. After acknowledging the land belonged to indigenous Americans, and safety measures we head in from the newly opened trailhead parking lot. Our task is to reach the “first landing,” roughly half a mile of brushing (clearing the trail of overhanging and narrowing shrubs).
For all intents and purposes the northern trail is open, if not quite officially. Final touches are still needed — more trail brushing needs done and trail signs need to be placed.
Final Tally:
The reopened northern trail is 2.4 miles of trail rather than one and three quarter miles on Highway 101 plus one and a quarter miles on Fire Road 1861. After being closed for 14 years, rejoice!
Trailkeepers of Oregon
In 2007, a group of concerned hikers founded Trailkeepers of Oregon. Their work includes trail maintenance projects and advocacy work to restore proper funding to a resource so beneficial and beloved by Oregonians.
They have maintenance and stewardship projects that preserve current trails, with the idea that we’re not willing to lose another trail to neglect. This year I have worked on six trails — three general maintenance and three re-openings.