The Oregonian: Fire Hikes on Mt. Hood

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/fire-scarred_mount_hood_woodla.html

Special to the Oregonian by Paul Gerald


The Dollar Lake fire never got to Dollar Lake.

That's typical of the surprises that greet hikers on the northern side of Mount Hood, which was the scene of a 2011 blaze named for a small lake just above the Timberline Trail.

The fire, started by lightning on Aug. 26, 2011, burned more than 6,300 acres before fall rains put it out. But it left large areas within the burn area untouched. This might surprise folks who think "fire on the north side of Hood" means "the whole north side of Mount Hood is being destroyed."

Patchwork burning is the way of a woodland fire, says Mike Cloughesy, director of forestry for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute.

"The fire burns hotter in areas where there's a lot of fuel, like dead trees or downed wood," he says. "That's typical in a Douglas fir forest. But in areas where there's more alder and cedar, the fire tends to ... burn slowly."

Another factor can be which side of the ridge the fire is on; southern slopes get more sun and are drier, thus burn hotter. Wind direction plays a role as well.

To the hiker, this means a fascinating patchwork of green, gray, brown and black. At times the feel is of an eastern forest after the leaves have gone in late fall. And let's share the good news right now: Such prime hiking destinations as Eden Park, Cairn Basin, Wy'East Basin, Elk Cove and, yes, Dollar Lake, were all spared -- in some cases, just barely. At Cairn Basin, for example, the campsites are green but not all of the view is.

The most dramatic way to experience this effect is to hike the Vista Ridge Trail, accessible from Lolo Pass Road, and loop through Eden Park and Cairn Basin. The first quarter-mile is unchanged, then you arrive at the intact Mount Hood Wilderness information sign; but everything immediately behind the sign is a blackened wasteland.

From there, you'll pass in and out of areas still green and others so charred it's hard to imagine life returning. And even a full winter after the fire, there's a slight odor that reminds one of a barbecue just blown out.

But Cloughesy reminds us that fire plays a role in the life cycle of these woods.

"Typically in the western Cascades, it's a stand-replacement role, where many or most trees are killed, then new trees start back up," he says. But in these Douglas fir forests, the cycle is only every 300 to 400 years. So when you have a fire, it's a doozy."

One interesting aspect of the burn is that trails that were viewless "green tunnels" now offer glimpses of Mount Hood and the surrounding country, as well as clear views of the local topography and weird scenes like whole stands of dead trees with their blackened bark peeling off in spectacular fashion.

"If the tree is totally dead, there's nothing to hold the bark on, so it dries out and goes pretty quickly," Cloughesy says. "The limbs go quickly, too, and then it blows over. That could take five to 20 years, depending on the weather and the size of the tree."

Already, new green shoots are showing up, including summer wildflowers that seemed to return right on schedule. Cloughesy says that what grows back depends on how hot the fire was and what seeds are available to start anew. In fact, some species of wildlife prosper after a fire.

"The snags are great habitat for woodpeckers," he says. "And at Mount Saint Helens, we have one of the best herds of elk and blacktail deer living right in the blast zone. Often brush is the first thing to grow after a fire, and these species love the brushy vegetation."

So while "fire burns popular hiking area" sounds like a sad story, in fact hiking these trails is a rare chance to catch a forest mid-cycle.

"The catch-22 is that fire, while it is part of the cycle, is very destructive, but all this good stuff happens because of it," Cloughesy says. "It can save a meadow, for example, by taking out the encroaching trees."

And now we get a chance to go watch the process unfold ourselves.

Feel the burn: Five trails in the Dollar Lake fire area

Mazama Trail #625: From Mazama Trailhead on Forest Service Road 1811, Mazama (formerly Cathedral Ridge) Trail climbs 2,100 feet in 3.1 miles, passing several meadows and areas with views of Mount Hood, to a junction with Timberline Trail. Turn left for 0.3 mile to the McNeil Point Trail and 0.5 mile to Cairn Basin.

Vista Ridge Trail #626: This is the easiest access to the burn and meadows, climbing just 1,100 feet in 2.5 miles from a trailhead on FS 1650 to the Timberline Trail. From there, turn right for Eden Park (0.8 mile) and Cairn Basin (1.5 miles) or left for Wy'East Basin (0.1 mile) and Elk Cove (1.5 miles). Or connect them all in a terrific loop.

Pinnacle Ridge Trail #630: Starting from FS 2840 near Laurance Lake, this tough trail gains 2,100 feet in three miles through the heart of the burn. It passes through soggy Pinnacle Meadows and underneath The Pinnacle itself, which didn't burn. The trail intersects Timberline Trail between Wy'East Basin and the Dollar Lake Trail.

Elk Cove Trail #631: This is the longer, quieter access to Elk Cove -- but with an easier drive. Start just a mile from the Pinnacle Ridge Trailhead and gain 1,900 feet in five miles to great campsites in Elk Cove. The main highlights on the way up are an amazing view of Hood from Coe Overlook, 3.1 miles up, and a crossing of scenic Cove Creek at 4.2 mile.

Timberline Trail #600: Roughly three miles of this round-the-mountain trail, from Mile 18.5 to Mile 21.5, pass in and out of burned areas. For the best tour, start at Top Spur Trailhead and hike up past McNeil Point Trail (4.3 miles), Cairn Basin (4.5),
Wy'East Basin (5.6), Dollar Lake Trail (6.1) and Elk Cove (7.0). Much of that time is at the tree line, wandering in and out of flower-filled meadows.

For details and trip reports, see portlandhikers.org.