Collowash Camp - Threat of Decommission!

[hambone]

For those of you who have camped here, you know what a special place it is. Well the Forest Service wants to rip out the road. Please send them a comment if you'd like so we can prevent this from happening. Remember Twin Springs!

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects ... ject=29386

Hello, I’d like to make a comment. I am a trail restoration volunteer for the Clackamas River Ranger District, and spend much of my life there.

On the Map of East Fork Collawash River and Elk Lake Creek

Road 125 along Elk Lake Creek on the Collowash is shown to be decommissioned. I would like to let the agency know that this is a long standing camp.

Our family (and I’m sure many others) have camped in this beautiful spot for many years. It is kept clean by users and is in excellent proximity to the Elk Lake Creek Trailhead in Bull of the Woods. Road 125 itself is about ¼ mile long so not much would be accomplished by the decommission.

There are about 4 established camps along the road, with fire rings and ample flat terrain for tents etc. There are few other places to camp in the area due to heavy impact from 1970s logging, so It would indeed be a tragedy to remove access for respectful users of this part of the district.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Oregon72]

I'm with Hambone - my response and begging plea has been sent and auto-reply received.

[spiffy]

Mine too.

[chitwnvw]

Why would they rip out the road? I've seen plenty of neglected roads, but none "ripped up".

[hambone]

Thanks guys for doing that.

It's a federal gov. thing. Roads off the books are no longer an asset.
They did the same thing in the '60s with old historic structures such as fire lookouts. Burned them down.
There are enuff logging roads in the Cacacades to go off into space, don't have the crazy numbers offhand. Some are very old and historic themselves, built before the clearcut era.
Can you believe logging peaked in the NW in the late 80s? They were really "getting the cut out".
This was once wilderness. Like, in 1960.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=estacada+ ... 4&t=h&z=14

[hambone]

I am going here tomorrow.

Don't forget to write the FS! Please. It's too nice a place to see trenched.

[hambone]

We went, beautiful place still. Surrounded by clearcuts of course. Hard to shake that.
And a freaky drunk couple that tried to turn around in our camp at midnight and nearly smashed my bus, shouting drunk gibberish. What a contrast after days of peace.
Eva was last there at the ripe age of 1. She loved it again. Last time was rocks in the mouth, and trying to run off cliffs. This time was more sane!
Beautiful camp, but somewhat overused. There really isn't much for camp spots at the end of 63, very weird. But lots of logging...
In 1963 the road wasn't there yet. All wilderness. In 1967 it was extended, and the rest is history.
Also found the abandoned OH BOY FOREST CAMP. It's still sitting out there in a patch of old growth.
Nothing is more purifying than "swimming" in 40 deg. water! Emerald green.
And now here I sit wondering who left open the outhouse door? Oh wait it's been blasted off the hinges. Time for some GladeTM to say the least.
P.S. bus ran like a dream. It's happy.

[hambone]

Update: much of Bull of th Woods in this area has burned this summer due to lighting strikes. It was still smoldering this weekend but the fire crews have gone home. From the maps, it looks like about 1/4 of the wilderness has burned.