Spent the weekend in the off-limits area of the Columbia River burn. I was with other members of the Oregon Trails Club doing repairs and maintenance on the Nesika lodge site. Two of the three buildings were lost in the fire, but the main lodge amazingly remained undamaged.

We spent most of the weekend clearing debris and chopping wood. I am amazed at how much work we all got done… and how much work there is still to come.

It’s true that the forest is in rough shape. Nearly all the trees are dead, including the large, older growth. Some have already fallen. The rest will likely fall over the next few years. That said, there were also signs of growth: the oxalis and ferns are already back. There were also a surprising amount of morel mushrooms beginning to pop up… I know exactly where I want to be this time next year!