WEEK 4: EASTERN GORGE AND LAND CONSERVANCIES

Our friends at Cnoc Outdoors have pledged to match the first $2500 that we raise this week, dollar-for-dollar. Help us reach our goal while your donation goes twice as far!

Folks who donate $50 or more will be entered to win a set of top-of-the-line trekking poles from Cnoc.

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Can’t give $? Participate in any TKO volunteer event this week, and you’ll be entered to win too!

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New views with old friends

Through out TKO’s history, we’ve found that one of the most symbiotic relationships we can develop is through helping land conservation partners with their trails management. Whether it be The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, North Coast Land Conservancy or Lower Nehalem Community Trust – we can help one another in protecting our public access lands through partnering and doing what we each do best.

Mt Ulka sits above the Discovery Center, provides terrific views down the Columbia River towards Rowena Plateau, and is otherwise closed to the public. TKO is supporting the Friends’ efforts to protect land and advance trail connections between Mosier and The Dalles for Friends’ Gorge Towns to Trails initiative. In the spring of 2021, TKO first visited the site with Friends’ staff to think through how to build a trail from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to the top of Mt. Ulka. Over the course of this year, we’ve assisted the Friends in developing a viable route, proposing a grading plan and we now await our approvals to break ground in 2022!

And here lies a recipe for success: TKO can be a useful trail design, development and maintenance partner for land conservancies. They focus on what they do best, relying on our collective interest in protecting and enhancing the Oregon hiking experience.

BY THE NUMBERS:

COLUMBIA GORGE TRAILS

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Feet of Trails Improved

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Stewardship Events

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Volunteer Participants

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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time

BETTER TOGETHER

Places like Mosier and Rowena are only available to the public thanks to the tireless work of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and The Nature Conservancy. Their role as land trusts ensures that these precious habitats will remain protected for every generation in the future. TKO’s role as trail steward ensures that the trails you use to hike these wonderful areas are sustainable, low impact and consistently maintained. You can support these partnerships and continued access to protected lands by donating today!

Join the Legacy

EAST COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Mosier Plateau and Rowen Crest are two of the gems of the eastern Gorge. Right on the edge of the Cascade’s rain-shadow, these classic scrub oak hikes host spectacular wildflowers in the spring and offer a chance at sunshine when all else is covered in clouds during the winter. With breathtaking views along every part of the trail, these special places see heavier traffic every year. We are committed to ensuring that the trails every visitor leaves their boot prints on are maintained and sustained in a way that can support their use. This will ensure that even as these treasures are discovered, the habitat around them remains protected.

Join the Legacy

Latest News

A large group of TKO Trail Ambassadors stand in front of a waterfall. The image is overlaid by the TKO logo.

Trail Ambassadors are gearing up for a big year on Oregon’s trails

Every spring, Trailkeepers of Oregon Trail Ambassadors head out onto some of Oregon’s most well-loved trails to welcome visitors and share important information about the trail, hiking safety, Leave No Trace, local flora and fauna, and more. We’ve added more locations to our repertoire for this season and we need your help to meet the growing demand on our trails!

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A Message from TKO’s Executive Director

Happy Holidays Trailkeepers,

The TKO Legacy Builders end-of-year campaign is coming to a close on December 31st. We are so proud that this campaign is fueled by a grassroots donor base that builds a kick start of support for a new year. Our approach continues to be that everyone in their own way is a Trailkeeper – giving time, giving passion, or giving dollars. Each of these contributions amount to more protection and enhancement of Oregon’s hiking trails.

[…]

Improving the Columbia River Gorge Trail Experience

From Latourell Falls to Mosier Plateau, TKO volunteers put in 6,171 hours (257 days!) in the Columbia River Gorge throughout 2023 ensuring your favorite trails remain ready to welcome you on your adventures. Read on for fun insight on the wide variety of trails and projects that you, our community, helped us to pursue!

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