Elowah/Upper McCord Creek, January 20th, 2021

Crew Leader: Tom L.

Hike Distance: Up to 4 miles total

Elevation Gain: 1000′

Hike Difficulty: Moderate

Work Difficulty: Moderate

In the days of C-19 we ask for a little more experience leading into your first volunteer event. Since we’ve added mitigations of risk around physical distancing, our volunteer leaders are not as able to hover about and answer hands-on questions throughout the trail party. And if an emergency does develop, we need our participants to be even more aware of our safety procedures. Don’t worry, trailkeeping is for everybody and we made it easy to get going.

Click here to learn what you need to know before registering for this event.

Project Overview:

We will clear the Upper McCord Creek Trail of debris from the recent storms, in preparation for Friday’s trailparty to repair the railings at the cliff section. This will probably involve moving lots of rocks and branches, sawing a few logs, and clearing some slides, but the trail has not been scouted recently so I’m not sure what we will find. If we have time we will also work to clear the trail to the base of Elowah Falls.

Hiking information:

We will start from Yeon Trailhead and work up to the end of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail. If we can include the Elowah Falls Trail the total distance will be about 4 miles.

What to expect:

Prior to this event, you will be asked to watch a short orientation about our COVID-19 safety procedures. You must also sign the TKO e-waiver and complete a personal health screening before attending this event. Details and links will be provided after you register.

You should expect to participate in this work party for its entirety. For safety reasons, please do not arrive late or expect to be able to leave early.

You should expect to work on a trail that switchbacks up a steep slope. There is likely to be some rockfall and blowdown on the trail. You will work with experienced crew leaders. No experience is necessary.

What to bring:

• Lunch
• Plenty of water
• Snacks
• Personal hygiene kit – must include a face mask/covering, hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes and work gloves (loaner gloves available if you do not have your own)

What to wear:

• Boots (Please wear something sturdy that will protect your toes from sharp tools. No tennis shoes allowed!)
• Work gloves (loaner gloves available)
• Long sleeved shirts and pants.
• Rain gear as appropriate for the weather
• TKO will supply hard hats and safety glasses

Directions: John Yeon Trailhead is located about 4 miles east of I-84 Exit 35 on NE Frontage Rd. Directions will be sent to attendees in an Eventbrite email 48 hours prior to the event.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes. From 1853 – 1871 in every corner of what we now call Oregon, these people were forced to cede their land, their home, to the US government . We are privileged to be here today & express gratitude to the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards of the land.

PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical & emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable/unsafe – interrupt directly, tell a crew leader &/or complete a post-event survey.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature & one another. Not everyone feels safe & welcome in the outdoors due to racism, bias & hate. We commit to being part of the solution to change that. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target individuals or groups will not be tolerated by TKO, regardless of whether they are based on age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, geographic origin, language, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.