Broken Camera PDX

Almost a sequel to the Highway 8 Fire

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:06:07 +0000

The town of Lyle, Wash., escaped the Highway 8 Fire, a major fire that burned over 2,000 acres and filled the Klickitat River canyon with smoke last week. On Monday, not long after I left the Balfour-Klickitat day-use area near Lyle and headed up State Route 142 to Goldendale, traffic was stopped at milepost 8. Fire crews were extinguishing a roadside fire. The cause of the fire isn’t known.

Balfour-Klickitat

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:31:59 +0000

Fortunately, the Highway 8 Fire didn’t scar the Balfour-Klickitat day area. This is a nice easy paved walking path that takes you through a field of grass, thistles, and a few Osage Orange trees. A stone and mortar remains of an old shelter stands under a tree.

The Balfour-Klickitat day-use area has a couple of picnic tables off the main trail, a hole-in-the-ground restroom at the trailhead and paved parking. It is located about one-half mile from State Route 14 along Old Highway 8 near Lyle, Washington.

Fire closes McKenzie Pass Highway

Bryan Dorr — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:49:31 +0000

McKenzie Pass Highway (Ore. 242) is closed to public travel between milepost 61 and 77 to allow emergency crew safe access for fighting a wildfire.

The Oregon Department of Transportation advises motorists to use an alternate route.

The highway is access to several hiking trails, campgrounds, and the Dee Wright Observatory.

More information and update: www.Tripcheck.com.

Highway 8 Fire at Midnight

Bryan Dorr — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:56:35 +0000

These photos of the Highway 8 Fire near the town of Lyle, Wash., in the Columbia River Gorge were shot on August 29th, shortly after midnight from Rowena Crest, which is on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. The not-so-full moon illuminates the landscape that allows these nighttime images possible. The fire now mostly smolders, but you can see in some images of flames burning in the brush.

The bad news is I’m finding a few technical faults with my camera. For one, a purple vignette appears on the upper corners of the images that I tried correcting with Photoshop. I also notice some bad pixels appearing in some of the images, which are the little red specks in the images.

Sherman County

Bryan Dorr — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:21:53 +0000

The first stop was at an old Pioneer Church located along Ore. 206 at milepost 11, just west of Wasco. Many of these old churches exist throughout the area. You can find another abandoned church in Grass Valley.

At the small town of Kent, located along U.S. 97 south of Grass Valley, I shot some photos of an old gas station, its gas pump, and some kind of stone bunker. I’m not sure what that bunker was used for. I found another shelter further down the road at the edge of a field.

Smoke from the White Lightning Complex fire was visible. Later on, the intensely red sun fell behind Mt. Hood. As I left from the sunset shoot and U-turned to head back onto the main highway, I spotted a coyote carcass and skeleton hanging from a barbed wire fence along a dirt road. About a minute later, the full moon eerily rose above the horizon.

The last stop was in Shaniko where I wrapped up the night photographing the full moon rising above a barn with “SHANIKO” painted on the roof. Then it was a two hour drive back over the Cascades to Milwaukie.

Willamette Forest Fires

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:57:47 +0000

Location: Willamette National Forest, Oregon.

Several wildfires are burning throughout central Oregon, but I came across two. I spotted the first fire from Forest Road 46 at the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forest boundary north of Detroit. The second fire is near Mt. Washington, the Scott Mountain Fire, appears to be much larger. Later that day, I passed through Maupin, noting the fires in that area are going out, but with some smolders remaining.

The Long Shadow

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:20:01 +0000

This is a sure sign that summer is fading and fall is approaching when your shadow becomes longer earlier in the afternoon.

Smoke Ahead

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:11:47 +0000

Location: Sherman County, Ore. (U.S. 97 and U.S. 197 intersection)

I thought Oregon was becoming a smoke-free state? Or at least trying to. Really this sign was warning motorists and bicyclists of wildfire smoke ahead near Maupin and in the Deschutes River canyon.

Subway Hay Shelter

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:01:00 +0000

Location: Prineville, Ore.

I eat at Subway often, but this is the one Subway where “eat fresh” may take on a whole new meaning. I don’t think straw is on anyone’s diet. This must be a special store for the horses.

Grass Valley

Bryan Dorr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:53:39 +0000

Location: Grass Valley, Ore.