This is a press release courtesy of the Mt. Hood National Forest
Beginning Tuesday, June 23 and continuing through Friday, June 26, Road 4220, the road to Olallie Lake Scenic Area will be closed during the day to allow work crews to clear hazard trees adjacent to the road. On Tuesday, 6/23 through Thursday, 6/25, the road will be closed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The road will be closed only from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, and will be open with no delays on Saturday and Sunday June 27th and 28th. The temporary closure will affect a five mile stretch of Road 4220 from its junction with Road 4690 south to Olallie Lake.
Last week, crews made excellent progress clearing road-side hazard trees in the same vicinity with only intermittent half-hour long delays. ìThe temporary road closure will increase crew productivity while ensuring the safety of both the crew and the public,î said Andrei Rykoff, Clackamas River District Ranger. It is anticipated that all hazard tree felling will be completed by Friday, June 26. However, it is possible that the road may need to be closed again on Monday, June 29th to allow the work to be completed if necessary.
Although the Olallie Lake Scenic Area is remote and is located at the extreme southeastern portion of Mt. Hood National Forest adjacent to the Willamette National Forest, the area is very popular with recreationists during the height of the summer season. Due to the unusually cold spring in the high country, snow drifts still block the 4220 Road just north of Olallie Lake to all but high-clearance four wheel-drive vehicles. Snow has recently receded in the area allowing the road maintenance work to begin. Crews expect to complete the roadside maintenance in time for the peak recreation season for the high country area located approximately 50 miles south of the town of Estacada.