Originally posted on or around Jul 13, 2009

I came across this publication recently and thought it was pretty interesting. Good insight into the policies for constructing and maintaining trails in the '30s.

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/11691/1/Forest_Trail_Handbook_1935.pdf

I also found that "Oregon's Hidden Wilderness" is available online. This appears to be the original edition and doesn't have the historical narrative on fire lookouts or the topo map insert that the revised edition has. But the price is right.

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/10477/1/hik_gui_ore_hid_wil.pdf

Originally posted by Bill Cattrall on 7/13/09; 5:52:11 PM

Doug,

Thanks for posting these links.  The trail handbook fills in a lot of blanks in my trail knowledge.  I now know when to blast a tree and when not to.  I am interested in the history of our trails and am always looking for books like this.

Bill

Originally posted by Rob Williams on 7/13/09; 9:42:18 PM

Nice find....I already have the Hidden Wilderness book, but it is interesting that the OSU library had a copy.  Just curious, but how did you stumble across these gems?

Thanks for sharing.

Originally posted by Doug Firman on 7/14/09; 7:49:30 AM

Rob,

I was looking on Google for historical information on the Clackamas and turned up the Hidden Wilderness book at OSU. So I went to the library website and that's where I found the trail handbook.

Also found an interesting photo in a 1965 FS report showing heavy equipment in the streambed of the Collawash along Road 63 repairing the damage from the 1964 flood. If you're interested, it's on page 8.

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/4011/1/1965_ocr.pdf

Originally posted by Rob Williams on 7/14/09; 10:10:31 AM

Very interesting.....I also see they sprayed DDT to kill the "Douglas Fir Tussock moth" in Eastern Oregon.

They sure had some VERY heavy equipment repairing road 63!