Thanks for the photos, Pete.  I agree it is mostly good news. More green than I was expecting to see.  I'm looking forward to getting out and seeing it for myself.

ODOT has some aerial photos of the burn area in the following PDF. http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Documents/12-17-14%20Final%20Draft%20OR224%20Board%20Layout.pdf

Paul Turner said ODOT has some aerial photos of the burn area in the following PDF. http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Documents/12-17-14%20Final%20Draft%20OR224%20Board%20Layout.pdf

Paul: Thanks for posting this.  One troubling thing in the document - it says work isn't scheduled to begin until Fall 2015.  I certainly hope that doesn't mean 224 will be closed until NEXT winter!!!!

Just a bit of an update - from tripcheck.com:

Piloted escorts on OR 224 end at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. Road opens to local traffic only between Promontory Park and the Carter Bridge. After nearly four months of full closures and piloted escorts due to fire and rockfalls along Oregon Highway 224, local travelers can now travel the highway at any time of day or night without an escort starting at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23. Hazards still exist on OR 224 along a nearly seven mile stretch between Promontory Park and the Carter Bridge due to the effects from the 36 Pit Fire. Local travelers should be alert to rocks and trees falling from the slopes and rocks in the roadway. Due to these hazards, the road will remain closed to all except local travelers. ODOT crews placed signs warning travelers about the hazards and have lowered the speed limit in areas where rockfall hazards exist. Due to the increased risk for rockfalls, ODOT can close the road if an immediate threat of rockfall is observed. A significant rockfall can also close OR 224. Travelers should carry an emergency kit in their vehicles and be prepared for emergency road closures due to rockfalls, slides, debris flows or downed trees. ODOT will evaluate opening OR 224 to all travel in the spring of 2015. Engineering geologists and engineers are in the early stages of designing a project to stabilize slopes in the area. Construction could begin in the fall of 2015.

One troubling thing in the document - it says work isn't scheduled to begin until Fall 2015.  I certainly hope that doesn't mean 224 will be closed until NEXT winter!!!!

At this page ODOT/HWY OR 224 Hazards Closure ODOT states that they will look at a full opening in the spring, "When weather conditions have a lesser affect on the slope".Since soil and rock movement is greatly facilitated by rain and frost, mostly it happens only in the wet season, though like most rules there will be exceptions. Hopefully rockfall will stop once the heavy rains end so ODOT will open things up.Once while driving in the summer up to the caves near Mt. St. Helens, I passed two cars in the downhill lanes that had been disabled by rockfall - wasn't much that came down but enough to put front wheels in quite unnatural positions almost 90 degrees off straight ahead. There should some attempt at a detour - even if we had to go over Mount Hood to do it. Snowplowing would do it.

So I took a drive up the river today and in fact, 224 is open again! Actually there are no signs other than some hazard signs. Hwy. is in good shape. Fire damage is worst around MP37 around Toilet Bowl rapid. Memaloose area was hit pretty hard as well and it looks like SF Clackamas probably burned pretty hot. Most of the damage is uphill of the river and highway so it is hard to get a clear, accurate assessment whithout hiking those area. Burned areas are still spotty along the river with some intense burn patches and some completely untouched areas. The hwy. really doesn't look significantly more at risk than it was before the fire. It's just that you can see the cliffs more now that the moss and shrubs have burned off. I added more photos to the earlier album. Have fun out there. Looks to be some snow in the high country finally.

Thanks for the update, Pete.  I looked on tripcheck.com, and their wording is very interesting:

Piloted escorts on OR 224 end at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. Road opens to local traffic only between Promontory Park and the Carter Bridge. After nearly four months of full closures and piloted escorts due to fire and rockfalls along Oregon Highway 224, local travelers can now travel the highway at any time of day or night without an escort starting at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23. Hazards still exist on OR 224 along a nearly seven mile stretch between Promontory Park and the Carter Bridge due to the effects from the 36 Pit Fire. Local travelers should be alert to rocks and trees falling from the slopes and rocks in the roadway. Due to these hazards, the road will remain closed to all except local travelers. ODOT crews placed signs warning travelers about the hazards and have lowered the speed limit in areas where rockfall hazards exist. Due to the increased risk for rockfalls, ODOT can close the road if an immediate threat of rockfall is observed. A significant rockfall can also close OR 224. Travelers should carry an emergency kit in their vehicles and be prepared for emergency road closures due to rockfalls, slides, debris flows or downed trees. ODOT will evaluate opening OR 224 to all travel in the spring of 2015. Engineering geologists and engineers are in the early stages of designing a project to stabilize slopes in the area. Construction could begin in the fall of 2015.

Depending on how you interpret "local travel", I guess it is is open?  They've put enough wiggle words in that description to let people know if they get stuck due to rockslides, etc, it isn't their fault. (limiting their liability) Your updated photos are interesting as well.  Definitely not as bad as I was thinking.  I definitely thought that building at the old way station would have been toast.  I'm amazed it is as green as it is down there.

I also have no idea what "local" traffic means but there is very little sign of restrictions once you are there other than FS45 blocked off. There was a regular amount of traffic out there today.

Thanks again, Pete. It's again much less burnt then I thought it'd be.  Some of the heaviest hot spots during the fire were right at the confluence of the south fork, and a little bit south.  Was Memaloose Rd 45 open?

Brian: I think Pete said 45 was blocked, and there was another posting on another website that said 45 was closed for the first 3.5 miles. I'm just glad we can get up the river again.  Hopefully it will be open more than it is closed.... (no big rockslides)

Yes, 45 closed on the north side of the bridge. Actually, I was impressed that it has two barriers blocking both lanes and those are chained together and to the sides of the bridge. I think they are even discouraging walking across the bridge. The confluence of the SF and main Clackamas actually looks pretty good. But I could kinda glimpse some more hot burn further up the drainage (maybe Memaloose?) but it's tough to get a good angle on the topography. The hills were beautiful with snow on the trees up high.

Well, they are unofficially no longer enforcing the closure. Don't tell anyone but anyone can drive up that wants to. Travel is at your own risk as stray rocks flying around are possible. Be aware that rockfall is still a possibility and falls of any size are possible especially after heavy rain or repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Its been 3 weeks since the last road-closing slide. There are two contracts to remove snags, but I'm not sure how far along that is. If still going on it could lead to road closures too.

Bryon Boyce said Well, they are unofficially no longer enforcing the closure. Don't tell anyone but anyone can drive up that wants to. Travel is at your own risk as stray rocks flying around are possible. Be aware that rockfall is still a possibility and falls of any size are possible especially after heavy rain or repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Its been 3 weeks since the last road-closing slide. There are two contracts to remove snags, but I'm not sure how far along that is. If still going on it could lead to road closures too.

That advice bears repeating - after driving up that way and climbing up some of the burned hillsides, those hills are VERY loose.  When we went up there were rocks in the afternoon that were not there in the morning.  If you venture out that way, be VERY careful in those areas.

Finally checked out the burn area last Friday. There is certainly a lot of devastation, but I suppose it always could be worse.  It seemed like there was a fair amount of traffic on the road. One of the first places I wanted to checkout was the site where the burn originated, an old closed quarry right near mp36. Unfortunately the local yokels have already begun to litter the area with gun debris once again, including targets set up RIGHT where the fire originated. I was honestly so disgusted with the area I couldn't stay for long.  How could anybody with half a brain think that a huge grove of trees is an acceptable backstop? I'm no shooter myself, but it certainly doesn't seem like rocket science. I've seen countless trees desecrated with bullets, specifically up Memaloose road. How can anybody have such disrespect for their surroundings? The folks responsible for starting to the fire should have to serve some time locked up and think hard about what they did, or at the bare minimum pay up for the millions of dollars of damages that they've assuredly caused. Otherwise, we're sending the message that we as a society accept idiots toting firearms, dangerously shooting them, with absolutely no grasp of common sense or regard for others well being.  Still from 3D video recreation of 36 pit fire origin, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office:  Scene from above in person, 1/16/15:    

That is a damned good point.  A state highway is no place for a shooting gallery, especially on a scenic river with high traffic.  Who do we bitch to?  State Highways or the FS? I was out hiking near lower Roaring River, semi auto gunfire at a small quarry made us scatter downhill off trail, they had no idea we were out there.

Robert Koscik said Who do we bitch to?  State Highways or the FS? I was out hiking near lower Roaring River, semi auto gunfire at a small quarry made us scatter downhill off trail, they had no idea we were out there.

You know, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind about contacting ODOT about it. Since it is National Forest Land, I'm sure the feds would have jurisdiction over the pit itself. However ODOT could theoretically control the access off/on the state highway to the area, or at least I'd like to imagine so. For some reason I have a feeling I'd get no response back from the FS, as apparently us legitimate recreationists are minuscule when compared to wreckless target shooters in the area.  Oh, and one more thing, I find a whistle comes in handy whenever I hear shots fired. The way I see it, if I can hear shots, I'm probably within range of you. A simple 3-5 second blow of the whistle alerts the nearby shooters to your presence, which will often deter them from continuing to shoot. 

UnderwaterArsonist said Finally checked out the burn area last Friday. There is certainly a lot of devastation, but I suppose it always could be worse.   Scene from above in person, 1/16/15:    

That is where I thought it started.  I was up there on the first and took a look - the first time I've ever been in that quarry. While the guys who started this were really stupid and deserve to be punished, I have to give them credit for coming clean.  It is my understanding that they turned themselves in and were cooperating with authorities.  What they did is inexcusable, but at least they appear to have taken responsibility for their actions. I was surprised at how much green is still up there - we will see if that continues into next year.  I thought it was going to be MUCH worse than it was.

Thank you Underwater Arsonist for the update. I can only hope the Oregon State Highway has jurisdiction over that rockpit and others and shuts them down to shooting. We have trails near several rockpits along the Clackamas River that get used for shooting gallery's that I personally believe should be closed. Don

Don't get me wrong, l believe everyone has the right to own and shoot firearms. I would say also that there are right and wrong places to shoot. Along the Clackamas River is not the right place with the rafters and bicycles and hikers, not to mention the cars and motorcycles. Don

Portland and its suburbs need Civic Rifle Ranges that are free of charge. Then they wouldn't need to drive up there to shoot. I also wonder why Oregon City wants all that lead so close to their drinking water. OMG!   D 2