Morning all, we hit level 2 for a while yesterday, do to the fire up the Calapooia River. Here's some pic's.

 

Morning all. Made it back from the long weekend and was only 4 hours late to work yesterday. To avoid the traffic figured I'd just drive from Lincoln City to Corvallis. Well that wind storm was a little stronger at the beach than predicted and got stuck there with all of the road closures from downed trees and fires. Got maybe 2.5 hours of sleep. We could hear trees falling. near the lake and at one point the wind picked up a 4 burner BBQ and tossed across the deck. It was crazy. Then add in all the smoke.

At least the fishing was good Saturday and Sunday and managed to boat a couple salmon.

I'm done with 2020 and there is 3 months to go. Can hardly wait to see what happens next...

 

Morning all. Power company cut the power after it looks like their lines did all of the damage up the north santiam canyon. No clue when they will turn it back on.
No news on when it comes back, I'm betting they're scared now.
We've got a generator so we're hanging OK except for no AC and loads of smoke.
I have a co-worker on bald mountain by newburg and now I hear that's at level 3. I hope he's OK.

 

Good Wednesday morning Andy, Rich, Mathew and those to follow.
74.7° with 19% humidity here.

Andy you on a level 1 now?

Rich on the Coast we have or storage spots that wind usually doesn't bother well the wind came from the wrong direction for those spots to work.

Mathew hang in there.

 

Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. Massive T Storms and rain during the night. Lightening so close it seemed like you heard the bang before you saw the flash. Rain coming down so hard on the roof I thought a dump truck was dumping gravel on us or that there was a major hail storm. Wish I could figure out a way to get all the rain showers of the last few days up to Oregon.

We're planning on starting the trip home this coming Monday. We are going to take our time, but if the current road closures are still in place when we hit Idaho, we'll have to drop 10 and punt. We are planning on stopping back by the Warden's relatives ranch outside of Inkom, Id. Plans were for a straight shot from there to Ontario out through Juntura, Burns and the Santiam Pass. We may have to stick with I84 going out of our way to the North or Hwy 58 going out of our way to the South.

We had planned a fall get away to Diamond Lake after we got back, but it does appear that is out for now. Poor little Buddy has been nagging at his mother and grandmother about when he can go fishing on Uncle Jim's boat.

Our DIL and grandkids got evacuated yesterday. My elk hunting partner and very long time friend appears to have been evacuated earlier. Waiting to hear back from Gary now. We go way-way back. The Warden, Gary and his brothers all went to High School together. He lives off of North Bank road near the fish hatchery in Otis. One of his sons lives on North Bank in the same area. His other son is a Sgt. with Lincoln County SO and moved down near Gleneden Beach and should be safe.

Everyone stay safe and keep their heads down.

 

Back to level 1 now, as long as the wind doesn't get worse we should be okay. I guess it was jumping a mile at a tome with the wind yesterday. Daughter boyfriend/fiance is on that fire now.

 

Good morning everyone. Not much happening here in the mid valley. Wind never got got and the smoke seems to be better today; but still pretty bad.

 

22 and 126 aren't going to be opened for a long time. Maybe on 20 by the time you get back here. Consumer's Power didn't cut power to the North Santiam when PGE cut the HWY 26 corridor. They had multiple starts from downed power lines. No one knows the status on Detroit right now, they abandoned the town around 2AM early Tuesday. Mill City, Gates and Lyons were hit hard. Rock slides closed 22 on both sides of Detroit. Detroit fire dept, the ranger station, and Gates fire dept all ended up evacuating up Britenbush to get out.

 

We saw the evac to Government Camp and I just presumed that is the way they went to get there.

Right now, if we were close, it appears that I84 and Hwy 58 might be our only way back into the valley. We'll have to reevaluate when we get to the ranch in Eastern Id. I guess we are certainly not going to be in a hurry to get there. We can always take the northern route and come through the gorge, although I really didn't want to take that route. Adds miles and time. We get to Burns / Malhuer area, we can get to 97 via Christmas Valley or Bend then to Hwy 58 or down past Mt. Hood if need be. It's looking pretty certain we won't be coming home via the Santiam Pass.

Maybe we'll just stay on the Idaho ranch and we can work cattle and horses to earn our parking spot for the winter. Or we can just get used to this, transfer to being snow birds and stay put until spring!?!?!?!?!?

Just got an alert that Diamond Lake Lodge and residences are in "imminent threat and danger" and are now under Level 3 go now evacuation orders.
Well, it doesn't look like we were going to be able to go home and get the boat for our fall foray to Diamond Lake anyway..........

 

The prediction is for light rain on Monday. It should kill the fires at that point. That should let a fair amount of the highways open, except 22 and 126. I haven't heard of damage to 20, they just don't want anyone up there., both have landslides from what I've heard. 26 is closed for fire danger, but from what I understand the road is OK.

 

From the pictures I've seen, it seems to me like it is going to take a tad more than light rain. I was kind of thinking of how I could lasso some of these gulley washers they are having here along with the high humidity and dragging them home. I haven't had to fill the dog dishes in 3 days now. The dogs drink them down, another gulley washer comes through and the dishes are filled full again....
.
I'm thinking about 2 - 3 weeks from Monday to get home, most likely 3 so there will be plenty of time to settle down. Still waiting for confirmation on the vacation house near Idanha. Haven't really confirmed that it is gone or not, only that everyone evacuated with the shirts on their back. Most of their stuff will be at home anyway, but I'll bet he had his good fishing poles with him. Eh....he take those with him on the evac before he took his wife, so those are probably safe.

My good buddy is whom I really worried about. They had some major setbacks in the past and have just gotten things really put back together in the 5 years or so and he was looking at being retired by December. He could have retired over a year ago, but he wanted some toys paid off first, including a custom ordered fishing boat..

 

Take your time Jim The valley is bucket of smoke and the air is so bad it's pegged the meter. If you can wait 3 weeks do it.

I'm working the EOC as a logistics liaison at the BC fairgrounds where we are taking in hay burners, livestock , and people.

 

Good evening Oregon and everyone everywhere else.

I am pulling down gramps duty tonight by watching Lady & the Tramp with grandchildren.

 

That’s going to be a nightmare trying to round up feed for all those critters.

As to the people...Costco had better start packing in the Krusteaz pancake mix big time!

 

Good evening all. 2230 here south of San Antonio. Was just getting to sleep when Thunder and Lightening with copious amounts of rain, a real gulley washer, started in again. A bright flash through the Heki Skylight almost simultaneous with a boom that lifted me out of bed and I was awake! The heavy hail like rain drops hitting the roof and I'm up. I think some comfort food like a Snickers and Coors Beer may help me go back to sleep.....