Nov. 15 visit

 A beautiful day in November

The meadow with a blue sky

 

The picnic tables are still out and even dry

I got to take an outdoor shower still

A great view from the shower

Some individual soaking tubs are available

 

Nice soak by a tiny creek

The New Grove Cabins

The Grove Cabins have been completed and are available 

for overnight stays. They are in the old cabin area. 

They are geothermally heated and don't have bathrooms. 

There is a separate bathroom building in the complex 

with indoor and outdoor showers and sinks.

Summer Solstice Healing Gathering

Summer Solstice Healing Gathering 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Changed And Unchanged

Unfortunately, after the 2020 fire, the Forest Service permitted lots of clearcutting around Breitenbush - on the road from Detroit, next to the guest parking lot and in the summer home area. Breitenbush also cut many fire damaged trees on the property including the whole guest cabin area and around where the Sanctuary and massage buildings were. The stumps were pulled and some areas have been replanted.

 

Some areas on the drive from Detroit look like this

 

 

Breitenbush is getting some big work done

The entrance is no longer tree-lined

The parking lot and the grounds are less crowded

You can now see Devils Ridge from the parking lot

The smoking shelter is now exposed

The old cabin area with Buddha's Playhouse on the left

Former A row cabin ridge with Buddha's Playhouse on the right

The missing Sanctuary and old recycle shed area is replanted

Massage building and trees gone above the bridge

The now exposed ridge above the bridge

Near meadow pool

Magic pool is intact but not the woods behind

Inner Path is now very short

The Boneyard has a view now

The Hill Cabin is getting remodeled into lodging spaces

Some new changing buildings in the meadow

Milky Way is moved to where the guest bathhouse was

Far meadow pool's view is still great

The bridge's downstream view is the same

Upstream view is the same except no dam now

Labyrinth is still there

Paths are intact

Platform tent area looks the same

Lodge and lawn are good

Lobby and dining now in the lodge north wing

Sounds of Breitenbush

Breitenbush River 

 

 

Snow Falling

Sauna In The Dark

 Tiny Stream

Hot Spring Shrine At Night

Walking In Snow Before Dawn

Fire In Detroit And N. Santiam Canyon

On Labor Day Sept. 7 strong hot dry winds fanned a forest fire through Breitenbush and the North Santiam Canyon burning many buildings. Breitenbush was forced to close and it's residents to evacuate quickly. Breitenbush and the road to it are still closed indefinitely until damages can be repaired. I was able to go on the property to get some possessions in early Dec. and took many photos. I am making 3 posts of them. One is what Breitenbush lost to the fire, one shows what survived and the third shows damage to Detroit and other areas.

 

The town of Detroit and the N. Santiam Canyon were hit hard by forest fire in Sept. Most of the commercial buildings and half of the homes in Detroit burned. Many people lost their cabins in the Summer Homes area and along the N. Santiam River.

 

some mountains around Detroit Lake burned

some areas did not burn

the gas station and marina by it burned

All Seasons Motel is gone

 

Mountain High store survived and hopes to open in March

Cedars restaraunt and bar didn't make it

   

 

 

half of the Lodge at Detroit Lake burned

 

the post office is still standing but not open yet

 City Hall and the fire station are gone

 

 

Kane's Marina burned

many trailers by Kane's Marina burned

the old hardware store, fire station, city hall buildings

 

the store at the far end of town

 

 

church not spared

 

 

homes gone

 

 

must be a good joke here

 

the new city park survived

 

 

the improvements at Detroit Flats also survived

lots of salvage logging happening in the 1st 3 miles from Detroit on Hwy 46

when will clear cutting stop being the norm?

along the road in

 

 

the last 7 miles of Hwy 46 before Breitenbush looks pretty good

 

 

at least the Breitenbush Campground escaped damage