PENDLETON â As outdoor enthusiasts prepare to head to the mountains this Memorial Day weekend, Umatilla National Forest officials are cautioning that some roads, trails and campgrounds remain closed or impassable due to late-season snowfall.
A press release from the Umatilla National Forest reported some shaded areas and cutbanks on mountain roads still may have dense snow drifts that vehicles cannot pass, and most trails for hiking and cars have yet to be maintained. And some roads damaged during flooding events in February and May 2020 remain closed.
Officials now are working to prepare campsites and recreational areas at lower elevations for holiday weekend visitors, the press release said.
North Fork John Day Wilderness: Umatilla
North Fork John Day Wilderness: Umatilla does not offer reservations through Recreation.gov. Please take a look at the area details below for more information about visiting this location. Enjoy your visit!
Overview
From rolling benchlands to the granite outcrops of the Greenhorn Mountains, the rugged North Fork John Day Wilderness provides an abundance of natural diversity. The wilderness is known primarily for its big game (Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer) and its anadromous fish habitat. There are over 130 miles of perennial streams, 40 miles of which provide spawning habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead.
That didnât work.
And with the winter solstice two weeks away, dark comes early to the Elkhorn Mountains.
Besides which, the couple, unfamiliar with the area, didnât know how far they might have to hike to reach safety.
The nearest home was in reality about 19 miles away.
âWalking wasnât viable,â Belknap, 28, said in a phone interview Tuesday evening.
The coupleâs other option happened to be orbiting the Earth about 870 miles up.
Belknap and McDonald, in addition to their camping gear, had brought along a Garmin GPS unit equipped with an inReach satellite connection. By pressing a button on the device, they sent a signal, via a network of orbiting satellites, that alerted law enforcement that they needed help. The signal also pinpointed their location.