Phil’s Trail system temporary trail closure expanding to finish logging, mastication
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Beginning Tuesday, the Deschutes National Forest will expand a temporary trail closure within the Phil’s Trail system, west of Bend, the Deschutes National Forest said Monday.
A closure on Storm King trail from the junction of Storm King to Grand Slam trail has been in place since late November. That trail closure will now be expanded to between Storm King’s junction with Phil’s Trail south to its intersection with the Cascade Lakes Highway.
The expanded closure will be in place seven days a week to expedite completion of logging and mastication work in the West Bend Project Area.
Though it is impossible, because of weather and other restrictions, to guarantee the expanded closure will facilitate removing trail closures from the Phil’s Trail area earlier, the Deschutes National Forest said it hopes the expanded closure will facilitate access to the public sooner than what had been anticipated. The public will be notified about any future changes to trail closures.
"The public, for their own and others safety, should abide by the closures," the agency said. "People could be significantly harmed by logging equipment or if debris from the logging operations strikes them."
"The logging and mastication work being done is an important part of the Deschutes National Forest’s efforts to restore the forest within the West Bend Project Area to a healthier condition and reduce the potential for high intensity fires," the announcement concluded.
