August 2026 Trail Updates and Fire Impacts from Evergreen East
18 | Aug | '26
Vivika Stamolis
Evergreen East board members have been in contact with City staff and their latest update regarding the Upriver Fire and temporary closure of Sekani is summarized below.
However, this update was provided immediately before the recent fires in Spokane. Please note that the timeline and current activities will be and have been impacted by those fires.
If you have questions or concerns, please join our monthly chapter meetings or reach out to the board via e-mail directly ().
- Sekani and its trails are still closed. Respect the closure. Please do not be the reason work is delayed further.
- Hazard trees are flagged for the most part. They will assess the tree. If deemed a hazard, they will fell it in the safest direction, buck it into 10 foot or less lengths, score the bark past the cambium once down the length, and limb it to let the limbs and log lay flat for better decomposition.
- DNR will clear debris from trails a reasonable amount.
- If they come across other trees that they assess are hazardous they will fall those as well.
- Note that City staff indicated there is a concern about damaged trees being at risk of disease which could lead to them falling in the future even if they aren’t marked as a hazard tree currently. They are working to assess this risk as well.
- Good news! The Sekani parking lot makeover is about to become a reality! Equipment should be mobilized late August to early September. This also means that even if trails were to reopen this fall/winter, we will not have parking lot access until construction is finished.
- Supplies have been purchased for the repair of wood features on Bomber - we’re just waiting on the okay to begin work which appears to be a ways out. We will put out work parties when we know more so we can get volunteers!
- Beacon is still open for business! During this timeframe, check out the other trails across the hill. You can park at Shields or Minnehaha, which starts your climb in the shade, or park at Esmeralda.
- Eastoberfest is coming up so get excited! We’ll be based out of Minnehaha again so now is a great time to ride the trails on the west side of Beacon to be race-ready.
We have heard a lot of people itching to volunteer because of the fire and we want to remind folks that volunteering for our trail networks encompasses so much more than dirt work. We put on events like Eastoberfest to create community and fundraise. We use that money to maintain trails, build new ones, and provide mountain bike education classes and camps. We need people to do timing, course prep, sling refreshments, fill course marshal positions, and so much more to ensure the race goes smoothly.