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Among the cryptic names given to Oregon wildfires this summer is the Austin Fire, still burning in the upper Clackamas River basin. It’s unclear whether the Forest Service named this fire for Austin Hot Spring – a somewhat notorious private inholding along the Clackamas River – or nearby Austin Point, located a couple miles to the west along the Collawash River. My guess would be the latter, as it’s an important landmark along a major power transmission corridor that is no doubt a chief fire concern for the agency.

Though little known, Austin Point rises dramatically nearly a thousand feet above the Collawash, pressing the river into a steep canyon that is among the most scenic spots in all of WyEast Country. The narrows continued to be a very active geologic work in progress, as they result from a massive, 4-mile wide active landslide extending to the river from a mile-high ridge known as Granite Peaks, just to the east. This autumn scene was captured where (appropriately) Slide Creek joins the Collawash River in the heart of the canyon section.

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Image Description: Deep green forests with hints of lingering autumn gold and yellow frame a rambling section of the Collawash River where it flows between steep cliffs and boulders. A rugged mountainside in the distance fades into drifts of fog in this early winter scene.

Photo © WyEast Images (2026)