Fire on Trails

[katherine]

@ Spoke: Like my partner said, No! Not the Inner Basin! I get a lump in my throat every time I think about Lockett Meadow. It's going to be a sad autumn without the trees changing on the Waterline.

The area where the fire started hasn't burned or been thinned in a very long time, it won't likely recover as quickly as it might have if things had been different, the fire burned pretty hot from what I hear. It'll also depend on when the monson rains hit, we get dramatic summer rains and there will likely be some erosion. The area a lot of people are worried about now is known for its beautiful aspen groves, old lovely trees that are luckily slowing the fire, but it may take a very long time for them to recover fully. It's hard to explain how emotionally attached we all are to these mountains.

The good news is many of our trails have so far been spared, it's really miraculous. And due in no small part to the tireless efforts of those fighting the fire.

But, it's really warm today, and the winds are picking up again.

[spokewench]

Yes, the underbrush will come back; but we are talking catastrophic fire here; not burning out the underbrush; these are huge crown fires; with fire suppression for years. Trust me, the north side of Elden burned in '72 and there are still NO ponderosas on that burned out side of the mountain; it is really steep and rugged and not conducive to coming back any time soon.