After the fire

[skunkboy]

My brother has a cabin in the Fuller Mill Creek area below Fuller Ridge, and he was up there this weekend. He talked to a Ranger who told him it might be years before the trails in the burned area are open. There might be a big detour on the PCT next year.

[miboman]

It will probably be weeks before the fire is completely out. The one summer I worked for the FS, we would contain a fire like this and then put out hot spots around the perimeter. However, there would be smokes for weeks afterwards. A couple of times we had to go back and deal with a hot spot that was getting active near the perimeter or a snag that was throwing up sparks.

Because of the snags and continuing hot spots, I doubt we be able to go into the FS area this year. At best next spring depending upon trail damage and the threats of slides and falling snags. State side will probably open up first, but I suspect Hidden Preserve will be totally off limits. A bunch of looky-loos trying to see the damage could create problems there.

[some guy]

Thanks recordalley! Interesting, because I was wondering about the burn intensity compared to this one.

And, someone brought up wildflowers... here's that same fire scar as I saw it in 2006:




So even if the trees are gone, it's not all lost. Although I imagine the burn area might be closed for a couple years, so we may not able to see the best of it.

[Florian]

Indian Canyons south of Palm Springs remain closed as of Wednesday morning. I'll post a note when they reopen.

-Florian

[recordalley]

Because of the snags and continuing hot spots, I doubt we be able to go into the FS area this year

What about climbing...that would be a terrible blow for the local economy losing those tourism dollars, I wonder how that will affect the tram now that people wont be hiking devils slide. Maybe they'll rope off the burned area & let people go up to the lookout.

[cynthia23]

Thanks for the follow-up info on the fire, SomeGuy, Backwoods, and Florian.

I hadn't thought about whether they would keep Devil's Slide closed. Good question. If they do, that would certainly have a huge impact on Idyllwild tourism.

[bluerail]

Not sure how to put this, things are not NEARLY as bad as I was imagining up there.

[Hikin_Jim]

Not sure how to put this, things are not NEARLY as bad as I was imagining up there.

Eh? Is this good news of a sort?

HJ

[bluerail]

absolutely

[Florian]

There is a small (stressing small) column of smoke on the desert side of the ridge south of Hidden Divide this afternoon. The fire certainly isn't dead yet.

-Florian