COVID-19 Affecting Your Plans?

WasatchWill said:
It would seem Nature and our forests are experiencing their own form of Covid and not escaping 2020 without their own catastrophes to recover from. From the earthquake that brought down the Baron Spire in Idaho to Hanging Lake and surrounding area in Colorado burning away now...what's next? Nevermind, I don't want to know.
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Not to mention all the COVID-crowds that are destroying our public lands this year....
 
ImNotDedYet said:
There is a different fire out west of there (where some of our members live I believe) that had grown to be our 5th largest in state history.
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Pine Gulch Fire. I can see the smoke from it everyday over the Book Cliffs....and it's been filling the valley with smoke frequently.

...and apparently it's the 4th largest now.
 
ImNotDedYet said:
Hanging Lake is merely in the burn area, but an officer stated that often times areas in a burn area get skipped around by the fire. So any reports that the area has burned are premature at this point. I believe there's still 0 containment on that fire.

There is a different fire out west of there (where some of our members live I believe) that had grown to be our 5th largest in state history. And a new one up near State Forest State Park west of Ft Collins.

It's been horribly dry and horribly hot here this summer. Not much relief in sight either.
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Yep...they just placed all of the High Uintas forests here in Utah under fire restrictions due to the lack of monsoon moisture and storms this summer. So pretty much all of Utah is now under fire restrictions, though I know there will be some out there who will ignore it and disregard it and will still choose to have a fire. Fingers crossed for a back to average of better winter this coming season.

IntrepidXJ said:
Not to mention all the COVID-crowds that are destroying our public lands this year....
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I had those thoughts too. Anywhere that's been accessible by road or within a mile or two of one has been insane.
 
Yep, I was anticipating it, but pretty sure my weekend plans have been canceled by the Cameron Peak fire.

Well, hopefully changed - not canceled - but a bummer nonetheless. Normally it's pretty easy to find a replacement hike, but trying to bring my little one along this time so the options are more limited.

I'm actually surprised fire season hasn't been worse so far, but I'm no expert. (I just pretend to be one on the internet.)

EDIT: Cameron Peak Fire Info
 
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TheMountainRabbit said:
Yep, I was anticipating it, but pretty sure my weekend plans have been canceled by the Cameron Peak fire.

Well, hopefully changed - not canceled - but a bummer nonetheless. Normally it's pretty easy to find a replacement hike, but trying to bring my little one along this time so the options are more limited.

I'm actually surprised fire season hasn't been worse so far, but I'm no expert. (I just pretend to be one on the internet.)
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Such a bummer when fires force you elsewhere, or even when smoke blows in and ruins anticipated views. I hope things fare well for you in finding a suitable alternative. In the nearly 30 years since living back out west here in Utah, I haven't seen a summer this hot and dry, ever. After such a huge winter and super wet spring last year with milder summer temps and the occasional afternoon thunderstorm down here in the valleys, this year has been a complete 180 from that. I think there only been one day of rain in the last 3 months or so. Everywhere is turning into a tinder box or powder keg now. Not good.
 
ImNotDedYet said:
Hanging Lake is merely in the burn area, but an officer stated that often times areas in a burn area get skipped around by the fire. So any reports that the area has burned are premature at this point. I believe there's still 0 containment on that fire.

There is a different fire out west of there (where some of our members live I believe) that had grown to be our 5th largest in state history. And a new one up near State Forest State Park west of Ft Collins.

It's been horribly dry and horribly hot here this summer. Not much relief in sight either.
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I'm right between the Pine Gulch Fire above Grand Junction and the Grizzly Creek Fire about 15 miles to the east of me. Smoke levels here are in the extreme category, especially in the evening when the smoke is funneled through the canyons both up and down.

If you're wondering about Hanging Lake and the Grizzly Creek Fire in general, they have a FB page named after the fire. I have fond memories of hiking from Coffee Pot Springs to the freeway down the Grizzly Creek drainage one fine summer. It was a beautiful place.

It does make for some great sunset shots, when it lifts - this is looking towards the Pine Gulch Fire yest. evening from near New Castle, and it's all smoke:

IMG_0413.jpg
 
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From the fire incident command this evening:
“We are getting a lot of questions about Hanging Lake this morning. We know the fire moved through that area. We are working with Forest officials to assess to what extent Hanging Lake was impacted. We are waiting for the smoke to clear to assess from the air. We are not able to access from the ground via the trail because of fire activity. When we have more information, we will share it.”
 
OMG! A fire in Glenwood Canyon near the Grizzly Creek and the Hanging Lake area ... this saddens me. When growing up in the late 50's and 60's, the family was always here camping (permitted then) and spending the day here. I have many many precious memories from the area. Hope the fire spares many places in the area. My very first backpacking trip ever was up Grizzly Creek with my brother when I was just a teenager. Now please keep us informed with this fire. Glenwood Canyon is such a beautiful jewel. Personally I was born in Colorado and when growing up was always around the Glenwood Springs area camping, fishing, hiking, and everything with including going into the lovely pool there in Glenwood Springs.

For the ones in the area ... Stay Safe and Well!
 
Thanks for this Rockskipper. Yes how many memories I have of the area, especially Grizzly Creek, from when I was a kid. My parents were always taking us kids here. My brother would usually fish Grizzly Creek with my father while I went hiking up the creek with my mother. Also do remember all the Bighorn Sheep that were in the area. This saddens me greatly. Guess changes do occur thru the years ... But so hope Grizzly Creek, Glenwood Canyon, and Hanging Lake fare well thru the ordeal.
 
Some of my family (aunt/uncle) owned the gas station at Grizzly before the freeway came through. They sold out and moved to Alaska. My great-grandfather is buried in the old Glenwood Rosebud Cemetery. But my family's not really true Glenwoodites, as most of us lived in NW Colorado. But we did come visit and after I moved here some years ago I spent a lot of time exploring around this area. Also did a lot of spelunking up in the Flattops. Some of the Bighorn come into W. Glenwood each winter. I hope they're doing OK in the fire.
 
Now do remember that gas station. Wow! Small World! For many a year on a stone monument here at or near the mouth of Grizzly Creek was a small model of a railroad car with the scenic lookout domes on top. Those railroad cars were first thought of when the railroad went thru Glenwood Canyon. Whatever became of this is unknown. There used to be also some cabins here at the moth of Grizzly Creek we stayed in at times also.

My father
went to Glenwood Springs in the late 40's after WWII. At one point my parents seriously thought about opening a sporting goods store in Glenwood Springs, but never did. Part of their retirement was in Glenwood Springs. All of us kids, there are three of us, learned to swim in the pool there in Glenwood Springs. Many years ago we would camp there at the Roaring Fork Park there in Glenwood before it was closed to camping. Gosh, soooo many memories from the area.

Back in September of 1979 I did a long backpack all over the Flattop Wilderness. So your parents are buried there in Glenwood. My parents ashes were spread in the old Roaring Fork Park.
 
Kmatjhwy said:
Back in September of 1979 I did a long backpack all over the Flattop Wilderness. So your parents are buried there in Glenwood. My parents ashes were spread in the old Roaring Fork Park.
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Sounds like our paths may have crossed w/o knowing. It really is a beautiful area.

That was my great-grandpa buried there in Glenwood. Actually, my parents' ashes are spread beneath Mt. Sneffels from a high ridge. My dad helped install the towers on Sunlight Mtn. and every time I see them I think of him.

More details on Hanging Lake just out:

www.postindependent.com

Hanging Lake appears to have been spared as Grizzly Creek Fire passes over

The pristine Hanging Lake feature in Glenwood Canyon — a popular attraction where new protections went into effect last year aimed at controlling visitor numbers — appears to have come away unscathed from the Grizzly...
www.postindependent.com www.postindependent.com
 
Mt. Sneffels is surely so nice. Maybe our paths could have crossed at some point. But I haven't been there for some years now. Haven't been much in Colorado as of late because of all the changes that took place in the state. But so remember Old Glenwood, Grizzly Creek, and the whole valley from my memories as a kid. Am glad that Hanging Lake has been spared so far.
 
WasatchWill said:
It would seem Nature and our forests are experiencing their own form of Covid and not escaping 2020 without their own catastrophes to recover from. From the earthquake that brought down the Baron Spire in Idaho to Hanging Lake and surrounding area in Colorado burning away now...what's next? Nevermind, I don't want to know.
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I'd say nature's and forests covid is the trash being left behind... Everything else is natural
 
Bob said:
I'd say nature's and forests covid is the trash being left behind... Everything else is natural
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Agreed. I was fly fishing up Left Hand Fork South of Logan a few days ago and just from one spot I pulled off I picked up two trash bags full of various garbage. I also ran into a forest ranger that asked if I was camping because he had already put out 3 unattended campfires in an area that has a red flag warning. He then told me that they are closing down the gravel road after Labor Day to assess the damage and there is a good possibility that it may not reopen for quite some time.

And on the original title of disruption of plans we are headed to our Yellowstone campsite later this week that I reserved in January. I hope that there won't be too much disruption. We plan to limit our stops along the way, take all of our food, and spend as much time away from camp and boardwalks as possible. We are only going for a couple of days and currently have plans to hike around Riddle Lake and hike the Dogshead/Lewis Channel loop. I'm going to take my fly rod and see if I can catch anything along the hikes.
 
My friend and I have continued to discuss destinations, and one option was the Whites in New Hampshire, where he'd originally planned a trip, then canceled due to the virus or work obligations(don't recall which).
Anybody looking around there, be advised that non-residents of New England states must sign that they have quarantined for 14 days prior to entering the state to get any type of lodging, hotel or otherwise, in NH.
I assume that's on the honor system, as the place you stay provides the "documentation".
Whereever we go, I'll probably get off work in the morning, and fly out the same day, so I'm obviously not quarantining. I'm not attaching my name to a lie, either, so NH is out of the running...
 
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