Post by speacock on Jul 9, 2015 10:18:49 GMT -8
From a search of the Internet, it doesn't appear there have been any backpacker/hikers killed in forest fires (USA). Apparently, except for movies and videos, it is a rare event. And where possible, trail heads are controlled where there is a hazard, or those planning to go into forest areas that are on fire have uncommonly good sense. In recent times only people are killed when associated with structures and home loss. With the inherent risk of the job, unfortunately firefighters are killed.
Two decades ago, when wife and I did the High Sierra Trail from east to west there was a forest fire just below the trail on the west end near Sequoia NP Crescent Meadows. It was in generally the same area that a very large fire burned right up to the trail decades before. There is charcoal on the south side of the trail and verdant big trees on the north side into Log Meadow. When we dropped off the destination car, the Park said the current fire had been burning for two weeks and the National Park policy is to only control nature caused fires if they approach structures. We checked with a Park motel to find out if there might be a vacancy when we popped out of the forest there 10-12 days hence. They said probably no problem - no indication the fire was going to be any where near 'civilization'. It is not uncommon for a lightning caused fire to smoulder all summer we were told. We didn't know for sure when we would be there so left it at that as we were entering the HST from Horseshoe Meadows and doing Mt. Whitney from the west side to pick up the 'trail head'. There were too many options for taking tangents along the way to know what day for sure we should reserve a bed and especially a bath.
As we came up the Big Arroyo a week later - two direct days from exit, we had to stop early because a slight wind driven smoke was choking the large valley and us. We woke to the slight smell of smoke in the morning and cancelled a visit to Little Five Lakes, a stay in 9 Lakes and a cross country up to Lion Lakes as well as Elizabeth Pass and Tammarak Lake and made the last night about a dozen miles from trail tail at Bearpaw Meadow.
It was an interesting surreal walk along the last 5 miles of trail from Mehrten Creek the next day looking down a half mile to many individual fires in a large stand of old growth Sequoia redwood. When we ended up in the parking lot, there was a heavy smoke haze AND about a bazillion National Forest fire trucks. There was, of course, no vacancy anywhere in the park what with several hundred firefighters scattered hither and there with a primitive tent HQ in the large Wolverton parking lot. We dropped in on the parking lot and said good by to the 15 or so teen diabetics who, as a group with their medical staff, had spent most a week near Bear Paw. We met them coming down from Hamilton Lakes the day before.
Apparently the concern for structures also includes a kink in the revenue flow from vacationers. The Round Meadow and Pinewood area had been having some very bad smoke days, but not a lot of concern about the danger of a fire that was several miles away burning for the last three weeks or so on the side of another valley. We guessed it was more of a political solution than a dangerous one.
There were perhaps around 50-60 over-nighters at Bear Paw Meadow and other camping areas within two miles below. The resident Ranger mentioned nothing out of the ordinary about the fire. The Bear Paw High Sierra B&B had not been evacuated and we passed a string of pack animals bringing in supplies and paying residents. I'd guess that the trail continued to be open for back packers with permits. We saw several day hikers who had made it up a few miles on the trail that we passed on our way out.
As we left Sequoia heading for Fresno, there was a steady stream of additional fire fighters and equipment in the ubiquitous green trucks. There was at least a 20 mile stream of trucks heading up the hill to Sequoia NP. The park was still open to visitor traffic.
Two decades ago, when wife and I did the High Sierra Trail from east to west there was a forest fire just below the trail on the west end near Sequoia NP Crescent Meadows. It was in generally the same area that a very large fire burned right up to the trail decades before. There is charcoal on the south side of the trail and verdant big trees on the north side into Log Meadow. When we dropped off the destination car, the Park said the current fire had been burning for two weeks and the National Park policy is to only control nature caused fires if they approach structures. We checked with a Park motel to find out if there might be a vacancy when we popped out of the forest there 10-12 days hence. They said probably no problem - no indication the fire was going to be any where near 'civilization'. It is not uncommon for a lightning caused fire to smoulder all summer we were told. We didn't know for sure when we would be there so left it at that as we were entering the HST from Horseshoe Meadows and doing Mt. Whitney from the west side to pick up the 'trail head'. There were too many options for taking tangents along the way to know what day for sure we should reserve a bed and especially a bath.
As we came up the Big Arroyo a week later - two direct days from exit, we had to stop early because a slight wind driven smoke was choking the large valley and us. We woke to the slight smell of smoke in the morning and cancelled a visit to Little Five Lakes, a stay in 9 Lakes and a cross country up to Lion Lakes as well as Elizabeth Pass and Tammarak Lake and made the last night about a dozen miles from trail tail at Bearpaw Meadow.
It was an interesting surreal walk along the last 5 miles of trail from Mehrten Creek the next day looking down a half mile to many individual fires in a large stand of old growth Sequoia redwood. When we ended up in the parking lot, there was a heavy smoke haze AND about a bazillion National Forest fire trucks. There was, of course, no vacancy anywhere in the park what with several hundred firefighters scattered hither and there with a primitive tent HQ in the large Wolverton parking lot. We dropped in on the parking lot and said good by to the 15 or so teen diabetics who, as a group with their medical staff, had spent most a week near Bear Paw. We met them coming down from Hamilton Lakes the day before.
Apparently the concern for structures also includes a kink in the revenue flow from vacationers. The Round Meadow and Pinewood area had been having some very bad smoke days, but not a lot of concern about the danger of a fire that was several miles away burning for the last three weeks or so on the side of another valley. We guessed it was more of a political solution than a dangerous one.
There were perhaps around 50-60 over-nighters at Bear Paw Meadow and other camping areas within two miles below. The resident Ranger mentioned nothing out of the ordinary about the fire. The Bear Paw High Sierra B&B had not been evacuated and we passed a string of pack animals bringing in supplies and paying residents. I'd guess that the trail continued to be open for back packers with permits. We saw several day hikers who had made it up a few miles on the trail that we passed on our way out.
As we left Sequoia heading for Fresno, there was a steady stream of additional fire fighters and equipment in the ubiquitous green trucks. There was at least a 20 mile stream of trucks heading up the hill to Sequoia NP. The park was still open to visitor traffic.