Colorado Burning

[jmsmithy]

#3263

As I sit here on the East Coast our news has been somewhat consumed with the vast fires in Colorado. As our thoughts and prayers go out to all the folks displaced, homeless, hurt and killed (along with vast acreage and wildlife) I couldn’t help but wonder how DP and all you gents from out that way are coping ❓

Hope all is well…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#18087

No kidding. It sounds like things are grim down there. Hope all our Colorado TB members are doing ok.

[David Petersen]

#18136

John and Bruce — It’s north-central CO that’s taking the biggest beating, along the WY border near Ft. Collins, a major university town, followed by Colo. Springs, a major Front Range city, then down here in the SW corner around Durango. Right now we have five local fires burning around us from east, south and west (north are the big mountains which are wetter, cooler, and thus less threatened). Right now the only threatened town is Mancos, a half-hour west of Durango. But we can see the billowing, cumulous-like smoke clouds streaked with red and as I sit here in my office shack with door and windows open I sure smell smoke. Hot, very dry (humidity around 10 percent) and an ongoing drought. Ironically it’s ten years exactly since the big Missionary Ridge fires fried out local mountains to a charred crisp, nearly burned us out and we were forecefully evacuated by the Nat. Guard. Today, I enjoy premiere elk hunting in the new aspens sprouted by that fire. I just wish these things didn’t always happen precisely on the cusp of elk calving and deer fawning time. After the 2002 fires I walked the surrounded smoking moonscape that had been lovely forest, and found numerous cremated deer skeletons, still articulated but if you touched one it would collapse in a pile of ash. SO many newborns, small game and birds die in these fires and all the other wildlife is pushed into escape habitat that has threats of its own. Poor darn bears were already suffering from a late frost that killed about a third of the survival-essential Gambel’s oak and radically reduces the fall acorn production. Grass and forbes are too dry to have any nutrition. And now this. Almost always, wildlife suffers even more than we do from our mistakes of past and present. Thanks for your concern. We are OK, at least here in the San Juans. Dave

[wolfkill220]

#18539

Mr. Peterson hope all turns out for the better you all in co.

Me and my hunting buddies are keeping our bretheren there in our prayers. Have had our share of fires here in wa. and I have spent a couple years working on fire crews and have seen the destruction it causes but on the bright side as you said when the aspen grows back it does create some good hunting .

[Raymond Coffman]

#18907

Dave –

Good Luck — I hope you are not getting too much smoke!

Just saw a sat pix of CO — you got fires all around you,

although the WEBER to the west is showing the most smoke

Scout

[rwbowman]

#19867

I hope you stay that way Mr. Peterson. A few of us flatlanders have been planning a September motorcycle /fly fishing tour through CO, beginning in Poudre Canyon, but now with what’s going on, I recently wondered about the San Juan wilderness and the Conejos River. I can’t help feeling for the entire state during this season…

[lyagooshka]

#20047

I am wondering how this will affect my plans for next year, but at the same token, a delayed hunting (camping) trip is nothing compared to what the people in Colorado are facing.

Our prayers go out to everyone affected. May it be over soon without any more damage or loss of life.

Alex

😥

[JEMBO]

#20384

I thought we were dry in northern New Mexico until we spent time near Gunnison last week. Very scary, I’ve never seen the sage in the valleys or timberline meadows so brown in June. Pray for rain.

[Raymond Coffman]

#20440

Jembo –

Roger that –

It is an early – very dry summer-

I am prayin for rain —

I am going to see a very good friend of mine — who is a Blackfoot, and get instructions for dancin for same –he sings beautifully — I don’t think I will ever do well at that part,or the dancin either, gotta try though. The west needs rain bad–

Scout

[Wexbow]

#21322

Been following the Colorado fire story over this side of the Atlantic too. Looks pretty scary. I hope any of you folks out there stay safe. And while you guys bake we get the wettest June on record with major flood damage 🙄

[wahoo]

#21343

best wishes to all in Colorado.This has the makings of a hell of a fire season in the west. It is only June and we are in the 90’s already with winds. Fires are burning in Montana and Idaho already and it is dryer than a popcorn fart. Last years fires aren’t even producing mushrooms it’s that dry. We can only pray for the best.You never know we may have rain all the rest of summer and some early snows in August . Good luck

[strait-aero]

#24925

I was over reading about the last of the grizzlies in Colorado and looking at the pictures of the San Juan Wilderness and I got to thinking about all the game animals that have also perished in these wildfires…. There’s been loss of human lives and huge losses of property and forests that is hard to fathom. I have dreamed of visiting these places for years and am saddened by this course of events. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Colorado and those who put their lives on the line,fighting these fires. Wayne

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