Colorado Fires!


 
Frank in Colorado

Frank in Colorado

TVWBB Super Fan
There are four major fires currently in Colorado:
  • Pine Gulch (just north of Grand Junction) at 87,000+ acres,
  • Grizzly Creek (near Glenwood Springs) at 27,000+ acres,
  • Cameron peak (~40 miles west of Fort Collins) at 14,000+ acres,
  • Williams Fork (near Kremmling) at 6,600+ acres.
The Grizzly Fire in Glenwood Canyon has closed Interstate 70 now for over a week with no projected opening date at this time. The burned vegetation is bringing down rock and debris from above and the dropped retardant and water is assisting gravity in that event. If anyone has travel the Canyon, you may have recalled or visited Hanging Lake (one of the most scenic and visited places in the state.) This is where the fire is located. Local news says this iconic place is not damaged but is in jeopardy.
Some images of Hanging Lake:

1597774023120.png​

I am located where evacuations are not ordered, but am in the midst of the smoke wafting from these fires. The smell and smog is thick and mountain peaks as little at 5 miles away are obscured by the haze. The dense fog of the fires does present some amazing colors though. This one sent from a friend:

IMG_2377.jpg​

Outdoor campfires and charcoal grills under Stage 2 restrictions are prohibited, but liquid or gas fires are allowed in residences so I am still able to use the grill.
Still going to be a long summer and we could sure use some rain.
 
Well, I just asked God to send you some soon. Hope he does. Sounds strange, but they are beautiful pictures.
 
Yes, the smoke makes for some amazing sunsets. Even at night too! I usually wake up around 3 in the morning and will habitually step out on my deck to listens for some nocturnal wildlife, look at the sky and sometime catch a shooting star. This past week, the moon even appears vividly red!

Note: The Hanging Lake picture I posted was for context of its normal beauty for the purpose of this thread's conversation, that one is not of the lake during the fires. We do not know yet the effect on it. i am rearing scuttlebutt ranging of it being destroyed to it not touched by flame but very close.
Thanks for the thoughts and well wishes.
 
We too have been keeping a close eye on the fires to our north. It's even smoky/hazy down in our area. Our whole state is in dire need of moisture.

Edit: We are saying; its not a matter of "if" Its a matter of "when" a fire gets started down this way. Been over Wolf Creek in the last few years? Glad to see the state wide fire ban in place.
 
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I kept having to wipe of my grills and patio furniture over the weekend. Thought it was pollen, which on reflection makes no sense in August.

Ashes blowing in from the fires several hundred miles away.

My kids had to drive out of the Aspen area using a sketchy Forest Service road as both I-70 and Independence Pass were closed. Luckily they were in a high ground clearance vehicle.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
<snip>....

My kids had to drive out of the Aspen area using a sketchy Forest Service road as both I-70 and Independence Pass were closed. Luckily they were in a high ground clearance vehicle.
Click to expand...
Be curious what route that would be... not too many that I know that are from the south side of Aspen.
 
I heard that Google maps was detouring people over some 4x4 trails!
We are headed to Colorado to do some off roading in Sept.

Gerry
 
G Schafer said:
I heard that Google maps was detouring people over some 4x4 trails!
<snip>....
Gerry
Click to expand...
Yea, gotta' be careful of those re-routings... In my area, there are "roads" of which I am familiar that are indicated on G-maps and G-earth that I know are NOT passable except for very stout 4-wheelers. Not sure what the almighty googley uses for database, but the average car-user should not rely on the all proposed alternates... especially in mountains!
 
My kids (in a Pathfinder) reported seeing several totaled expensive low riding cars (including one Tesla!) as they jeep-ed their way out of the Aspen area. And Independence Pass was closed because several 18 wheelers tried to go that way.

What were those folks thinking...
 
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