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Monday, October 17, 2016

The Howling Wind and an Almost Fire

While winter has arrived in the snowy mountains behind Shyla, it is very dry grass and forest time at our elevation. You can see how dry the grass is that Shyla is running through.

One of the things that I love about here is how different elevations have different seasons at the same time.

Yesterday, I rode a route that I love with this beautiful view of our mountains and some angry clouds. My rib still hurts like a demon but it's not as bad as spinal pain so I can handle riding with it. My main concession to it is that I need to ride my bike that has the most cushioned suspension.

At the end of my ride, I decided to swing by an area where people like to camp to check for fires. It was 5% humidity with 35mph winds yesterday (and today) - so an ounce of prevention goes a long way.

Indeed, as I arrived at one empty campsite, I could see smoke and ashes being blown right out of the fire ring. The fire department has given me orange tape to mark the route into fires that I find (I find a lot of them). I marked the site, and then I took a photo and a video.

The photo doesn't look like much but there was a campfire smoldering deeply in the rock ring.

I wouldn't have been so alarmed except for the ferocity of the wind. You can sense that from this very short video.


The volunteer firefighters arrived and did a tremendous job of putting it out, even digging down deep to get the smoldering roots and other underground debris that can explode into a forest fire later.

I felt like I'd done a good deed for the day but I was upset to read that someone else found another campfire left burning in the same area this morning (and the winds are even higher today - and have caused two huge wildfires to break out in other parts of Colorado). When will people learn? We have ample examples from our area of campfire-sparked devastating wildfires.

All that I want to do is prevent our beautiful world from being burned up!
It is too beautiful here not to protect it.

15 comments:

  1. The huge station fire here in 2009 was from a campfire. Sheesh! as Mango would say! Glad you did your good deed!

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  2. So scary -- so glad you found it! I will admit that I woke up one night to find that the campfire I thought we had thoroughly smothered was burning merrily again. Very eerie, alarming experience; I was endlessly grateful to have it in a relatively safe scenario so that I'd know to do better if I ever made a fire in the backcountry.

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  3. You are so right - your area has such incredible natural beauty!!! Why can't those campers be more responsible? We had those same winds here today and they rather startled some little pup.

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  4. You did a great deed. I wish people weren't so stupid and irresponsible.

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  5. Thoughtless campers, they should be banned!!!Beautiful autumn colours everywhere, we have fleeting red morning sunrise skies, all gone to grey in 5 minutes. Warm days, and summer clothes all set to go.

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  6. You did stop that fire. Can't believe campers are so careless...

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  7. Your world is so beautiful and this carelessness is just plain stoopid.

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  8. yes... when will they ever learn... thanks to you, you were the guardian angel for mother nature today.... and I hope there is always an angel there to protect all this beautiful things around us...

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  9. KB,
    It's crazy stupid some people are so careless.

    xo Astro


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  10. If everyone thought responsibly, like most of us, we would never worry about forest fires. Good job for being diligent and protecting whats beautiful.

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  11. We're dry here in the mountains, too, and hoping for some moisture. Though the high peaks have snow, there is nothing below 11,000' and winds are scouring. It's difficult for me to understand people who go into the wilderness and are so careless.

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  12. That is horrible about fires still smoldering. Glad you found it.
    Hope you heal swiftly.

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  13. Oh man! You know we had the fires here a few months ago, so we all understand how fast they can flare up, and how completely devastating they can be to the whole area. I am sooooo glads you found it and those pawsome firepeeps were able to put it out! Paws UP! Good job!
    Sendin' you lots of POTP for that rib...ouch! You wants some of Ma's advil...she seems to be living off the stuffs lately...*sigh*
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  14. I wish people would be considerate of the forests,,, and I wish everyone loved the forests,, like so many of us do!
    love
    tweedles

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