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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 10:27 am 
Nice smoke--not quite the mushroom of death. smile.gif

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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hbb
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 10:34 am 
wamtngal wrote:
Wilderness Areas are generally exempt from county burn bans.
I'm pretty sure that the USFS has had campfire restrictions in place throughout the Okananogan-Wenatchee National Forest since July 14th.

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Ski
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 10:53 am 
treeswarper wrote:
"...not quite the mushroom of death..."
I'd bet the trees would have something to say about that. dizzy.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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pasayten
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 11:13 am 
hbb wrote:
wamtngal wrote:
Wilderness Areas are generally exempt from county burn bans.
I'm pretty sure that the USFS has had campfire restrictions in place throughout the Okananogan-Wenatchee National Forest since July 14th.
Camp fires still OK in Pasayten Wilderness... https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices/?aid=41789 https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fsbdev3_053600

Happy Trails... pasayten
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Nancyann
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 11:14 am 
hbb wrote: "I'm pretty sure that the USFS has had campfire restrictions in place throughout the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest since July 14th." That is correct, hbb. In Wilderness Areas, campfires are currently only allowed in approved, designated spots, according to information I found on their Facebook page. Here is a recent photo I took which shows the Diamond Creek drainage down to the Lost River.
Looking down towards Lost Creek Gorge from trail to Larch Pass 7/13 to 7/17/17
Looking down towards Lost Creek Gorge from trail to Larch Pass 7/13 to 7/17/17
This was taken from the trail to Larch Pass. There are a lot of trees to burn, including lots of dead ones infested with the pine beetle. Good luck to the firefighters... Just checked the fire map and it is running right up the creek to the trail to Larch Pass where this photo was taken from. Utterly heartbreaking.

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wamtngal
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 11:57 am 
Here is the language directly from the OWNF website: Updated: July 14, 2017 Campfire restrictions are in effect forest-wide. Campfires are only allowed on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in designated campgrounds and at Recreation Residences under permit from the Forest Service. Campfires are still allowed in designated Wilderness Areas but there are site specific Wilderness campfire restrictions that are always in effect. See below for information. --- The language re: site specific Wilderness campfire restrictions has to do with things like Alpine Lakes Wilderness and any place you go above 5,000 ft in elevation on the eastside can't have a campfire or certain lake basins. Here are all of the details: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fsbdev3_053600. But just because you can have one, doesn't mean you should. Also note that wood, solid fuel and non-pressurized ( ex. alcohol) stoves are not on the "approved fires" list in the link above. There's been a lot of posts on here re: solid fuel (ex. Esbit) and wood burning and alcohol stoves...just providing this for folks are aware. I don't think wood/solid/non-pressurized fuel has always been on not-approved list...

Opinions expressed here are my own.
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pasayten
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 12:05 pm 
Morning update from USFS on the Diamond Creek Fire: Diamond Creek Fire Update Monday July 24, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Diamond Creek Fire remains about 100 acres this morning. The fire is burning in the steep slopes of the Diamond Creek drainage, east of where it intersects with Lost River. It is about four air miles from the Billy Goat Trailhead. Eight smokejumpers have been deployed from the North Cascades Smokejumper Base and are being supported by helicopters. Additional handcrews have been ordered to support the confine and contain suppression strategy. Diamond Creek Fire is suspected to be human caused, as there was no lightning detected for the area. It was first noticed Saturday night by a hiker who then made his way to a ridgetop to report it on Sunday morning. This morning, fire behavior is moderate and the fire is burning in heavy accumulations of dead and down trees in a spruce and fir forest where the tree tops are close together, or touching (closed canopy). Winds that pushed fire growth yesterday are expected again this afternoon as are similar high temperatures and low humidity. “While smoke from the Diamond Creek Fire was visible around the County yesterday afternoon, the fire is well within the Pasayten Wilderness,” noted Methow Valley District Ranger Mike Liu. “At this time, it does not pose a threat to area residents or communities.” Helicopters currently supporting the Diamond Creek Fire are operating out of the North Cascades Smokejumper Base. Closures: The following closures are in place to provide for public and firefighter safety. Yesterday, Forest personnel began hiking the trails to notify groups and individuals about the fire and associated closures and to provide alternate routes as needed. · Billy Goat Trailhead · Hidden Lakes Trail (#477) · Larch Creek Trail (#502) from the trailhead to McCall Trail (#548) · Drake Trail (#502B) · Burch Mt. Trail (#502A) · Dollarwatch Trail (#451)

Happy Trails... pasayten
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pasayten
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 1:33 pm 
Happy Trails... pasayten
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RichP
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 1:52 pm 
pasayten wrote:
Picture of fire... https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20286868_1338702999580548_5509409081339157452_o.jpg?oh=2b06adfcc27d67611079eb0cb9cc937a&oe=59F858EA
Thanks for that, pasayten. So sad to see as so much of that area is already charred. frown.gif

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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 3:35 pm 
Time for an educational talk.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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wildernessed
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 7:15 pm 
OK so I ended up at the pub. drink.gif

Living in the Anthropocene
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Ski
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PostMon Jul 24, 2017 8:15 pm 
treeswarper wrote:
Time for an educational talk.
^ Well worth the 15 minutes it takes to watch. It will get worse before it gets better: too many trees + too many bugs + too much wood on the ground + too much "climate change" + too many years of total fire suppression = more catastrophic wildfires waiting to happen.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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wildernessed
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PostTue Jul 25, 2017 5:31 am 
InciWeb Diamond Creek Fire Updates

Living in the Anthropocene
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ArcDome
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PostTue Jul 25, 2017 11:49 am 
New Inciweb update:
Quote:
Diamond Creek Fire Update Tuesday July 25, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Yesterday: Diamond Creek Fire has grown to 250 acres since it was first reported by a hiker on Sunday morning. The eight smoke jumpers and a twenty person crew were supported by helicopters as they worked to hold the fire at Diamond Creek. Fire behavior included short range spotting, single and group tree torching and upslope runs. The fire spotted across Diamond Creek Monday afternoon. Most fire growth was toward the east. Suppression efforts have been successful in slowing the progression of the fire, allowing for the safe evacuation of hikers and outfitters from the Hidden Lakes area. Fire personnel are making in-person contacts with hikers along the evacuated trails to inform them of the closure and provide information about alternate routes. Given that the Pasayten Wilderness is more than 500,000 acres, there many alternate trails and camping areas under no immediate threat from this 250 acre fire. Weather: The short term forecast is for continued hot and dry weather, with slight increases in temperature and lower relative humidity levels. Today: Firefighters are doing reconnaissance to identify opportunities to confine the Diamond Creek Fire and are doing structure preparation work for the cabins near Middle Hidden Lake as well as the Hidden Lakes Trail Bridge that crosses Diamond Creek. The historic cabins near Middle Hidden Lake are used by wilderness rangers in the course of their work. As the Fire has grown over the last two burn periods, the strategy continues to be adjusted to balance the probability of success with the exposure of firefighters to risk. The successes seen with direct suppression tactics are not proving effective enough in stopping the fire spread to warrant the exposure of firefighters to risks in this location. A Wildland Fire Module, which is a small group of 7-10 specialists dedicated to planning and implementing long term strategies for fires is expected to arrive in the area on Wednesday. That team, with input from local firefighters, will help to develop a long term strategy for the Diamond Creek Fire. When wildland fires occur, agency administrators constantly evaluate changing conditions to determine and adjust the appropriate management response. Common tactics for suppressing unwanted wildland fires include confine, contain, and control. In the near term, the anticipated tactic for Diamond Creek Fire would be one of confinement. “While fire plays an essential ecological role, it also has a destructive potential in relation to human life and structures,” said Michael Liu, Methow Valley District Ranger. “As managers we consider the health and safety of our firefighters in conjunction with ecological needs and structures or other resources that may be at risk. These factors are ever changing in the fire environment, therefore our assessment is ongoing and strategies are dynamic based on the circumstances.” Closures: The following closures remain in place to provide for public and firefighter safety. •Billy Goat Trailhead •Hidden Lakes Trail (#477) •Larch Creek Trail (#502) from the trailhead to McCall Trail (#548) •Drake Trail (#502B) •Burch Mt. Trail (#502A) •Dollarwatch Trail (#451)

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pasayten
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pasayten
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PostWed Jul 26, 2017 6:25 am 
Happy Trails... pasayten
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