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dixon Member
Joined: 24 Apr 2020 Posts: 176 | TRs | Pics
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dixon
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:35 pm
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Malachai Constant wrote: | Nice opinion but irrelevant in this case. The area has been a National Park since the early 1970’s. Natural fires are often left to burn with suppression only occurring if there is a threat of huge spread |
Are you certain? I noticed that Rainier NP is another example of forests choked full of highly flammable fuels. Every time there is a fire its suppressed except for the very high alpine areas. There needs to be controlled burns in those places, but concerns are it will ruin the scenery for visitors. I dont see how this is sustainable in the long term.
But to my broader point outside of NP. Take any area of NF land e.g., ALW and look at the health of the forests. If someone was to start a fire in the Mt Daniel area for example, the entire place would be torched within days because of the mountains of dead brush and fuels that have been allowed to build up over the past several decades. The same is for down the Middle Fork, Mountain Loop, SR 20 etc etc. But noone wants controlled burns nor logging because it goes against the "green mantra" of save the trees even though the damage is much worse to leave these forests alone. Dont get me wrong, I dont "want" to cut down forests but I'm a pragmatist and either we do it ourselves in a controlled way, or nature burns the lot to the ground.
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Yes I am very sure, have been going to Hannigan area since the 1960’s never heard of a fire there until the past couple years. It was a mining prospect area in the 1890’s and a route to the Caribou gold rush and the Skagett before the dams. Do not think it was ever logged past Hannigan Pass. Rainier is whole other story National Park in the 1890’s commercially logged in WWI, golf courses at Paradise cabins at Sunrise since the 30’s. Fires were always suppressed.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
Cyclopath, dixon
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
Cyclopath, dixon
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6308 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:26 pm
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dixon wrote: | This is to be expected with decades of artificial fire suppression. Forests have always followed a cycle, humans got involved and the nimbys got their way. Now we're left with unhealthy forest's choked with dead fuel just waiting to go up. I have friends in the FS who tell me they can't even burn piles in the spring as local residents complain and so the fuels keep on building. |
The number of lightning strikes has nothing to do with fire suppression. That is old news. The lightning is due to a persistent deep trough off the coast that keeps pushing tropical water vapor north into Washington, Idaho, and BC.
How many times in the past have you seen 5-6 lightning days in the two week period. Let me guess, none.
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6308 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:29 pm
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dixon wrote: | Malachai Constant wrote: | Nice opinion but irrelevant in this case. The area has been a National Park since the early 1970’s. Natural fires are often left to burn with suppression only occurring if there is a threat of huge spread |
I dont see how this is sustainable in the long term.
But to my broader point outside of NP. Take any area of NF land e.g., ALW and look at the health of the forests. If someone was to start a fire in the Mt Daniel area for example, the entire place would be torched within days |
Because fuel humidity levels are so low after what is it, 40 days of above normal temperatures. Well call it Dixon's vendetta to give him more logging jobs.
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6308 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:36 pm
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dixon Member
Joined: 24 Apr 2020 Posts: 176 | TRs | Pics
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dixon
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:46 pm
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gb wrote: | The number of lightning strikes has nothing to do with fire suppression. That is old news. The lightning is due to a persistent deep trough off the coast that keeps pushing tropical water vapor north into Washington, Idaho, and BC. |
Of course, but are you suggesting that without these ignition sources everything is as it should be? My point is that if there was no buildup of fuel it doesn't matter if there's a billion lightning strikes there's nothing to burn. We cant control weather but we can control fuel levels.
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6308 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:53 pm
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No, read new reports at Wildfiretoday from 3-4 days ago. Probably was part of this article that I found yes and no.
https://montanafreepress.org/2021/08/27/can-active-forest-management-reduce-wildfire-risk/
We can clean-up forests near roads so dumb people don't start fires, but Washington has 22,000,000 acres of forest lands; so your personal responsibility is 4 acres, same with your wife, and children and grandparents......
This is an entirely different climate. The Dixon(?) fire was 800,000 acres last year and burned across the entire Sierra from west to east. It gives an example of the size of fires we can see if we don;t put out the ones that start at critical periods. Offseason is different.
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woodchips Member
Joined: 08 Sep 2013 Posts: 65 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
Is the Hannegan pass trail open as far as the pass/Ruth Mountain? It appears that the NPS is saying that it’s closed from the park boundary, but they don’t mention the FS trails.
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6308 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:09 pm
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woodchips wrote: | Is the Hannegan pass trail open as far as the pass/Ruth Mountain? It appears that the NPS is saying that it’s closed from the park boundary, but they don’t mention the FS trails. |
Contact the Glacier Ranger station by phone.
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woodchips Member
Joined: 08 Sep 2013 Posts: 65 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
Super helpful, thanks.
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Asplorin Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2021 Posts: 11 | TRs | Pics
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Asplorin
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Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:52 pm
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oh no! they told you how to find the best answer yourself!
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HikingBex Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2020 Posts: 110 | TRs | Pics
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woodchips wrote: | Is the Hannegan pass trail open as far as the pass/Ruth Mountain? It appears that the NPS is saying that it’s closed from the park boundary, but they don’t mention the FS trails. |
If you go back to the first page of this thread I linked the FS Facebook post that states that those trails are still open (but smoky). Not sure if that has changed, but they’re pretty good about updating Facebook.
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woodchips Member
Joined: 08 Sep 2013 Posts: 65 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
Thank you! I don’t catch that link before.
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treeswarper Alleged Sockpuppet!
Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 11276 | TRs | Pics Location: Don't move here |
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treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
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Fri Aug 26, 2022 9:36 am
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E. WA has been getting hammered by lightning, but as most of you know, every lightning strike does not result in a fire. So far, crews have been quick to respond and no mega fires have erupted from yesterday's activity.
Black Canyon, near the south end of the Methow Valley, had anywhere from a half acre to a quarter acre burning as of last night. Today, a spendy looking drone is going to fly it.
We haven't had the nasty winds to help spread the fires. That helps. That may change.
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
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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Trebond Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2022 Posts: 1 | TRs | Pics
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Trebond
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Fri Aug 26, 2022 1:58 pm
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I was just at the trailhead. We saw the thunderstorm roll when we pulled up in our car (evening of 8/23) and waited it out - it literally started raining as soon as we parked. We hiked to Hannegan Pass later that night, and the following day, to Tapto Lakes. Along the way, saw three fires alongside the Red Face/Indian Mountain side as well as a fire on the Copper Ridge portion of the Copper Ridge Loop. The fires seemed very small as we passed them, but the next day they would grow a fair bit. Tapto was gorgeous, and the smoke was considerably worse (I didn't take a picture) when we hiked out on 8/25. So thick that we couldn't see any part the lower part valley. It seems like we got out just in time.
(Morning of our hike out 8/25)
(Evening when I got to the lakes, 8/24 from a fire that wasn't in the valley containing Whatcom Pass)
(Morning of our hike out 8/25, east of Whatcom Pass)
jaysway, Hutch
jaysway, Hutch
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