Backbone fire strawberry az Patch#

These public lands are the draw for visitors and support economies reliant on tourism in outdoor recreation destinations like Flagstaff, Sedona, the Rim Country, the White Mountains, and so many more across the state. The Mineral Mountains east of Phoenix burned in the recent 180,000-acre Telegraph Fire. Large swaths of the National Forests across Arizona also closed just three years ago due to similar conditions, and those closures lasted for nearly two months. Last summer’s monsoon was the weakest on record, followed by the driest winter on record, worsening an already deep drought. The summer monsoons usually bring moisture to the region beginning sometime in July, but the strength of these monsoons can vary dramatically from one year to the next, and that variability is only increasing. These closures will remain in place until widespread and appreciable rainfall dramatically reduces the fire risk. The Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests also closed, and the State of Arizona closed nearly all state lands. The Prescott National Forest was not the only one to close last week.

And we can expect progressively warmer temperatures and deeper droughts in the coming years as the impacts of a changing climate become more blatantly obvious ( you can read about climate projections for your region here).įir and ponderosa pines that have just died in the past few months stand out prominently, still wearing their brown needles. Lake Mead recently dropped to its lowest level ever. All-time high temperature records were also just broken across the state the prior week. Why? The closure is the result of the combination of extreme fire danger due to the ongoing drought and firefighting resources already stretched thin due to the dozens of fires currently burning across the region. All trails were now closed, as were all the dirt roads, campgrounds, and picnic areas – everything. Forest Service truck filled with barricades that were being put up at popular trailheads and Forest access points. Joe and I each headed toward home from there, and on the way, I passed a U.S. The extensive backcountry riding deep in the Bradshaw Mountains in the Prescott National Forest is some of the chunkiest around. “Is that the Forest closing bell?” We both laughed, but the sad truth was that the entirety of the Prescott National Forest had just closed to all public access that very minute. The breakfast bell at a nearby summer camp rang out. It’s a fantastic descent, and there was no one else out on the trails that morning.īack down at the trailhead, the clock struck 8:00. We flew down the descent, hopping like rabbits off all the water bars and skittering through the patches the loose rocks. “Sadly, I don’t think so if we’re going to be back down by 8:00,” I replied. “Do we have time for the long way down?” Joe asked.

To the north, smoke from the nearby 40,000+ acre Rafael Fire filled Verde Valley with an impenetrable brown haze. The ongoing drought is having a devasting impact on these forests.

Backbone fire strawberry az Patch#

Up on that vista, my eyes hopped from one patch of brown to the next, each a cluster of dead pines and firs. But today’s ride was a short one, first thing in the morning. We both live just a few miles from this summit, and we share a love for big rides in the chunky, challenging backcountry trails deeper in the range.

My friend Joe and I stood atop Spruce Mountain just below the fire tower one last time this past Friday, admiring the surrounding peaks and forests of the Bradshaw Mountains. The accompanying gallery includes photos from a few of the areas in Arizona burned by wildfire in just the past 15 months.