Colorado Scenes

Vail

Barker Reservoir, Nederland

Buena Vista elk

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Pikes Peak

Taylor River Road, Gunnison County

Royal Gorge

Happy Fathers Day! - Wildfire Update

Happy Fathers Day to all who qualify for that title - genetic or not!  Dad allowed me to to do things that Mom thought were too daring - I always remember Mom asking, "But what if she gets hurt?"  Dad's response was always a shrug and a smile, and, "If she gets hurt, she might learn a lesson - but why curtail her fun and experience?"  Dad always let me go with loose reins, as long as he felt I wouldn't receive any lasting harm.  He taught me how to track, hunt, and fish.  He also taught me how to sit very quietly - in a meadow, in the woods, along running water and the ocean - and let wildlife reveal itself.  I remember being amazed the first time I saw a field mouse gathering food, and a bird gathering nesting materials.  He also taught me about engines, building things, how to paint and mow, and tons of other usable and practical information that I have employed throughout my life.  My Dad passed away suddenly when I was 24 - which was 33 years ago.  It doesn't seem possible....   Thank you, Daddy, for everything.
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Colorado Wildfires Update -
   The Big Elk Meadows fire in Rocky Mountain National Park  has burned 496 acres and is reported at 60% containment.  Currently, the fire is burning a lot of dead, beetle-killed forest.
   The La Veta - Klikus, Bergen Rock, and Beaver Creek fires are completely contained.
   The Royal Gorge fire has burned 3,218 acres and is now 85% contained. No homes were lost, but 48 of 52 park buildings were lost, including the railway terminals and the aerial tram.  However, the Royal Gorge Railway began running again yesterday.  It is open for business.
    The Ward Gulch - Rifle Mountain Park fire has grown to 682 acres and is 15% contained.  Rifle Gap has been closed to boat traffic, to avoid casualties; and both Rifle Falls Park and Rifle Mountain Park are closed to the public.
    The West Fork fire is located in Mineral County in the Weminuche Wilderness Area.  It has burned over 2,000 acres and there is no containment.
    The Black Forest fire has now destroyed 483 homes and burned 15,702 acres.  It is 55% contained.  Some evacuations are still in effect, while others are being allowed to visit the remains of their belongings.  So far, the human fatality number is still only two.

   Today is cooler than it has been this past week, and there is a chance of showers this afternoon/evening.  Let's hope the rain falls in plentiful measure, without any lightning.
   

Five of Seven Fires Still Burning

I'll start off with a complaint - it makes me crazy when the state or media decides to change the name of a fire - case in point: half of the media are calling the wildfire near La Veta, the "La Veta" fire; half of the media are calling it the "Klikus" fire....  With a lot of wildfires burning, I don't need any more mental confusion!
  Two fires are out or totally contained - a fire along a fence line in Aurora suddenly blew out of control yesterday, and destroyed five duplex homes, displacing ten families. There was also a small wildfire near Bergen Rock in Douglas County, which is now totally contained.  Thank goodness that there were no deaths or casualties in these fires.
   Actually, so far there are no known fatalities in any of the fires so far - that, of course, only counts human lives, not pets or wildlife.  The Big Elk Meadows fire in Rocky Mountain National Park began Monday afternoon and was caused by a lightning strike; it's size is currently estimated at 400 acres.  There is also a small (at this time, 10 acre) fire in the remote Rampart Range in Douglas County, along Fern Creek.
   The La Veta (or Klikus) fire is now 40% contained, and is estimated at 50 acres in size.
   The Royal Gorge wildfire caused the closing of the Royal Gorge Park, a junior college, and the evacuation of a federal prison in Canon City.  This fire is approximately 4,000 acres in size, and has burned several homes.
   The Black Forest wildfire has burned 7,500 to 8,000 acres, and has destroyed 60 to 100 homes.  An area of 24,000 acres have been evacuated, and the winds are rising again.

Five Wildfires Burning in Colorado

After the wet April and and first of May that we had, it's incredible to realize that Colorado is still in a deep drought condition.  We've had almost record-high temperatures yesterday and today, and it's also been pretty windy.  I feel lucky in that none of the fires are threatening the Boulder area, but other places are not so lucky.  There is a fire burning in Rocky Mountain National Park, in Big Meadows, near the Green Mountain Trailhead.  There is a rapidly growing 300 acre fire near the Royal Gorge, which has already destroyed homes.  El Paso County has a fire burning in the Black Forest, whch hs already destroyed at least 5 homes.  In Huerfano County, there is a wildfire burning to the west of the town of La Veta.  And there's also a fire in Aurora (metro Denver) that has caused multiple evacuations, and there are at least three homes burned.  It's currently 97 degrees, and the humidity ranges from between 4 and 10 %; the winds are blowing at a steady 15 mph and have been blowing at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph expected through the afternoon and evening...  My prayers go out to all the people, pets, and wildlife that are anywhere near these conflagrations!

Smoke from the Big Meadows fire in RMNP this afternoon