SNOW IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

We haven't seen the mountains to the south for several weeks---either due to smoke or due to rain clouds settled way down on the mountain. When the clouds finally lifted there was snow to about the 8500 foot level. WINTER'S COMIN'. It ain't here yet but it is comin'!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Went to the New Year party for the FS here today---for you that aren't feds October 1 starts the fiscal year for the feds---hence New Year. This is a pretty neat party where the forest celebrates the accomplishments of the old year and gives out the safety awards for the year just ending. They also celebrate the accomplishments they made in the last year and discuss some of the things that are going to happen in the next year. I started this celebration a couple of years ago and hope it turns into a yearly tradition.

I got invited by the Forest Supervisor to attend since I was the one that started it earlier---at least that is what I thought---at the end of the day he presented me with a Legacy In Fire Management award from the national office in recognition of my efforts in fire throughout my career. It was neat to be recognized even if it was 10 months post mortem. I think it is a vey nice award.

IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING, THE OLD MAN IS BORING

It has been raining pretty hard the last two days and the Twitchell Canyon fire is looking way sick. There is no visible smoke anywhere that we can see. But remember it has been this way twice before. I'm tellin' ya rain doesn't necessarily put fires out. I told everyone before that it wasn't out and I'll tell you again it isn't out---not yet---it'll take a lot more rain than this to finish it off. BUT it is for sure not going anywhere in the near future. It will sit and smoulder for a while and if it turns hot and dry it will burn again....if it continues to storm it'll give it up and go out....time'll tell.

I THINK THERE IS SNOW IN THE NEAR FUTURE---AT LEAST IT FEELS LIKE IT T'DAY.

PUTTIN' AROUND

I got home from my little fire the evening of the 29th so spent all day the 30th kind of resting up and cleaning up my gear to get ready for the next go round. The gear is clean but not packed yet but that will be easy when I get around to it. Yesterday we went for a little ride to look at the leaves on the mountain. They were beautiful but have changed rapidly and will fall soon so if you wanna look do it quick.

Today is our 41st anniversary---Where did the time go????





At the end of the trip we stopped by my Mother's old house to see how the construction is going on it---it'll look pretty much the same but the inside will be quite a lot different.

More Arm Chair Quarterbacking

This map is only one day and 4,500 acres out of date but it shows most of the fire activity since I have been gone to a little fire of my own (about 1150 acres). The fire is now over 44,000 acres and growing a little every day. I believe they have made a new decision on it to put the fire out on the south end. If they get that part of the fire put down I think this one is history---yeah I know I said that earlier but this time I think it's over. From my perspective that would be a good move and would put this fire into the books of the Forest as the most effective management fire ever.

They are moving the fire camp to Beaver Monday since that is where the majority of the work that remains to be done is located. They did a really effective burn out near the I-70/I-15 Junction yesterday and I think that is shut down cold today. The rest of the fire along the west facing ridge (facing I-15) is hanging up on a prescribed burn that was done by about three years ago. I don't think it is possible for this fire to chew through that as there isn't enough fuel yet to sustain a good fire.

ANOTHER UPDATE

After today I'll probably have to put the map on in two halves---barely got North Creek on tonight and a lot of that burned today---we'll see how the new team does.

This is a picture of North Creek burning that I stole off my wife's facebook---thanks to whoever posted it.

ARM CHAIR QUARTERBACKING IS LOSING IT'S APPEAL

Here is the latest progression map of the Twitchell Canyon fire just before the third red flag warning day in a row. I understand it has hit the Interstate at Fish Creek and is rapidly approaching it at Shingle Creek. If you can't read the map Fish Creek is the one with the big blob of red North of the light blue and Shingle Creek is the one that is all dark green just to the left of Fish Creek. They will both be black by morning if the information I am getting is correct.

Here is what the sun looked like from the North corner of our yard after the fire started making it's run today.

Right now they are predicting another red flag warning day for tomorrow with the potential for thunder storms. It's not my call, and I am not involved in any way, but I think we will see them move into the full suppression mode tomorrow. Time will tell but I think everything identified to be burned has now been burned.