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| Chimney Peak Fire on June 1 as viewed from Kennedy Meadows |
On August 6, we decided to visit the start of the fire and follow Chimney Peak Road up from the start of the fire up the canyon which more or less is close to the actual path of the fire. It was quite something to stop and visualize how it made it's way up and over to Kennedy Meadows Road.
At one point about half-way, we stopped and walked a trail which used to go into a Pinyon forest.
Eerie but mostly extremely sad....for I will never see trees here again, I believe my grandchildren will not see trees here....perhaps my grandchildren's children because:
It takes a long time to grow a forest;
It takes a longer time to grow and alpine forest
It takes even a longer time to grow an arid, alpine forest
It takes even longer to grow a Pinyon Forest....For,
The only way to replant a Pinyon Forest is for the raucous Pinyon Jay to plant it.
They can take up to 20,000 of the peanut sized Pinyon pine nuts and bury them for future food. But they can only remember where they put about 80% of them. Of the remaining 20% a few may germinate. But who knows when the Pinyon Jays will decide to start planting here??
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| A short distance will reveal the damage |
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| The black sand now scorched by the sun was too hot for the dog to walk upon |
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| Already some green, how can that be? |
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| Stood in the center, of the burnt area, a strong breeze blew a hot wind, trying to imagine the June 2 inferno |
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| This is what's left of a grand old Juniper, who by the looks of it, gave the fire a good fight, but it too lost |
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| Eerily it seems the wind has blown the black ash away to guide ones way |
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| I take many pictures of trees as I look at them as a wonderful art piece. Sadly this tree gave its all in this sculpture. |
