This is a part of the gorge I never got to...love the pics. I was a bit shoked by the shots from the burn area. Didn't realize there had been such a serious fire. I know its a natural event but you hate to see it happen. How much of the gorge was affected? I've been watching the weather down there and it seems the High Country is running a bit of a snow deficit this year...hope this isn't the beginning of another dry one for the southeast! Anyway, enjoyed the report...Cheers! -Dan
Thanks. The burn was severe and widespread. Quite a lot of the western rim and into the gorge. From the top down to about 2500 feet the fire pretty much burned the entire forest. Nothing survived and even the loam burned. Below that, the forest was scorched, but the vegetation survived. You can see carbonized deadwood pretty much down to the river.
I've been told that hiking the Rockjock Trail is like clambering over piles of charcoal. I hope to find out in April, as the Forest Service has reopened that trail and rerouted parts of it.
The winter has been wetter than expected, but the high country is supposed to have drought conditions again this summer. We'll see.
dwhike - Apr 4, 2008 1:20 am - Voted 10/10
Nice...This is a part of the gorge I never got to...love the pics. I was a bit shoked by the shots from the burn area. Didn't realize there had been such a serious fire. I know its a natural event but you hate to see it happen. How much of the gorge was affected? I've been watching the weather down there and it seems the High Country is running a bit of a snow deficit this year...hope this isn't the beginning of another dry one for the southeast! Anyway, enjoyed the report...Cheers! -Dan
BobSmith - Apr 4, 2008 6:29 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice...Thanks. The burn was severe and widespread. Quite a lot of the western rim and into the gorge. From the top down to about 2500 feet the fire pretty much burned the entire forest. Nothing survived and even the loam burned. Below that, the forest was scorched, but the vegetation survived. You can see carbonized deadwood pretty much down to the river.
I've been told that hiking the Rockjock Trail is like clambering over piles of charcoal. I hope to find out in April, as the Forest Service has reopened that trail and rerouted parts of it.
The winter has been wetter than expected, but the high country is supposed to have drought conditions again this summer. We'll see.