Journal andrel's Journal: Wildfires are beautiful 3
On Saturday Robert H and I hiked the Butterfly trail in the Catalinas. This is the area burned last summer by the Bullock fire, and wow is it beautiful! I'd known intellectually that fire is good for the forest, but I didn't know it emotionally until this hike. [journal entry on fire].
The hillsides were covered in vast seas of wildflowers. Red, blue, orange, purple, yellow, pink, white. Spectacular! I've never seen a flower display like this around here, and it only possible because of the fire. Several times I stopped and did an informal survey of a square-yard next to the trail. In each case I counted c. 7 species of flower. All together I guess we saw over two dozen species. Unfortunately I didn't have a flower guide along, so I was unable to ID most.
Of course that many flowers will attract lots of pollinators. Selasphorus hummingbirds were out in force. Mostly migrating Rufous and local Broad-tailed. We saw many sphinx moths. Fewer butterflies than I'd hoped for, probably due to the weather. It was mostly cloudy and drizzling at times. Plenty of migrating Townsend's Warblers, and a few Hermits. Three-toed Woodpecker are not yet in the area, but will be in a year or two. (They're post-fire specialists.) Total of 14 bird species.
Trees are also starting to grow back. Several species of baby oak. And we saw many young New Mexican Locusts -- this beautiful species was more widespread 150 years ago, but has suffered under USDA's forest mis-management. We talked to one forest service employee who said they're trying to suppress this species because it overgrows trails. But I bet the real reason is its limited timber value. Didn't find any baby aspen, perhaps because I'm not sure what to look for.
Near the Crystal Spring trail junction we ran into a glade of ferns growing among dead burnt tree trunks. I wish I'd been in this area before the fire -- I bet the ferns were not as dominant. There's no question the forest doesn't look the way it did before the fire, but after only one year it is already very beautiful.
What's most exciting to me is the same rejuvenation will happen next year in the area burnt by the Aspen Fire. And much of that area is visible from the road, so people will see what's happening. Such a public example should go a long way toward demolishing the myth that forest fires are bad.
From the parking area across the street from Palisades
ranger station the hike goes up about
We ran into another hiker about every 20 minutes, most with dogs. I was unhappy about that, because it makes seeing bears harder. (They're around, as evidenced by scat on the trail.) Near the beginning of our hike one woman almost burst into tears when she realized they'd missed a turn and had another six miles to get back to her car. We suggested they keep going to the ranger station and hitchhike back to the car. On the way home I ran into them at Trader Joe's and learned that was what they did.
Sounds nice (Score:2)
You don't happen to be an amateur photographer and taken some photos? Sounds like the contrasts would be beautiful.
Re:Sounds nice (Score:2)
Re:Sounds nice (Score:2)
You have a point, the Canon Powershot is selling for $200 and will no doubt reach the $120 mark before the end of its marketing days.