[pct-l] Flaming PCT Section A

[clarkh@xxxxxxxx (Heidi Clark)]

This is a MIME message. If you are reading this text, you may want to =

consider changing to a mail reader or gateway that understands how to =

properly handle MIME multipart messages.
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
I spent a summer working in Joshua Tree National Park, right after a huge f=
ire had burned through it.  What I learned from the rangers there is that, =
unlike in a forest, fire is not a natural occurrence in a desert.

Like in a forest, fire is caused by overgrown ground cover, but in a forest=
, the ground cover should be burned out by slow-burning, not-so-hot fires. =
 In the desert, the ground cover is usually nonnative grasses and shouldn't=
 be there in the first place.  In most cases it was introduced by the horse=
s and cattle of early settlers.

The only natural fire in a desert would be caused by something like lighten=
ing, and without the ground cover to spread it, would burn maybe one Joshua=
 Tree.

So I guess the good part about a desert fire is that it burns the nonnative=
 grass, but it also burns very, very old Joshua Trees, and the first thing =
to spread and grow back is the grass and not the trees, so a big fire is pr=
obably not such a good thing.

However, I was sort of in awe of the after-fire effect on the desert.  Ever=
ything is black, and you can see where a Joshua Tree stood because when it =
burns it tips over, and leaves a "tree shadow".  It was very eery, and kind=
 of mysterious, to see.  There is also an abundance of dead lizards, tortoi=
ses, and other desert wildlife just laying around, not even necessarily bur=
ned, but suffocated by the smoke.  It was sort of sad, but fascinating at t=
he same time.

Heidi

>>> "Christine Kudija" <cmkudija@earthlink.net> 02/04/03 12:42PM >>>
Seems to me that instead of seeing Section A as burned and ugly, it might b=
e
beneficial to see it as renewed and rejuvenated.  Granted, if we don't get
more rain the next two months, it might take a while.  But the desert &
chaparral vegetation NEEDS fire to renew itself (problems with
high-temperature fires notwithstanding, and I'm NOT going to get into
that...).

And hey - the poison oak got toasted too!  ;-)

Anyone been to the burned area of Section A recently?

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija

"Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top.
Then you will see how low it was."  Dag Hammarskjold

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Somers" <andy_somers@yahoo.com>
To: <Montedodge@aol.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 6:15 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Flaming PCT Section A


I think that I might have been there that night at
Barrel Springs!  I was definately hiking around
Hawkeye at that time with Nocona.  What was the date
that you were there.  Neat!

Hope to be back out to thru-hike this year, I agree it
will be a shame to hike Section A in this condition.
I thought it was a beautiful start to the trail.

-Bald Eagle
GA->ME '95
MEX->Kearsarge Pass '00

---Orignal Message---

I remember Barrel Springs in 2000 as 24 hikers came
staggering in over a unseasonably hot early May day.
Each time a hiker would walk in ( Most without water
for the last few miles) people would clap and cheer
like they had just did a Marathon!! Last Hiker of the
day to drag in was " Hawkeye" with a big grin holding
his nearly empty water bottle in the air saying, " I
saved the last sip for the last ten miles!! It was the
most folks I ever spend the night with in one spot but
totally a great group of fellow hikers.

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________
PCT-L mailing list
PCT-L@mailman.backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

_______________________________________________
PCT-L mailing list
PCT-L@mailman.backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l