[pct-l] So. Cal. Fire Status

[rogers at isi.edu (Craig Milo Rogers)]

	The Grand Prix fire, west of Cajon pass, is growing north and
west.  The Old fire (named after Old Waterman road or canyon, I
expect) seems to be growing in all directions.  The Los Angeles Times
has a story in which a Forest Service ranger is quoted as saying that
they expect the two fires to merge!!!

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-102603fires_wr,1,6754725.story?coll=la-home-headlines

	This is scary stuff.  The Cajon Pass corridor is being
evacuated (but not Wrightwood, yet).  Lake Arrowhead is being
evacuated.  It appears that preparations are being made on the
assumption that nothing will stop these two fires as they march north
toward Wrightwood and Silverwood Lake, except for recent burns (such
as last year's Blue Cut fire on the north portion of the Cajon Pass).

	My personal opinion is that if you know any hikers on the PCT,
or on any forest trails between, say, Mount Wilson and Big Bear City
(I see no reason why the the fire could not eventually reach Big Bear,
BTW),

		       GET THEM OFF THE TRAIL.

If you can't contact them directly, contact the Forest Service with
their presumed whereabouts.

	I dislike being so full of gloom and doom, but the smoke
filling Southern California's sky is very, very gloom-and-doomy at the
moment.  The local segments of the PCT may look very different for
next year's class, if the trail is open at all (the trail could be
closed for rehabilitation under a worst-case scenario).

					Craig "Computer" Rogers