Fire/Tree danger?

imported
#1

Fire/tree danger?
Yearly I take a group of about 10 youth from our church backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness/San Juan Forest/ CDT. This year we will be hiking the Williams Creek Trail up to Williams Lake. Depending on the situation with the Little Sand fire around Pagosa our route may be changed to the CDT around Wolf Creek Pass. In light of the current fire danger and the conditions due to damage from the pine beetle and drought I am wondering if this is wise to do this year. Does anyone know the conditions in this area? We backpack the last week of July. I would love to have some opinions as we live in Kansas and I only hear what the media is reporting. Thanks!

mcook

#2

Just finished a week long hike into the Weminuche. Started at Vallecito Lake and went up the Los Pinos drainage to Flint Lake, then did day hiking along the CDT. We received the usual 5:30 to 6:30 afternoon showers every day. once we go above 90000 feet everything was damp and there appeared to be no danger of fires in the Weminuche. There is a burn ban in this area, so no campfires.

The Williams lake trail starts around 9000 feet so you do get a day or so to get acclimated (although it is a steady uphill). If you start a Wolf Creek you are starting around 11,000 feet for the first 10 miles (pretty flat easy hiking) then you jump up even higher after Archileta lake.

Have fun
Chris

Chris Pratt

#3

Actually, the fire restrictions for the Weminuche Wilderness and the South San Juan Wilderness were lifted on 7/13. The bit of forest on Wolf Creek Pass, both north and south to the wilderness is still restricted as level 1.

Here is the link to the USFS:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/home/?cid=fsbdev3_002202

bearcreek