Gila Wilderness question(s)

hikeaz · Post by **hikeaz** » May 18 2016 4:21 pm

It has been a few years (and a couple of fires) ago since I have backpacked in the Gila.
I was wondering which trails are relatively untouched and which have been obliterated, please.
I don't mind traveling through sections of burn, but am looking for the more semi-untouched-by-fire trails.
So if anyone has hiked the area since the fires, any beta would be appreciated.

Thanks!

chumley · Post by **chumley** » May 18 2016 4:49 pm

I haven't been, but the interwebs seems to have some information you may find useful.

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/2900/

YouTube https://youtube.com/username · Post by **SeekingLost** » May 18 2016 6:10 pm

I was there, at the beginning of the Whitewater-Baldy fire in 2012. I hiked on the western side, in the Mogollon Mountains. Not sure if the fires made it over to the more popular east side. On day 5 of 6, I was on the top of Grouse Mountain overlooking one of the two small fires that eventually merged.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » May 18 2016 6:43 pm

I suggest that you head to McKenna Park. I was last in there in 2010, and it burned pretty nicely in parts or entirely, as low to moderate intensity burns, in 2003, 2010, and 2011, and 2012. It had an open park like appearance, and still does. I would come in via Turkey Creek, or the ridge above, from the Hot Springs area. The area to the west is pretty altered by high intensity fire, from the usual suspects. You can also approach from Prior Cabin, and the Lily Park area, as I did in 2010, as that has been mostly to entirely untouched. Still, I haven't got back to McKenna and may never, so a report with some photos would be awesome.

jonathanpatt · Post by **jonathanpatt** » May 19 2016 5:35 am

There's an active fire in the McKenna Park area right now, though it seems to be mostly out and probably won't grow much more. It was also low intensity and hasn't appeared to alter the landscape much, but it still might be less pleasant for the short term than it will be once it's less immediately-burned. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4716/

Jim · Post by **Jim** » May 19 2016 5:42 am

AWESOME!!! That is fantastic. I didn't even know about that one. Guess I'm out of the loop. 9,050 acres, and it looks like it burned over most of the park, which is really good news ecologically, and for every thing and everyone that like ponderosa pine forests.

Started May 6, low to moderate intensity, lightning caused, burned in areas that burned frequently over the last 15 years, and on, and on.

hikeaz · Post by **hikeaz** » May 19 2016 5:51 am

In my continuing search I found this.... http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 478855.pdf.
It is not definitive or as good as a backpackers firsthand account, but may be helpful.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » May 19 2016 5:55 am

I think someone should visit the McKenna area in August, after some good July rains, to see and heavily photograph ( and post to HAZ) the area. Not me, I hate backpacking.

and I'm so very happy about this fire.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » May 19 2016 6:58 am

Last week I drove from Page down to Silver City, via Holbrook, Springerville, Alpine, Luna, Glenwood, etc. Extremely dry all through right now. A friend who lives in Eagar told me it is much drier than usual, which was what it looked like to me. Very depressing. Creeks should be up, they are down, etc.

FOTG · Post by **FOTG** » May 19 2016 7:59 am

@azbackpackr
Hmmmm that is a tad disheartening, I will be making my annual pilgrimage back to the Blue Range next week

chumley · Post by **chumley** » May 19 2016 9:43 am

@friendofThundergod
They've had rain the past three days. Radar estimates out there are notoriously underreported due to poor coverage between four different radar stations, but the webcam on Sunrise Peak showed a good bit of snow on Tuesday, though it's all melted today.

http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=5361
http://www.intellicast.com/National/Pre ... n=USAZ0178

It may have been a dry winter, but there's been an unusual number of storms in April and May.

Interestingly, the CPC predicts drought to persist on the Arizona side of the border, but on the New Mexico side it will likely end. There is no "buffer zone" on the map between the two even though there is a category for the drought to lessen but still remain.

Then again, the same agency's forecast for the same time period indicates that there are equal chances of above or below average rainfall on both sides of the border, so who knows what they're smoking?

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/e ... rought.png
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/p ... /page2.gif

FOTG · Post by **FOTG** » May 19 2016 9:48 am

@chumley
Hey that is good to hear, I planned on quizzing you about totals in that area anyways!

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » May 19 2016 6:46 pm

My former boss said that overall it's been really dry. It just looks bad along the highway and in the towns of St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, Alpine, etc. Nothing scientific, it's just how it looks to me.

whereveriroam · Post by **whereveriroam** » May 20 2016 6:55 pm

On the Gila N.F. website they've done something unheard of here in AZ. They've posted what there trail crews have done over the last few years. They even include severity of burns along the trails in the Gila wilderness and Aldo Leopold.

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