Coronado National Forest CLOSED 6/9/11!

[SkyIslandHiker]

The Coronado National Forest just released this Media Advisory within the hour:

"Press Conference June 6 at Noon Regarding Fire Danger on the Coronado National Forest

VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER PROMPTS OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS OPTIONS FOR
FIRE SAFETY ON THE CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST
Press Conference to Follow Meeting June 6 at Noon

TUCSON, AZ (June 3, 2011) – Federal, county and local officials will meet
Monday, June 6 to discuss very high to extreme fire danger on the Coronado
National Forest, and options available to protect public safety and natural
resources. A press conference will follow at noon..."

Bill

[Tough_Boots]

I spoke with the fire lookout today at Lemmon Rock. He said that they found no fewer than 10 unattended fires over the weekend - this at a time when fires are not allowed at all. Even after spending two hiking days up in the Santa Catalinas, I say shut it down.

Wow! That is infuriating I agree-- shutting it down is better than losing it for good.

[chumley]

June 6, 2011, Tucson—The entire 2 million-acre Coronado National Forest will be CLOSED beginning at noon Thursday because of extreme fire danger.

The closure includes the popular Sabino Canyon, north of Tucson, officials said today.

The only exception will be that the Catalina Highway to Summerhaven in the Catalina Mountains will remain open to residents, business operators and the public. But no stops may be made at pullouts, trails or other sites.

"We recognize the impact this closure will have," said forest supervisor Jim Upchurch. "But these are unprecedented fire conditions."

Darla Sidles, superintendent of Saguaro National Park, said all high-country trails and sites in the east district of the park will be closed. The west district will remain open, and the 8-mile loop drive on the east district will remain open.

[Cheerycow]

I spoke with the fire lookout today at Lemmon Rock. He said that they found no fewer than 10 unattended fires over the weekend - this at a time when fires are not allowed at all. Even after spending two hiking days up in the Santa Catalinas, I say shut it down.

Unbelievable! TEN?
No wonder we have so many human-caused fires.

[rwstorm]

About time; should have happened before Memorial Day weekend.

[Jim]

Good thing we got our hike in! Well, so be it.

[azbackpackr]

I had fun, too, on the backpacking trip to Wilderness of Rocks. No fire, no tents needed at all. I didn't even sleep IN the sleeping bag, just threw it over the top of myself. Very green along the creek, but otherwise the area is pretty dry.

[Sredfield]

I have to believe that, regardless of conditions, part of the reason to close them now is that there are no more resources to fight another one.

[Jim]

Out of state guys. We have guys from all over.

[SkyIslander18]

I don't know who to believe now, ADOT says the Swift Trail up Graham has been closed, but the FS just told me that it is NOT closed until 6/9/11 and should have never been put on the web as closed. I'm heading up tomorrow to get one more hike in or, I'll be turned away at the base by ADOT?

[chumley]

It was never listed as closed on the ADOT website (az511.org) despite the press release going out. May have been a "scare tactic" just to try to keep people from going.

It will definitely be closed as of Noon Thursday!

[PrestonSands]

I heard that the Pinalenos just closed.

Thank God. I'd go freakin' nuts if a fire broke out up there.

[nonot]

Fire on Mt Lemmon

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?rid=46 ... 23f1822eb3

[chumley]

That was "big news" yesterday afternoon since they closed Mt. Lemmon immediately. But there was no information on the fire except that it was in Spencer Canyon.

Now I'm reading that it was 1/10th of an acre? I think that could be contained with what most people call a "fire ring".

Ok, it's actually about 4,000 square feet, which is half the size of the average postage stamp yard in the valley of the sun.

[Jeffshadows]

It burned a portion of the campground...a very small portion. Word is that it was one tree and some brush but it was really smokey so it looked menacing...

In other news, the rumor is that they are waiting for a certain pre-defined amount of rain to hit Lemmon and Mica before they reopen the trails. The frustrating thing is that they are refusing to say what that amount is. After the air assault the clouds gave us yesterday we must be close!! ;)

[SkyIslandHiker]

On the CNF web site, they have dialed down the Fire Danger meter by two levels from "extreme" to "high" in the past week.

An article in the Green Valley News last week indicated that the CNF will not reopen piecemeal as some of us might be hoping:

"Spokeswoman Heidi Schewel said the Forest Service tracks a number of factors, or "models," that monitor fire danger. These include how likely an ignition source is to start a fire, how hard it would be to control a fire, and how much heat and flame it would produce. When all the models are in acceptable ranges the forest will be open again, Schewel said. And allowing visitors in again is an all-or-nothing proposition. The Coronado National Forest will open all at once instead of certain areas becoming available at different times, she said. "It's too confusing for people when things don't come online all at once," she said."
source: http://www.gvnews.com/news/monsoon-a-us ... 002e0.html

Sadly, they've still been catching people on Mt. Lemmon violating the closure order:

"Residents say they are concerned after numerous people have been caught smoking, building campfires, and going behind the barricades blocking off the Coronado National Forest...Despite the obvious signs warning people of the closures and high fire danger, forest service officials said they had issued several citations to people breaking the law. One person was even cited for building a campfire on forest land, last weekend. "I've heard that there are some people going through the barricades, I've heard there have been people smoking, I simply do not understand why they would do that," said Heidi Schewel, a Public Information Officer for the Coronado National Forest."
source: http://www.kold.com/story/15010393/four ... ire-danger

You can't blame the FS for keeping it closed with such blatant disregard for closures and restrictions.

Bill

[rwstorm]

You can't blame the FS for keeping it closed with such blatant disregard for closures and restrictions.

Yeah, we have at least one on this website, who even had the audacity to post a trip report and photos (my apologies if you were officially allowed in there).

[Jeffshadows]

**Ceveat Emptor: This is Unconfirmed**
The heads of Saguaro and Coronado were discussing reopening the trails yesterday; rumor is that they might do so today or tomorrow...

[BrettVet]

Did a drive-by of the Saguaro Park trail-head at the end of speedway this AM on the way to work and all the barricades and closed signs are gone. Looks open to me.

[Jeffshadows]

IT'S OFFICIAL!
Saguaro is OPEN. No word on Coronado, yet...

[writelots]

Ooh - I may have to hike out and see what Bridalveil looks like with all this rain...