Mt Baldy Area & Winn Campground - Wallow Fire 2011

[MikeB61]

Anyone know if the Mt Baldy area and nearby Winn Campground were damaged in last year's Wallow fire? Planning hike in the area this month.

[chumley]

This map shows the perimeter and the burn severity across the Wallow Fire burn area.

It looks like there's a little "island" of perimeter around the Winn campground where it was saved, and most of the area around the campground was in the "low" severity class. The campground is within a short distance of the western perimeter of the fire, and the Baldy area was totally untouched. I haven't been there personally, but from the map, it looks like the campground itself will have few noticeable effects. It looks like there are some patches of severe burn north of the campground, but most of this area appears to have escaped without catastrophic burn.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ftp/InciWeb/AZ ... 436-0.jpeg

[azbackpackr]

Oh, my goodness!! That map is one reason vacationers are not coming to the White Mountains! People see that map and remember the news casts, and they think the whole place is toast. (Remember to always take news casts with a big grain of salt.) Many places have gone out of business, people are moving to the Valley in droves because they can't support their families, houses can't be sold, the school district has to close one school and go to a four-day week, etc. This fire could not have come at a worse time for our communities of Eagar and Springerville, occurring as it did during the economic recession.

Well, folks, it ain't true. The fire damage, other than in several specific places, is very spotty. Most of the trails have been open since last fall. Almost everything is open. Big Lake hopes for lots of visitors. Please don't stay away!!

To keep up with the latest info, keep in contact with the Forest Service! Give them a call. Baldy is in the Springerville Ranger District. It definitely did not burn. Here's their page: http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf
Springerville RD list of open and closed areas: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 366560.pdf

As you can see, Winn Campground is open.

I note with interest that the campground at South Fork, one of the most pleasant campgrounds in the White Mountains, (it has a creek running right through the middle of it) is going to remain open only for day use. That area got some heavy burning, some not burned. I hiked South Fork Trail in the late fall. It was odd. It is so very familiar, I have hiked it maybe 50 times, but it is quite a bit different now, also. Some heavily burned areas, some areas not burned at all. Here's my write-up and photoset of that hike: http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=19899

I will be home to Eagar in less than a week, and back on the trail, whether on foot or on bike.

[MikeB61]

Thank you for the advice where to get accurate info. The Google Earth image of the area was 6/12/2011, you can actually see the smoke and ash, with several more weeks to go until it was contained. We will do our best to support the communities and the forest!

[azbackpackr]

Thank you and you're welcome! Have a fun hike!

[chumley]

I'm confused Liz. Are you saying that the map is incorrect? Or just that people don't understand how to read it?

My understanding is that the high-intensity reds are the scorched, crown-fire, matchstick areas, while the low-intensity green was basically a healthy ground fire that you won't even know burned unless you look for the signs of it.

[Nighthiker]

Planning on a trip myself for Winn or Hoyer this summer. Will set up a base camp (popup camper) hike and bike the area. My last visit to Hoyer the campground was not paved and it was dusty at times. Coworker was camped in the area an was surprised with the numbers of elk observed.

[azbackpackr]

What I'm saying is that people tend to just look at the perimeter on the map. It's hard for them to picture how spotty it really is, especially since the TV cameras that went up on the mountain after the fire focused only on the burned areas. Also, that map does not show specifically what the FS has opened. They've re-opened almost everything. It's almost too bad that Baldy didn't burn, actually. That whole east slope needs a burn. However, by the time it got over there it was like, enough already, we need a break from this fire. Baldy can (and without a doubt, will) burn later.

All the gloom and doomers were saying Escudilla would be closed for years, but the FS is really hoping to open it soon.