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Lots of activity in Springerville this morning, with the Prescott Hot Shots arriving at Safeway for a snack, and other buses full of firefighters seen on the highway heading for the "Wallow Fire" in Bear Wallow Wilderness Area, south of Hannagan. The smoke is not that visible, although my daughter was over at Hulsey yesterday and saw the smoke. I was up at Big Lake early this morning and could see only a haze of smoke south of there, not a big plume. I think winds too strong for it to plume up much. I'm back in Flag now, so I won't get the firsthand news any more.

Oh, and no campfires or charcoal grills allowed in the campgrounds since last night in Apache-Sitgreaves NF (Big Lake, Hannagan, etc.) I think stoves still allowed. Not sure about non-campgrounds.

Here's a news story on the Wallow Fire, but as of this writing it has not made it to inciweb yet. (Maybe tomorrow?)
( dead link removed )

Perimeter Map [ Wallow Fire Map 2011-06-27 :: map ]
Inciweb ( dead link removed )

Is the fire area re-open for hiking yet?

Regardless of cause or blame, it's very sad to see such total devastation.

kingsnake wrote:Is the fire area re-open for hiking yet?

If you mean the actual fire area, many of those areas likely won't open for years. If you mean unburned areas such as Mt. Baldy--not yet, but soon, I think.

Sipe White Mtn. Wildlife Area, Wenima Wildlife Area and White Mtn. Grasslands area, all are Game and Fish properties, all are open.

Also, the trails in Sitgreaves area (over by Pinetop and Show Low) are open. Lakeside Ranger District.

azbackpackr wrote:
Sipe White Mtn. Wildlife Area, Wenima Wildlife Area and White Mtn. Grasslands area, all are Game and Fish properties, all are open.

Also, the trails in Sitgreaves area (over by Pinetop and Show Low) are open. Lakeside Ranger District.

That's good to know about Sipe. Was the house damaged there?

I looked at your thread about road to Big Lake still closed. Do you know if the marina plans to open this summer at all?

Trying to decide about trip planned for next month . . .

You are more reliable than any other resource out there about current conditions :thanx:

I just returned from a 17 day river trip, so I don't know if SR 261 (the paved Big Lake Hwy) is open. However, SR 273 to Big Lake (from Sunrise) has been open since well before the date of your post. I'm in Flag right now, also. I think there are a lot more forest roads and trail open now. Check with the Apache-Sitgreaves NF Springerville and Alpine Ranger District websites.

azbackpackr wrote: I think there are a lot more forest roads and trail open now. Check with the Apache-Sitgreaves NF Springerville and Alpine Ranger District websites.

Thanks for the update!! Planning for one day at Sipe and one day at Big Lake.

The petroglyphs at Sipe are awesome, but the host does not know where the best panels are. Talk to Brian or Brenda when you are there, see if you can get the info from them. However, without someone to show you, you will miss the best ones:
http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=146066

I'll be down later in the week, but probably won't have time to go out there with you.

When at Big Lake, you won't be able to hike Indian Springs Trail, which was the best trail near there. It was burned over pretty badly. Parts of RR grade are nice for backpacking, west of the West Baldy TH, but not as good east of it. That trail is open, I believe, as are the Baldy trails.

It took awhile but 2 male cousins, both in their mid-20's have been charged with starting this fire. One's from Tucson and the other from Benson. White Mountain Independent has the story. They had been arrested the day AFTER the fire started.

Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque. Made me think that they filmed parts of the episode during the worst time of the Wallow when it was smoking out northern New Mexico really bad.
http://blogs.amctv.com/photo-galleries/ ... walt-2.php

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque. Made me think that they filmed parts of the episode during the worst time of the Wallow when it was smoking out northern New Mexico really bad.
http://blogs.amctv.com/photo-galleries/ ... walt-2.php

Never heard of the show, since I don't have a TV, but it sure does not look like regular smog. There were other big fires, too, such as the one at Los Alamos, that could have caused the smoke.

Joe, can you get rid of several of trails listed at top of page? Mt. Baldy Loop and the other two Baldy trails were not impacted. Many others were, such as Overland, South Fork, Escudilla, Bear Creek, etc. Thompson I am not sure about, since I have heard of people hiking it. Which does not mean it's open. Overland was closed when a couple of people hiked it and posted it on HAZ.

To quote an old hiking pal of mine, "Why do government agencies close trails for a year? Because they CAN!!"

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night.

I have it on DVR. I stil haven't watched last week's episode, but I'll probably get to it before long.

big_load wrote:

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night.

I have it on DVR. I stil haven't watched last week's episode, but I'll probably get to it before long.

They were good. I won't spoil it, or don't look at this thread, but if you have watched it for a few years, you'll likely enjoy the last 2 of the season. I picked it up over the March 2010 marathon of season 1 and 2 episodes, and then started watching seasons 3 and 4. I got the jist of the first 2 years. It will be fun to see how they end it next year, with 16 episodes for the final season.

AMC would be happy to know that B.B. is the only show on TV I actually watch, and that I got dish out here to watch the show. Basically, I wouldn't have any TV were it not for the show. But, winter is coming and who knows how boring it can be here when it gets dark at 5 PM.

azbackpackr wrote:

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque. Made me think that they filmed parts of the episode during the worst time of the Wallow when it was smoking out northern New Mexico really bad.
http://blogs.amctv.com/photo-galleries/ ... walt-2.php

Never heard of the show, since I don't have a TV, but it sure does not look like regular smog. There were other big fires, too, such as the one at Los Alamos, that could have caused the smoke.

Yes, you have heard of the show, becuase you said exactly that, the last time someone, like Jeff Macewen or someone else, mentioned it. That is smoke fog, Albuquerque just isn't that polluted, and the sun (not in the pic) is reddish and dull. It could have been from another fire, but the with the prevailing SW winds, the Wallow was the big one to smoke out ABQ in June. The others were all around the same time, but the Wallow was the one making news for smoking out the city some 2 to 300 miles away.

Yeah, ok, but I never remember stuff like that, about TV shows, unless I get into watching one. I sure as heck remember the fire, though, since I actually SAW it and was EVACUATED from it! ;)

Next summer I may be back in the White Mountains again, who knows? It will be interesting to see what has opened up, where I can hike and bike. Some friends of mine went to South Fork in mid September, and were thrilled to see so many wildflowers had come up since the fire, amongst the charred trees.

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque.

OK, I just watched it. The haze is very noticeable in that scene, whereas most of the other outdoor shots feature bright, clear skies. I wonder if the parking deck scene was filmed days or weeks after the others. I also wonder if I could live in ABQ. It's oddly similar to Phoenix.

It's a lot more like Tucson than it is like Phoenix. About the same size. Has an Old Pueblo feeling about it. Has mountains in similar directions. It's colder in winter, and cooler in summer than either TUC or PHX. I could live there. I have relatives around there. But would rather not live in a town that big.

The differences between New Mexico and Arizona...there are many. Demographics, architecture, politics, history, education: you name it. And yet the two are so similar in so many ways, too. Arizona had far more Mormon pioneers. New Mexico has the old Hispanic families that go back 400 years. Arizona has Indian reservations. New Mexico has Pueblos. Arizona has Grand Canyon. New Mexico has the Rocky Mountains... but yet, the two are still so similar...

Someone must have written a book on this topic, comparing the two states. It's funny, too, how an arbitrary straight line is all that separates the two states--not even a river or mtn range runs along that line. It's just an imaginary line. Furthermore, the two used to be one. The whole area, way back in the 1800's, used to be called New Mexico Territory. But once that line was drawn the two became separate entities, and developed differently.

big_load wrote:

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque.

OK, I just watched it. The haze is very noticeable in that scene, whereas most of the other outdoor shots feature bright, clear skies. I wonder if the parking deck scene was filmed days or weeks after the others. I also wonder if I could live in ABQ. It's oddly similar to Phoenix.

Yes, but what did you think of what happened to Gus?


Liz, Arizona has the Sonora Desert, New Mexico has the Chihuahua Desert.

Jim_H wrote:

big_load wrote:

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque.

OK, I just watched it. The haze is very noticeable in that scene, whereas most of the other outdoor shots feature bright, clear skies. I wonder if the parking deck scene was filmed days or weeks after the others. I also wonder if I could live in ABQ. It's oddly similar to Phoenix.

Yes, but what did you think of what happened to Gus?

I thought the special effects were impressive. I also thought his ability to do what he did at the end was unrealistic, but fitting for the character. I've always enjoyed Giancarlo Esposito as an actor.

big_load wrote:

Jim_H wrote:

big_load wrote:

Jim_H wrote:Don't know if anyone watched the Breaking Bad season finale last night. In an interview it was stated that they finished filming in June, and in the final scenes of the show, in a scene on a parking garage's top floor, there is a thick haze that dims the sun to a light red and the smoke or haze blankets Albuquerque.

OK, I just watched it. The haze is very noticeable in that scene, whereas most of the other outdoor shots feature bright, clear skies. I wonder if the parking deck scene was filmed days or weeks after the others. I also wonder if I could live in ABQ. It's oddly similar to Phoenix.

Yes, but what did you think of what happened to Gus?

I thought the special effects were impressive. I also thought his ability to do what he did at the end was unrealistic, but fitting for the character. I've always enjoyed Giancarlo Esposito as an actor.

What do you mean, "at the end"? What gus was doing in general, or when he had got up and walked to the hall and then collapsed? That was pretty unrealistic. The force required to blow the door off its hinges probably would have at least knocked him unconscious, let alone killed him as it did. With Gus out of the picture, I wonder what will happen next season. Will Mike be back, and so forth. I liked that they killed Gus and the other guy, too. Both characters had gotten so evil.