HikeArizona.COM

SR 69 closed both ways from SR 169 to I-17 due to Goodwin Fire (smoke).

Note: Editorial comments, conjecture and supposition WELCOME in this thread.

I remember one time someone labeled me as deceiving, regarding my assessment of access to the true summit of Wilson Mountain near Sedona. I basically took an image of what I saw, and made an assessment and made a comment of it. I responded back, sarcastically, that my actual intent was to deceive as many people as possible, that day. There is a difference between stating someone is inaccurate, vs. misleading, as one implies an attempt to steer things deliberately.

Accurate or not, the appearance of current conditions is a fair one, as to the casual observer the present matters. There once were some threads related to forest policy, management, and so on, but basically, like global warming, it is simply not a popular topic to discuss in a HIKING forum. If one really wants to do that, all the time, there are more appropriate locations. Disagree? Look at the fire threads. I didn't monitor them all the time, but even a dissenting comment appeared to launch things in a direction that got at least one thread cut back and locked. The weather thread is similar, and it is not a serious discussion of long-term forecasts, models or climate predictions, it is "how much rain I got". Those who once might have done this either lost interest, or left the forum/ site long ago. Todd and I sometimes do, but then it is just us, often double posting. It's a hiking site, not a hardcore discussion site.

flagscott wrote:I used misleading because if you are not educated on fire science, then it really seems like the area was destroyed.

You may be the first person I've communicated with who has a masters degree in fire science so I'm glad to be introduced to new knowledge. As an uneducated rube, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but from your post above you are stating that fire did not destroy the area in these photos?

https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657907
https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657927
https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657935

chumley wrote:

flagscott wrote:I used misleading because if you are not educated on fire science, then it really seems like the area was destroyed.

You may be the first person I've communicated with who has a masters degree in fire science so I'm glad to be introduced to new knowledge. As an uneducated rube, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but from your post above you are stating that fire did not destroy the area in these photos?

https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657907
https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657927
https://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=657935

What do you mean by destroyed? Did fire kill the above ground vegetation? Sure. But I see regrowth already happening in all of those pictures. Come back to that same place in 3 or 5 years and you'll see a lot more. I like to take the long term perspective. Nothing was destroyed--the vegetation was just changed.

BTW, don't get the impression that all fires are good. There are fires that burn so hot that they sterilize the soil, and after some fires, you can get major erosion (especially on steep slopes) so that the soils wash away completely and nothing can grow back. In that case, the word destroyed might be more appropriate. But I don't see that in these pictures.