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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

Hah, I knew it! I heard that the Pinalenos just closed. I am going to the Catalinas tomorrow. Maybe I can sneak in under the wire.

well, it sounds like we have until monday before they do anything.

I will still be up there on Monday, I think, but will be leaving there that day.

I suspect they will close the entire forest. But I think it won't happen until at least Wednesday since it takes a bit of effort to accomplish it, including posting signs, and finding existing campers and hikers and making them leave!

chumley wrote:and finding existing campers and hikers and making them leave!

azbackpackr wrote:I heard that the Pinalenos just closed.

Where did you hear that? Rumor? I can't find anything official.

I heard it from a hiking pal, she sent me an email. Ooops...Sorry about that!! I usually try not to do that. You know, passing along hearsay without verifying it (or at least, saying it is hearsay.) Wonder where she got that info?

Hearsay/gossip/rumor/bs I heard from Round Valley (Springerville-Eagar) says that the fire is going up Escudilla now. So....let's see if that turns out to be true or not.

Part of the problem is there really is not much info coming out very quickly. And I can well imagine that people who have been evacuated are glued to the computer, trying to find out what is going on, and there is really not much forthcoming.

@azbackpackr in this case, the hearsay is correct.

Wildfire danger leads to closure of road to Mt. Graham. It's ADOT, not the FS that made the closure on this one.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/wildfir ... 03286.html

Hey, thanks, Cindy.

Thanks Cindy. And because newspapers and tv reports are wrong 96.2% of the time, here's the link to the actual press release from the source:
http://www.azdot.gov/CCPartnerships/News/NRel2941.asp

cindyl wrote:
Wildfire danger leads to closure of road to Mt. Graham

Well, there goes my weekend plans on Graham, but I am totally OK with this decision. The mountain is bone dry and the creeks are as low as I've ever seen them in 10 years.

Had a great overnighter at Wilderness of Rocks in the Catalinas. Lots of columbines, ferns, etc. Very nice down by the creek. Nevertheless, it IS very dry in the Catalinas. We left there a day early so we could help take care of our house in Eagar. Family members removed a lot of very valuable items from there and brought them here to Flagstaff, and I will be putting them in storage tomorrow. This morning I woke up in Wilderness of Rocks, and had planned to sleep there another night. Oh well. Cell phones work great there, alas... I sure drove a long way today.

Another rumor I heard, which I ought to post on the Wallow Fire thread, is that after Alpine was evacuated, there were 70 break-ins. So, that is why we have to get stuff out of the Eagar house now, just in case they do evacuate that town.

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.

cindyl wrote: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.

It's astonishing to me that people can be so stupid and unaware. I agree. I had fun this weekend, and we didn't miss having a fire at all.

Ok, so, let me ask this question: If they close the forest to protect it, does that help teach the stupid unaware people about the problems with their campfires? Or, does that just reinforce to them that when the forest IS open, they can have a fire any old time?

There was a big electric sign at the bottom of the Mt. Lemmon Highway. Couldn't miss it. It said, NO SMOKING, NO FIRES.

Where were you hiking? I guess I didn't see you. I talked to everyone I met. We were just on the Marshall Gulch and W. of Rocks trails. Oh, were you with Deborah's group?

Elizabeth

@azbackpackr I see your point about the stupid people, I just don't want to see any more forests going up in flame because of human-caused incidents.

I did see Deborah and Patty today coming out today - when we were just starting. I was not with them - we got a late start on our Lemmon Rock/Wilderness of Rocks/Lemmon Lookout hike, so that's likely why I didn't see you. I did the Marshall Gulch/Aspen Loop yesterday, too. I probably just missed you.

If you saw a young hippie guy hiking barefoot with a big pack, then the old gal lagging behind him was me. Sure was nice up there. Sure wish I was waking up there right now instead of here in Flag.

Your son must have some pretty nice and tough feet to hike barefoot. Wish I could do that, but my flat feet prevent that.

azbackpackr wrote:It's astonishing to me that people can be so stupid and unaware.

You can't fix stupid (or ignorant). While hiking in the West Fork of Oak Creek last weekend, a hiker approached smoking a cigarette on the trail. We "reminded" him of the extreme fire conditions and asked [nicely] if he could put out his cigarette. He obliged by flicking it into the creek. Seriously??? I wanted to tell him that people like him shouldn't be allowed in the outdoors.

Since we're talking about stupid behavior, I'll tell this: Back in the summer of 2009 I had to go to Cottonwood for school on Monday. So, Sunday afternoons I would drive down 89A and go through the canyon and Sedona. One particularly hot Sunday, I was heading down a little later that I typically would and most people had gone to dinner or back to the valley. I came up to the Bridge over the creek at Slide Rock and what do I see? 2 cars, parked right on the bridge and only pulled off the side a little bit. Not only that, they had their doors open out into the lanes, and the were standing around like nothing was wrong at all. Laughing and talking, while their kids looked around. I guess English wasn't their language, as they couldn't see the signs that clearly read no parking on bridge. I held my horn down as I went past them. I should have called the police, but I didn't have my phone on me.