Indian Heaven Wilderness is partially RE-OPENED!

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drm
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by drm » September 5th, 2017, 7:26 am

justpeachy wrote:I estimate the fire was only about a mile away from the East Crater Trailhead when we rescued our car at 8pm last night.

The photo below was taken at Clear Lake on our way out yesterday, at 3:45pm. I agree this has to be human caused and I'm betting it was a campfire.
I was assuming a campfire too, presumably at Junction Lake, which would be more than a mile in from the trailhead. These distances are hard to gauge.

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by justpeachy » September 5th, 2017, 8:02 am

I read on Facebook that someone who was camped at Blue Lake said the fire started inside East Crater.

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by drm » September 5th, 2017, 9:08 am

justpeachy wrote:I read on Facebook that someone who was camped at Blue Lake said the fire started inside East Crater.
How could they possibly know that? Blue Lake is a mile south and I don't think you have a good view of the crater since the lake is surrounded by forest. (not that you would know how they would know that)

And how could a fire start in the crater without lightening? Unless it's about to erupt. ;)

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by justpeachy » September 5th, 2017, 9:55 am

Good question. The person said there are unofficial campsites in the crater. Where there are campsites, there are campfires. I haven't been in the crater myself so I can't speak to that.

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by Aimless » September 5th, 2017, 10:26 am

The person said there are unofficial campsites in the crater.

Not to be too finicky, but I think very few wilderness area campsites are "official". Those few are in an overused area where the FS wants to limit camping. Generally, they are just places where people chose to camp, and if they attract frequent use they become well-established and more or less permanent.

Where there are campsites, there are campfires.

Yup. Established wilderness campsites almost always have fire ring, even when they are in places where campfires are permanently prohibited and the FS has dismantled those fire rings repeatedly. :(

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by Don Nelsen » September 5th, 2017, 3:12 pm

Getting into East Crater is not so easy and I'd be very surprised to find that a fire started there. I walked the entire rim and explored the crater a couple of years ago and I saw no evidence of any human activity and no fire rings or evidence of there ever having been any.

It was a very pristine area and I hope we don't lose it to fire.

Here are a few photos:
Image
Image
Image

The view from the highest point on the rim:
Image

dn
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"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by romann » September 5th, 2017, 8:51 pm

Chazz wrote:Oh man... I love that area. At that rate of growth, I'm not real hopeful that the areas I love around there are going to go untouched.
Me too, partly for it being so lush and untouched by fire (so many other places aren't) :(. Hope it doesn't get too torched around the lakes and meadows... Almost went there this weekend, but smoke forecast pushed me farther north.

Re: fire starting at East Crater - I am almost positive on Junction Lake, very popular with campers. BTW the link Dean posted in another thread, they added perimeter map; the closure includes all of wilderness and some surrounding areas.
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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by justpeachy » September 5th, 2017, 9:14 pm

Thanks for the photos and information, Don. I tried to find photos online from inside the crater and didn't have any luck. Yeah, it doesn't look like a good spot to camp, and if you didn't see any evidence of past campsites it seems other people would agree!

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by drm » September 6th, 2017, 5:07 am

romann wrote:BTW the link Dean posted in another thread, they added perimeter map; the closure includes all of wilderness and some surrounding areas.
I still don't see a perimeter map, just a closure map. I also see that fires and smoking are now prohibited - as of 9/5. The size is still listed as 1000 acres, hasn't changed from the beginning, and the inciweb report said there wasn't much growth.
There was little fire growth overnight.
but also 0% containment.

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Re: Fire in Indian Heaven Wilderness PCT closed

Post by romann » September 6th, 2017, 7:25 am

drm wrote:
romann wrote:BTW the link Dean posted in another thread, they added perimeter map; the closure includes all of wilderness and some surrounding areas.
I still don't see a perimeter map, just a closure map.
Yes, you right I didn't read it correctly.

Latest fire update - they didn't yet start fighting it, only plan to "as firefighting resources are available". But at least it didn't spread much in the past day, looks like meadows were a natural buffer. They also got a new fire near Carson, that will further strain resources..
East Crater Fire Update: Tuesday evening, September 5, 2017

On Tuesday, September 5, fire activity was low due to dense smoke from the Eagle Creek Fire which shaded the East Crater Fire and put a cap on the fire area. The fire backed into meadows on the north and east sides which also contributed to decreased fire activity. Personnel from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are walking the fire perimeter to assess fire size, its potential rate of spread and to scout for favorable terrain and fuels for future control efforts as firefighting resources are available. Dense smoke has made it difficult to tell where the fire perimeter is in some locations and fire acreage will be estimated as smoke clears and additional ground intel is available. The fire is burning in the Indian Heaven Wilderness and was first reported by a hiker on Sunday morning, September 3rd. FIRE CLOSURES: Hikers are advised that the Indian Heaven Wilderness and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail are closed due to the fire. Campsites around the Indian Heaven Wilderness are also closed. For details visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordp ... ts-notices

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