Tag: fire

Palliser Fire

Burnt trees between the mountain and creek bed.

The Palliser Fire is still going in places. Forest fires have been known to burn roots underground for months. Lisa and I wandered around. Lisa was hurt to see some of our favourite places burned. Rock Creek was burned badly.

The forest floor reduced to rock as a new cycle begins.

The fire burned 9000 hectares. It was managed by a large firefighting crew who seemed to control it and let it burn. That is the way forest fires will be managed now. Forest fire management has become an industry unto itself.

A rocky crag with hundreds of waiting deadfalls.
Life renewed from ground still warm with fire.

Wild Fires

The sun is captured by a wall of smoke. Lisa and I sat on our patio and watched this cloud of smoke move quickly from the north. The blue sky of evening is above.

Fires are springing up and starting to burn all around.

Bad news from Jasper tonight as it is being reported that several buildings are starting to burn within the evacuated town.

I would often visit Jasper in my teens for the hiking into the surrounding mountains. It is a beautiful area. Lisa and I even spent part of our honeymoon there.

I was hoping with the cooler spring we had that the fires would not be bad this summer. Just wishful thinking.

snags

A bunch of coulees, bluffs, creek bottoms, waterfalls and draws, trees scattered like match sticks hither and yon. Fire lay it bare, exposing the mountains for what they are; slides, rock, coves, caves, ridge and a bunch of hiding spots – just ask the grizzlies and goats.

You don’t want to be lost in it. That’s for sure. It’s better to stay on top then be wondering in the dark, not a star in the sky, only the dim moon shining through falling snow, silver here and there where the water shows.

Even best instincts aren’t enough. Nothing coming good or bad. The fire and deep snow doesn’t care, nor does the burnt snag falling to the forest floor give a damn if it’s heard or not.