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Leva
Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Hidden Valley (Maricopa area) AZ
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Posted: 5/29/2004, 5:57 am Post subject: More Tonto Forest Closures -- NOT PUBLICIZED! |
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Ack!
Drove up to my father's cabin last night -- it appears they've shut down a large portion of the Tonto Forest (WAY more than is on the maps) -- there were ropes up and "Forest CLosed -- Extreme Fire Danger" signs up at all the campsites I passed in the dark, plus one on the road into my father's cabin, which is about twenty miles west of Strawberry/Pine.
I'm not sure if they just closed down the area along the Control Road, or if they've closed the whole forest.
I fully understand and support forest closures. But it would have been nice to be able to find out ahead of time what is, and is not, closed. I'd planned on doing the Derrick/Horton loop and now I have no idea if it's open ... guess I'll find out.
Leva |
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Nighthiker
Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 1714
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Posted: 5/29/2004, 10:08 am Post subject: |
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The area of the Tonto National Forest west of AZ 87 and North of Payson is closed. The area east of AZ 87 to US 260 and from the rim South to the control road (which is restricted to local residents only) is also closed. Leva the area you mentioned are with in the closed area. I expect additional closures next week with perhaps a good portion of all national forest in Arizona closed. |
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Leva
Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Hidden Valley (Maricopa area) AZ
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Posted: 5/30/2004, 9:58 am Post subject: Control road is closed now. |
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They've closed the ENTIRE control road now, except for residents. There's a checkpoint up at the 260 and the Control Road with volunteer firefighters from Tonto Village manning it. I'm not sure if they're kicking out people who camped along the control road or not, but there was a large SCA (Society for Creative Anacronisms) group camped near the Diamond Point turnoff and they were gon e this afternoon, so its quite possible.
The forest actually doesn't look too bad, though. It's much greener this year. But -- coming from a standpoint of someone who loves this country -- I'm glad the FS is taking no chances.
We took a drive through the Rodeo/Chediski burn this morning -- down into Canyon Creek and then off the rim at the lookout -- and it was very lush and green up there. Interesting drive; I had not been through there in about eight years and the change from the fire and drought is just amazing. Last time I went through there was a WET monsoon summer, and it was pouring rain several hours every day and had been for weeks.
Leva |
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Leva
Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Hidden Valley (Maricopa area) AZ
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Posted: 5/30/2004, 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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The roadblock on the control road is gone now -- who knows what that was about. *shrug*
Tried to go down into Fossil Creek this afternoon, though, to fish -- FS maps and information and an earlier call to the FS on Friday had led me to believe the upper trailhead was closed but the creek and flume trail were open. Surprise, there was a roadblock up that did not look official -- it appeared that local residents may have taken matters into their own hands. Sigh.
Leva |
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Nighthiker
Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 1714
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Posted: 6/1/2004, 8:40 am Post subject: |
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The roadblocks are manned by vol. firefighters during the day. Sometimes the fire districts are to happy to "close' an area with out approval from the forest service. I have had them in my campsite when I was not present and it appears they rummaged around (observed them once) a bit. Leva, your dad lives in the area where Don Dedera has a home. Doe's your dad know him ? I have several of his books. |
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Leva
Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Hidden Valley (Maricopa area) AZ
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Posted: 6/1/2004, 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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The name doesn't ring a bell to me, I can ask him. But he's not been there long.
There are two Ellison Creek subdivisions, BTW, one that's on leased forest service land and one farther north (where he is) that's on a private ranch that was subdivided up into one acre parcels., between Ellison and Lewis Creek. He's in the l;atter.
Leva |
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Leva
Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Hidden Valley (Maricopa area) AZ
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Posted: 6/1/2004, 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, and I found out, after posting this, that someone had driven a car off the road down in Fossil Creek, and a couple people had died. Drunk and speeding, which is not a good combination on that road. I'm not sure, but the road closure may have had something to do with that.
I wish the FS would put a railing on that road. It's probably not feasible to widen it, but a railing should be doable -- even just a cable barrier. If it were just drunks killing themselves, fine, but this guy took a passenger with him.
Leva |
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matt gilbert
Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Posts: 698 Location: Mesa
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Posted: 6/2/2004, 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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That passenger probably watched him drink all day and then got in the car with him anyway. If you don't know not to get in the car with a drunk driver (if you don't know to take the keys from them...) you're just as bad as they are.
Its a good thing that they didn't start a fire. Gasoline and what-not... _________________ Cogito ergo ambulo cum sacculo
-Matt Gilbert |
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mike What box?
Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Posts: 3134
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Posted: 6/10/2004, 9:20 am Post subject: Portion of Tonto Forest shut down |
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azcentral.com wrote: |
Portion of Tonto Forest shut down
Fire potential leads to indefinite closure south of Ariz. 260
Mary Jo Pitzl
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 10, 2004 12:00 AM
Weeks of bone-dry weather and high temperatures have led Tonto National Forest officials to close a part of the forest south of Arizona 260.
The closure, which takes effect at 8 a.m. today, comes as land managers continue to ratchet up fire restrictions in camping areas statewide. Grand Canyon National Park is banning all campfires and smoking as of this morning, and, in western Arizona, campfires will be allowed only in established campgrounds.
The restrictions and closures will stay in place indefinitely.
A wave of fire restrictions went into effect just before the Memorial Day weekend. The restrictions mainly affect campfires and smoking and apparently did little to discourage heavy use of the state's public lands.
"Memorial Day had the potential to be explosive," said Wendell Peacock, fire-operations manager for the Arizona office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. But there were few problems, despite the crowds and the tinder-dry conditions.
Vinnie Picard, information officer for the Tonto National Forest, said a combination of an alert public and luck have helped keep fires at bay so far.
"We're very thankful," Picard said.
But the Tonto is closing all land south of Arizona 260 from just west of Tonto Creek to where the road meets the Mogollon Rim at the east end of the forest. The area includes Christopher Mountain, Snowshoe Ridge, Turkey Peak and Colcord Mountain.
The closure does not affect developed campgrounds, such as Ponderosa, Upper Tonto Creek, Christopher Creek and Sharp Creek. Fires are allowed in those campsites' fire rings.
Earlier, the Tonto closed land around Strawberry and Pine, as well as the Pinal Mountains north of Globe.
The BLM restrictions affect land in the agency's Kingman area, including Hualapai Mountain Park land. No open fires are allowed in those areas unless in developed campsites. As with other locations statewide, gas-powered stoves are OK. |
_________________ [/size] |
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GeorgAz
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 815 Location: Scottsdale
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Posted: 6/11/2004, 6:44 am Post subject: |
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Guess Horton Creek will have to be filed away until winter( if we ever have one)! |
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