(Final?) Glacier National Park Wildfire Update

The Inciweb website has just published what they are calling their final update on the Reynolds Creek Fire burning in Glacier National Park. In this morning's new release, the wildfire tracking website stated that "This will be the last update for the Reynolds Creek Fire unless significant activity occurs."

Here are a few items of significance from the update:

 * A warming and drying trend is moving into the area bringing higher temperatures and lower humidity. Winds will be fairly light out of the west, southwest. A slow burn of ground fuels will continue in the Rose Creek drainage area as fuels dry out. Pockets of unburned fuel will continue to burn out as fuels continue to dry out and become receptive to heat. Crews continue securing control lines and mopping up along the fire’s perimeter. This entails extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines and felling snags. Excess equipment and hose is also being removed.

 * The Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park burned thousands of trees along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The roots of many of these trees were severely burned, making the trees likely to fall on the road with the next stiff breeze. Trees adjacent to the road were sized up by resource advisors, who carefully selected which trees needed to be felled to create safe travel for park visitors. The downed trees were cut into short lengths, loaded into dump trucks and taken to a site on Blackfeet tribal lands near St. Mary, Montana. As cooperators, Park officials and Blackfeet representatives mutually agreed that the best use of the wood would be to make it available for the Blackfeet Nation Senior Firewood Program.

Inciweb has warned that fire and smoke will be visible in the burned area and up the Rose Creek Drainage until a season-ending event, such as the first snow of the season.

 * The official size of the fire is now estimated to be 4311 acres. The fire remains at 67% containment. It's believed at this time that the fire was human caused, and is under investigation. Inciweb is also reporting that two structures have been lost, one of which is the Baring Creek Cabin, but I'm still not sure of the other at this point.

* The number of personnel fighting the fire is down to 299.

* The Going-to-the-Sun Road is now open - with limitations - more details on the opening is here.

* The Sperry Trail is open from Lake McDonald Lodge to Sperry Chalet and Gunsight Pass. Travel beyond the pass is closed due to the fire. Lake Ellen Wilson Backcountry site is open. The Loop Trail to Granite Park Chalet is also open.

* Also, the Red Eagle Drainage is open for hiking access to Red Eagle Lake, Triple Divide and the Beaver Ponds. St. Mary Lake Trail will remain closed.

Although the fire continues to burn in the St. Mary Valley, the rest of the park is still open, with tons of outstanding hiking opportunities available. Remember, the park is more than one million acres in size. The Two Medicine, Many Glacier, Belly River, Bowman Lake and Lake McDonald areas all provide hikes that offer epic Glacier National Park scenery. For more information on many of the hikes in these areas, please click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
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The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Launches Video Series Aimed at Educating Hikers

Volunteers and staff at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) have created a series of entertaining and informative videos that will teach visitors how to reduce their imprint on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). The videos, titled “Don’t Be That Guy – Appalachian Trail - Leave No Trace,” were released this past weekend.

Filmed by professional videographer and former thru-hiker Tara Roberts with support from the U.S. Forest Service, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the ATC’s Tennessee License Plate Fund, and the ATC volunteers, the series illustrates the proper practices for hiking and camping that minimize impacts on the A.T.

“‘Leave No Trace’ is a great program that encourages everyone to minimize their impacts on the outdoors. These methods are needed on the Appalachian Trail, especially due to its popularity,” said Tom Banks, video producer and director. “There’s a lot of good information available from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaching the principles, and what these videos add is information that applies specifically to the Appalachian Trail. We illustrate the techniques in a direct, but entertaining, way.”

The series features a clip on each of the seven principles of Leave No Trace, which include plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors. Additional videos, to be released later in the month, will also include engaging elements like interviews with recent hikers and actors in the series as well as a lighthearted bloopers and outtakes reel. “We have to be vigilant. Our duty is to take care of the Appalachian Trail,” explained Sarah Jones Decker, a creative consultant, actor in the videos, and former A.T. thru-hiker. “As the Trail becomes more popular, we need to make sure that we are working diligently to spread the ‘leave no trace’ message."

The video series is one way the ATC is preparing for a surge in Trail use following the release of the film A Walk in the Woods, a comedy adventure starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as old friends who make the improbable decision to hike the 2,190-mile Trail. The film will be released September 2 by Broad Green Pictures. The ATC acted as a consulting organization during production and assisted with the film’s environmental messaging.

“Effort will be necessary to keep the Appalachian Trail in its natural state, especially given the increased attention that the Trail is receiving,” said Javier Folgar, the ATC’s director of Marketing and Communications. “Whether you are new to hiking or are an experienced 2,000-miler on the Appalachian Trail, everyone can benefit from watching these videos as a reminder of how to reduce impact.”

Here's an intro from the video series that explains "the Story Behind the Videos":



And here's a short clip of the "bloopers and outtakes" from the series:



To view the entire “Don’t Be That Guy – Appalachian Trail | Leave No Trace” video series, click here.

For more information about Leave No Trace and the A.T., visit www.appalachiantrail.org/lnt.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Small Wildfire Burning in Grand Teton

On Monday afternoon, August 3, Teton Interagency firefighters responded to a report of a smoke column rising from the Snake River floodplain, just west of the Triangle X Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. During a fast-moving thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning struck a single blue spruce and ignited a smoldering fire in the duff (forest litter of needles and cones) at the base of the conifer. The Riverbottom Fire is currently .10 acre in size and limited to the base of the tree.

The Riverbottom Fire lies within the conditional Fire Use Zone identified in Grand Teton National Park's Fire Management Plan, and consequently can be managed for multiple objectives, including its potential for resource benefits—as long as it is safe to do so. While the fire will be allowed to play its natural role, Teton Interagency fire personnel will monitor its activity and plan for potential protection of park facilities that may be at risk should this fire significantly increase in size.

At this time, the fire is located in an area that is currently closed to all public entry for wildlife protection;it is not endangering any wildlife located within this closure area. In addition, the fire is not threatening any park structures, nor impacting visitor access to river locations, hiking trails, or developed areas in the park.

The fire danger in Grand Teton National Park is currently rated Moderate. Recurring rain events and thunderstorms during June and July have kept vegetation wetter and greener than is typical for this time of year. Unlike other locations throughout the western states, a wet and moisture laden weather pattern has dominated both Grand Teton and the greater Jackson Hole area. This current weather pattern has created much different conditions from the extreme drought found elsewhere across the West, such as northern California.

In 2009, the lightning-caused Snake Fire was allowed to burn naturally in similar fuels north of Schwabacher's Landing. Ultimately, the fire grew to only a quarter acre in size and was dowsed by rain a few weeks later.

Area residents and visitors are requested to report any sightings of any new fire or smoke by calling 911 or Teton Interagency Dispatch at 307.739.3630.

For more fire information, please visit www.tetonfires.com



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
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Glacier National Park Wildfire Update

The following are some key updates on the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park. The information comes from the Inciweb website, which was updated this morning. Here are a few items:

 * Due to the return of drier and warmer conditions, progress on the Reynolds Creek Fire has slowed significantly over the last several days. The fire has grown to more than 3900 acres, but is considered to be 67% contained now. Black areas that burned previously are re-burning due to multiple days of very low relative humidity and high winds, while "green islands" of unburned fuel have the potential to be active as well. The Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor also continues to be a hazardous area, as the fire still burns in close proximity to the road. There are currently over 71 miles of hose on this fire!

Inciweb warns that fire and smoke will be visible in the burned area and up the Rose Creek Drainage until a season-ending event, such as the first snow of the season.

Inciweb also notes that wildlife have been returning to the burned area. Firefighters have seen elk, bear, coyotes, moose, deer and various small animals.

 * The official size of the fire is now estimated to be 3913 acres. The fire is now 67% contained. It's believed at this time that the fire was human caused, and is under investigation. Inciweb is also reporting that two structures have been lost, one of which is the Baring Creek Cabin, but I'm not sure of the other one at this point.

* There are currently 467 personnel fighting the fire at this time.

* The Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed between the St. Mary entrance on the east side and Logan Pass. At this time visitors can reach Logan Pass from the west side. Visitors are encouraged to take the park shuttle due to extremely limited parking. You should expect delays and congestion. If the road becomes too congested, rangers may turn vehicles around at Big Bend or Avalanche Creek for public safety.

* The St. Mary Visitor Center is now open to the public. Hours are from 8 am to 6 pm. The St. Mary Campground, the Rising Sun Motor Inn, and the Rising Sun Campground remain closed.

* The Sperry Trail is open from Lake McDonald Lodge to Sperry Chalet and Gunsight Pass. Travel beyond the pass is closed due to the fire. Lake Ellen Wilson Backcountry site is open. The Loop Trail to Granite Park Chalet is also open.

* Also, the Red Eagle Drainage is open for hiking access to Red Eagle Lake, Triple Divide and the Beaver Ponds. St. Mary Lake Trail will remain closed.

Although the fire continues to burn in the St. Mary Valley, the rest of the park is still open, with tons of outstanding hiking opportunities available. Remember, the park is more than one million acres in size. The Two Medicine, Many Glacier, Belly River, Bowman Lake and Lake McDonald areas all provide hikes that offer epic Glacier National Park scenery. For more information on many of the hikes in these areas, please click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Yellowstone Announces Public Meeting on Draft Winter Use Adaptive Management Plan

Yellowstone National Park will hold a public meeting on Monday, August 10, from 10 am to 3 pm at the Visitor Information Center in West Yellowstone, Montana, to discuss the park's draft Winter Use Adaptive Management Plan. The draft plan outlines a strategy to identify which affected resources should be most closely monitored and evaluated, how these resources should be monitored, and how the NPS will continually engage the public throughout the process. It was developed with input from working groups comprised of members of the public who contribute expertise across six impact topics.

The morning session of the public meeting will include updates on the development of the draft plan. In the afternoon park staff will solicit input for prioritizing the metrics for the impact monitoring program. To assist with logistics and preparation, those planning to attend the meeting are asked to email an RSVP to e-mail us by August 6, 2015.

The enjoyment of Yellowstone and its unique resources during the wintertime has drawn deep and passionate interest for over 50 years. The final Plan/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for winter use was released in February of 2013 and the Record of Decision was signed that September. In the fall of 2013, the park initiated a Winter Use Adaptive Management Program (WUAMP), which includes public and stakeholder engagement, the design of monitoring tools, and the preparation of an Adaptive Management Plan. This current draft plan provides direction for the WUAMP, which has three primary objectives: (1) To evaluate the impacts of oversnow vehicle use and help managers implement actions that keep impacts within the range predicted under the final winter use Plan/SEIS; (2) To gather additional data regarding the comparability of impacts from a group of snowmobiles versus a snowcoach; (3) To reduce impacts on park resources after implementation of the final rule by gathering additional data regarding the overall social and ecological impacts of winter use and using that data to guide future management decisions.

The draft plan is currently available for public review and comment on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website. Comments may also be made in person at the public meeting, hand-delivered, or mailed to Christina Mills, Office of the Superintendent, Adaptive Management Plan, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190. The deadline to submit comments is August 21, 2015.

At the conclusion of the public comment period, the NPS will analyze and consider all feedback received for inclusion in the final Adaptive Management Plan, scheduled for release in 2016. For more information about winter use in Yellowstone, as well as the WUAMP, click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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