Re: Meadow Fire

Walked thru it up The Merced... was expecting some bad...
astounded at how much damage it did....

Little Grizz Cascade w/ Moraine Dome in w(b)etter times:


What it looks like now:


Took way too many photos... did loop to Echo Valley (no damage) to Sunrise HSC and over Clouds.

Just amazed at the damage. Worse than Rim in my book.

Will post more pix later.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2014 09:06PM by chick-on.

Camped in those trees last time I was up there with my wife...

Quote
AndrewF
Camped in those trees last time I was up there with my wife...

Why am I not surprised?

(I found lots and lots and LOTS of erratics on this trip)
(you shoulda just given them all A's n joined me)

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Wow. Just wow. Pray for snow

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The Other Tom
Wow. Just wow. Pray for snow

Answered?

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I've seen cupcakes with more icing than that!

Any damage beyond Bunnell Cascade? how about between the footbridges?

Quote
AndrewF
Any damage beyond Bunnell Cascade? how about between the footbridges?

The north (south facing) slope above the footbridges got toasted... but luckily there is only
minor damage around the footbridges...
as such:


No damage beyond (upstream) of the footbridges. Maybe post more photos later...

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Should have said pray for more snow...........

More:

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Lost Valley:

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2014 07:27AM by chick-on.

More...

Moraine Dome:


Helmet:


and ... amazingly... it was still burning on the slope below Starr King Lake (which didn't have huge damage... )
and here:

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Wow. Those pics are great, but sad. How was camping in the burned out areas?

Quote
KC
Wow. Those pics are great, but sad. How was camping in the burned out areas?

The first camping spot beyond LYV is at the "Moraine Dome" "campground" ... which is
shown in the first picture (that's Moraine dome there)
Right now the trail from LYV to Echo Valley is dayhike only... You'd be coo coo in the
head to camp in those trees now... or anytime in the foreseeable future...
If it opens for camping anywhere... you'd want to make darn sure a widowmaker is
nowhere nearby...
The next spot that is nice to camp at... is luckily not burned .. although I guess THE
Bunnell Cascade area you could maybe plop down (in Lost Valley) ... but most of
Lost Valley is just burned to a crisp... and I wouldn't camp in there either w/o
going up the NE slope and making sure tree wouldn't fall on me...
so... next spot.. is at the two bridges... in the next valley upstream.. and that
is not burned (well... the hillside got toasted... but that's moot)
Beyond all that there is no burn.. and Echo Valley, which I was told has been
toasted completely a couple of times in the past (I guess last time was about
25 years ago) ... had no damage.
Hope that answers your query..

Here's Echo Valley... as good as ever:


Have fun

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2014 06:46AM by chick-on.

Last one I'll show... I promise

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I disagree about the damage. There was no damage. There was only a forest doing what forests do. They burn, they regrow, then do it all over again.

Quote
Dave
I disagree about the damage. There was no damage. There was only a forest doing what forests do. They burn, they regrow, then do it all over again.

Obviously with that thought process...

Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis, nothing causes any damage. It's what nature duz.

Yes, it will come back... it's all been burnt before... To put it blunt

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There's a large number of areas that have been completely burned "to the ground"...
Mono Meadow Area
Illilouette Basin
Starr King Area
Upper Little Yosemite
Lost Valley
Echo Valley
Cathedral Fork Echo Creek
Echo Creek
Fletcher Creek
All... yes, it will come back just like those... but it will take some time.
It will be interesting to see how it progresses... the views will open up even more
after the trees get topped in within a few years... recovery will not be quick...
but yeah, nature will replenish...
On the bright side... we can rest assured that what is ocurring along 120
(and elsewhere for sure w/r to The Rim Fire) ... there won't be bulldozers
and the "damage" those things cause..

I find the before and "after" both interesting and impressive...
And look forward to it's "recovery" after this "damage"

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Well I'm just going to have to go up there and see for myself how bad the "damage" is sometime soon. Of course it's a natural process but it sure was nice hiking through that mature forest.

It's completely toasted from a bit beyond LYV campground all the way thru Lost Valley to Bunnell Cascade.
You will go "dang" ... It was soooo nice before... It's "different" now...
Was trying to convey the "damage" ...
Pretty much a "world class hike" ... now not so pretty...

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Wow... thanks for the pictures -- so sad. We hiked up through there in July last year. My son's first ever backpacking trip. This year part of the trip is back down through there as it rained the day we were going to go up Half Dome, so we're returning so he can hopefully make it to the top. But it's definitely going to be different going down through the burn. He ate his first wild goose berry in Lost Valley.... Well, we have the memories and now he'll see the reality of nature.