doc_cj
06-27-2006, 03:06 AM
I normally post about how great the rides are in southern Utah, but we've got some pretty serious fires going that I wanted to warn visitors about. If you're headed for Coloradical or anywhere in southern Utah (all the national parks) etc., you'll want to keep a heads up.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/12/1234/123499.jpg
The pic above is taken from just over the mountain from the Kolob park area of Zion National Park. That's about 15 miles south of Cedar City and about 30 miles north of St George. It's burned about 17,000 acres so far, and has been contained to mostly federal lands outside the major park areas.
As most of you know these fires are often hard to fight because of the rough terrain. Below is a shot of one of the helicopters dipping into the canyon near Tuachahn (the outdoor amphitheater) down by St. George.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/12/1228/122879.jpg
That fire only burned about 30 acres, and was controlled pretty quick. But there are 3 others burning in the area.
Not to get anyone upset or have them put off their trip. You just have to be careful this time of year because it gets so dang dry. Here's a few tips to help your rides.
1. Plan your routes by watching both the weather and the fire sites on the news. Southern Utah is HUGE and most of the areas are not inhabited, so a wildfire in the mountains may look a lot worse than it is for your ride. But you should still be careful and plan accordingly.
2. Use common sense when lighting/disposing of matches, cigarettes, camp fires, fireworks, etc. The grass and trees around here get awfully dry this time of year, and one little spark will set off a fire that will burn 10,000 or more acres in a few days.
3. Do NOT drive into the smoke. Every year we get some poor fool who doesn't understand that the fires shift quickly (the winds can blow them at 25 to 40 miles per hour on a bad day) and they get lost in the smoke. Just last year we had two bikes lost in a local canyon when the riders got caught by the smoke and got off the road. They dumped the bikes and hiked back out, but the bikes were destroyed. You should also be careful on the road since other drivers can not see you ... smoke is just as bad as fog.
4. Cell phones do NOT work in the mountains around most of the towns here. They are just too remote, and the towers are localized along the interstate and main roads. That means that if you get up at 12,000 feet or back in some of the canyons you can't just call out for help.
5. Fireworks are thew WORST this time of year. Please, if you use them follow the law in town and in the camp sites, but more importantly use some good sense about making sure they are out.
Let me again add that Southen Utah is a GREAT place to ride ... shoot all of Utah offers some great rides for that matter ... but the current fires can cause some problems if you're not careful. We want you to come and spend your money ... but more importantly we want you to come back again next year as well. So ride safe and enjoy the trip.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/12/1234/123499.jpg
The pic above is taken from just over the mountain from the Kolob park area of Zion National Park. That's about 15 miles south of Cedar City and about 30 miles north of St George. It's burned about 17,000 acres so far, and has been contained to mostly federal lands outside the major park areas.
As most of you know these fires are often hard to fight because of the rough terrain. Below is a shot of one of the helicopters dipping into the canyon near Tuachahn (the outdoor amphitheater) down by St. George.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/12/1228/122879.jpg
That fire only burned about 30 acres, and was controlled pretty quick. But there are 3 others burning in the area.
Not to get anyone upset or have them put off their trip. You just have to be careful this time of year because it gets so dang dry. Here's a few tips to help your rides.
1. Plan your routes by watching both the weather and the fire sites on the news. Southern Utah is HUGE and most of the areas are not inhabited, so a wildfire in the mountains may look a lot worse than it is for your ride. But you should still be careful and plan accordingly.
2. Use common sense when lighting/disposing of matches, cigarettes, camp fires, fireworks, etc. The grass and trees around here get awfully dry this time of year, and one little spark will set off a fire that will burn 10,000 or more acres in a few days.
3. Do NOT drive into the smoke. Every year we get some poor fool who doesn't understand that the fires shift quickly (the winds can blow them at 25 to 40 miles per hour on a bad day) and they get lost in the smoke. Just last year we had two bikes lost in a local canyon when the riders got caught by the smoke and got off the road. They dumped the bikes and hiked back out, but the bikes were destroyed. You should also be careful on the road since other drivers can not see you ... smoke is just as bad as fog.
4. Cell phones do NOT work in the mountains around most of the towns here. They are just too remote, and the towers are localized along the interstate and main roads. That means that if you get up at 12,000 feet or back in some of the canyons you can't just call out for help.
5. Fireworks are thew WORST this time of year. Please, if you use them follow the law in town and in the camp sites, but more importantly use some good sense about making sure they are out.
Let me again add that Southen Utah is a GREAT place to ride ... shoot all of Utah offers some great rides for that matter ... but the current fires can cause some problems if you're not careful. We want you to come and spend your money ... but more importantly we want you to come back again next year as well. So ride safe and enjoy the trip.