Dan's Outside

I go, I see, I do, I walk, I think, I like…

'Telegraph' Fire Near Yosemite

I don’t have any first hand info about the fire since I’m not in Yosemite, but reports I’m hearing (from a variety of sources ranging from newspapers to people who are there) includes:

  • The route from Merced/Mariposa that follows the Merced River past El Portal is now apparently closed due to the fire. (The more southerly route 41 and the northern route 120 remain open and should not be affected.)
  • I hear that there has been an increase of smoke and ash in the valley.
  • Apparently the power was cut to Yosemite Valley, though reports are that generator power is keeping stores and restaurant and other accommodations open.
  • As of this evening, none of the Yosemite Webcams seems to be updating, probably as a result of the power issues.
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July 28, 2008 - Posted by | Commentary

3 Comments

  1. … And I’m going stir crazy here. I am so busy at work and so broke that I can’t go anywhere. I want to go to Yosemite so bad (without the fire of course) and I can’t. I’ve got to work and I can’t take any time off. If it weren’t for your pictures I don’t know what I’d do. Ok, I have done one thing. I signed up for a lighthouse tour up the coast of Maine and into Nova Scotia for next June. And damnit! Nothing had better get in the way of the trip either! And in the meantime, I hope the Yosemite fire doesn’t do any lasting damage and that the park rebounds in full glory. I need to go so I can take some picture too!

    Comment by cynthialeeder | July 28, 2008

  2. Cynthia, I know what its like to want to go but not be able to – you have my sympathy! (I won’t make it worse for you by describing my summer, uh, schedule… ;-)

    In the long run I think that this fire is probably actually a Good Thing. (I know that it may be a tragedy for anyone whose property is in its path though.) From what I hear, the area had not had a fire for a century! That is actually a pretty unusual thing for an area like this in the dry foothills of the Sierra, where periodic fire is actually a normal part of the ecology. I just hope that the build-up of flammable materials wasn’t so bad that the fire damage becomes extreme. That sort of thing can lead to a much longer recovery time – witness the burned area along the section of highway 120 between the Tioga Road turnoff and the Valley.

    In the meantime, I’ll try to keep the photographs coming – especially at my photography web site.

    Take care,

    Dan

    Comment by Dan Mitchell | July 29, 2008

  3. Thanks Dan, and I think you are right. Fire is a party of nature and has been a powerful force in the evolution of the plants in this state. Its hard to watch the damage in process and I hate the thought of anyone getting hurt by it or loosing their homes but when all is said and done, nature will rebound. And now if I can just hold on and get through my workload, maybe I can get out this fall. I sure hope so! Thanks!

    Comment by cynthialeeder | July 29, 2008


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