WILDFIRES: 14er Peak/TH Closures

[enoki]

What about front range, specifically pikes peak?
Probably less actual fire danger them smoke and wind conditions.

Looking to go on 5 July, but it seems so smokey and windy hard to know if we should.

Pattern in the Springs this week has seemed to be clearer in the morning, smokier in the evening. Not sure if that's helpful and can obviously change, but I've felt ok running in the mornings.

[Eph 2 5]

Just an FYI if anyone was thinking of hiking Uncompahgre this weekend: I was hiking yesterday (Friday, July 3rd), in the Uncompahgre area. I parked a mile up the Nellie Creek Road. There were probably 15 cars at the upper trailhead. I hiked 13,110 and some other areas and when I came back down, no one was on the main Uncompahgre trail and there were no cars at the trailhead. I had passed a number of campers along the road on the way up, but on the way down I saw that they were all gone. When I got to my car, the Forest Service had placed a note on my windshield saying ,"Please do not hike into the Uncompahgre Wilderness. A forest closure is in effect in all areas northwest and west of this location. Thanks." They must have swept the area and closed the forest as I was hiking. Thanks to all the Forest Service personnel involved in operations like this.

[toddhoelzle]

What about front range, specifically pikes peak?
Probably less actual fire danger them smoke and wind conditions.

Looking to go on 5 July, but it seems so smokey and windy hard to know if we should.

I did Pikes from Crags this morning. Open Snow predicted a break from surface smoke starting early this morning until around mid-afternoon and that was pretty much spot on.

There seems to be a similar break tomorrow morning, although you should probably check again before you head out.

Note that there was definitely a brown haze to the west and views were pretty limited.

[BillMiddlebrook]

I updated the start of this thread with information on the Elk Fire, near Lake City

Uncompahgre Peak is now closed off

[trekettup]

Being so close to the fire in Ouray, how bad is San Luis peak? I’m heading that way Thursday anyways, but I’m assuming air quality is pretty bad. Thoughts go out to all those impacted and fighting the fires

[two lunches]

air quality looks phenomenal for san luis

[RWinters]

Agree with Two Lunches. I was in Lake City the last 3 days and air quality was great!

[justiner]

Good news coming out of Leadville. Fire is 51% contained, and the closure has been reduced,

https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files ... 0order.pdf

[ECF55]

Lots of monsoon moisture across the state today and an active pattern forecast for the foreseeable future. Great news for tamping down smoke. Trickier business for hike planning.

[dwoodward13]

USFS issued an updated Willow Fire closure order yesterday with a reduced closure area. The southern routes on Elbert now appear to be open (standard still closed).

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alert ... ea-closure

[Corndiggs]

RE: Elk Fire, the FS issued a version 2 order that states Uncompahgre is back open:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/alerts ... order-v-20

"On the southern end of the closure area, the Nellie Creek Road – FSR 7877, Nellie Creek Trailhead, Uncompahgre Peak Trail – NFST 9239, and Uncompahgre Peak will be open to visitors, displayed on Exhibit A as a 300 foot from centerline of the routes."

But looks like Wetterhorn is still closed...

[IHikeLikeAGirl]

Was in Ice Lakes Basin 7/26-7/28
Drove through Ouray/Montrose on 7/25 and 7/28
Not a hint of smoke and could not see ANY of the smoke from hwy 550 (between Ridgway and Silverton). Smoke from the Gold Mtn fire was bad from 550 about a month ago.
Rained all afternoon and evening near Silverton, each day I was there.