Saying goodbye to Schultz Pass

If you haven't heard the news already, a 5,000+ acre wildfire is burning at Schultz Pass near Flagstaff, AZ. Here is a pano I stitched together of the smoke plume as seen from Sawmill County Park, taken around 5pm tonight (click for bigger version):

Schultz Fire, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

Details on the fire itself are sparse tonight. At least as of 9:45PM the InciWeb report for the Schultz Fire isn't showing any maps or location info. But judging from the position of the left-most smoke it looks like we've already lost the back side of Schultz Peak, which means Doyle Peak could be next to go. I hope I'm wrong about that, though. I really do.

This picture of Schultz Tank, taken this morning around 9AM when I hiked through that area on my way up to the Sunset and Oldham trails, may literally be the last picture of the tank before the fire consumed the area:

Schultz Pass, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

There were several ducks paddling around on the far side and many Violet-Green Swallows swooping and diving. It breaks my heart to think that there may be nothing left of this beautiful area but glowing embers and smoking, blackened soil tonight.

Goodbye, Western Bluebird. I hope you made it off the mountain...

Schultz Pass, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

Higher up on the Sunset Trail I photographed this aspen stand:

Sunset Trail, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

If reports are correct and the fire is burning on both sides of Schultz Pass road then these beautiful trees are almost certainly ashes by now.

This Western Tent Caterpillar - one of the ones I photographed a couple weeks ago and who I returned to check up on this morning - is probably dead tonight, too.

Western Tent Caterpillar, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

Later in the afternoon on my hike down from Elden I was given a front row seat to the horror show.

Here's a slurry bomber flying over Elden on its way to make a bombing run at the fire:

Schultz Fire, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

And here's another pic, this one taken just before I turned off Sunset and onto Oldham. It is this image that makes me think that the Sunset Trail and the north side of Elden is gone... gone... gone...

  Schultz Fire, Coconino National Forest, June 2010

The above pic makes it look like I was stupid-close to the fire but actually I was at least a mile away and had a tall ridge between me and it. Sometimes the super-zoom camera can make stuff appear a little too close! Still, I was worried the wind would shift so I wasted no time making tracks down the mountain and getting the hell out of there.

Tonight I'm grieving for the all the trees and the wildlife burning up there. I've spent so much time hiking and biking that area these past two years that I feel like it's almost my second home. I'm worried about Doyle Peak and Weatherford Canyon and what the light of tomorrow may reveal. I'm worried about the neighborhoods over by highway 89 that are in the path of this monster. I'm worried about the Second Chance Center. And I'm worried about my coworker and her pets that lives near there and who was evacuated this afternoon.

Goodbye Schultz Pass. The old you is passing away, leaving only memories of green and good hikes and these imperfect jpeg files on my hard drive. The new you will be very different.

[ NOTE 9/17/2010 - Five weeks after I wrote the above I returned to Schultz Pass. My account of what I saw can be found at Saying Hello to the New Schultz Pass. ]

Comments

[LM]

Thank you for the beautiful pictures. This is a very sad time in Flagstaff. I heard officials were looking for some missing hikers. I am glad you are okay.

[Sharon Kennick]

glad you made it off the mountain safely, del. your post says it all, both visually and with the written word. living at the western base of mt. elden, first thoughts on seeing the plume were for any hiker/bikers that might be trapped up there on a beautiful sunday. second thoughts went to the destruction of a rich and diverse natural resource area...

[Jason Baer]

The most important and impactful post I've seen about the fire. On behalf of all residents, thanks for taking the time.

[Ryan]

I used to bike up there when i was in high school. Im so angry someone didn't take the time to ensure their campfire was out. What a beautiful area this was.

[Steve]

Wonderful and poignant. I lost a favorite haunt on Mount Wrightson 5 yrs ago due to fire, though it was lightning at least, not an idiot with a campfire... It will grow back, but will take time. Already on Wrightson are pines three feet tall.