SCVN Friday hikes on Mt. Lemmon have
Begun with more excitement than usual,
Last year’s hikes being a casualty of the
Big Horn Fire and the pandemic.
Marshall Gulch Parking Area
Leaving behind morning temperatures
In the mid-eights, we gathered at Marshall Gulch
To hike the Aspen Loop, combining the Aspen
And Marshall Gulch trails for a 4.3-mile hike.
Marshall Gulch survived the fire, as did
Most of the trail. But the Aspen Trail
Wasn’t so lucky with parts that burned
From the 1993 Aspen Fire burning again.
Aspen Trail (June 15, 2015)
Over the years, I watch aspens and pines
And many other native plants return
Among the charred remains of the Aspen Fire
Only now to experience that same fate.
Last year’s fires were followed by the driest year
On record, delaying the reclamation process
And trail clearing to provide for safe hiking
On the grayest powder covering the trails.
The mountain ferns were among the plants
To return only weeks after containing the fire,
Providing hope to those grieving over the lose
Of so much beauty found on these mountain trails.
Now so exposed, the trail seems longer
Each step requiring a watchful eye
For this out of shape hiker, navigating
The loose gravel and ankle turning rocks.
Just beyond the ridge, a line of trees
Was missed by the very erratic wildfire
As if it turned on a dime, redirecting
The firefighting crew from Montana.
Soon the trail turns away from the freshly
Scared land rambling among tall ponderosas
Shadows formed by the whole clear
Cloudless sky moving across the trail.
Images by kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 
Excellent reporting, kenne.
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Thank you, Deb. The hike was difficult but worth it.
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……..thank you Kenne….you captured the morning with your words and images
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Nature creates opportunities for starting over anew.
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Thank you Kenne – you captured the true essence of a gorgeous day!
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Kenne,
Some of these shots you took look pretty bleak, I must admit. However, the final frame at the bottom looks as though at least a few young trees that grew back following the Aspen Fire may have, in fact, survived. That’s what I call looking for good news where there isn’t a whole lot of good news.
If you have a chance to get back up there again, I hope you take more pictures to share with us. If plans hold out and my ambitions come to fruition, I might get the chance to visit the area in March – weather permitting, of course. I would not attempt to hike that trail with two feet of snow on the ground.
Regards,
Fred M. Cain,
Topeka, Indiana
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I will not likely be going up the mountain till after March or April.
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