Pipevine Swallowtail On Mt. Lemmon Trail — Image by kenne
The trailhead next to power transformers, A path next to a chain-linked fence. Converging rocky paths lined by ferns, One with vistas of the valley below The other, with a hill of pines singing, soon Opening to a grassy meadow of wildflowers.
Yesterday (08/05/20), I drove up the Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon. The highway was opened to the general public last Saturday morning for the first time since the Bighorn Fire began in early June. The mountain town of Summerheaven, successfully protected from the fire, is now open for business, although still having to follow HOVID-19 business regulations in Arizona.
Oracle Ridge and Mt. Lemmon Fire Station
Before entering Summerheaven, there are two ridges going north; Red Ridge and Oracle Ridge. Both ridges were severely burned during the 2003 Aspen Fire that destroyed almost all the homes in Summerheaven. Over the years since the Aspen Fire, the forest canopy has still not returned on these ridges. However, a lot of ground cover containing some bushes and small trees had returned. On June 17th, the two ridges were again burned. On June 19th, I posted two time-delay videos of the fire coming through the area pictured in the above photo. The fire station and most of the pines behind it were spared — not true of the storage building and new growth since the 2003 fire. It has now been 50 days since the fire occurred. Note how green the scared area has become with the return of ferns on the mountain slopes.
Except for the highway and Summerheaven, the public is not allowed to go anywhere in the National Forest. From what I was able to observe from the highway, most of the hiking trails with trailheads near the highway are ok, at least partially. Parts of Lower Butterfly Trail and Green Mountain Trail don’t look good from a distance.
My guess is that the trails in the forest around Summerheaven were burned like the two ridges north of Summerheaven. From a review of burn scar maps, the Marshall Gulch area to the north and west, which would include Carter Canyon, has been badly burned. For those of you who hike this area, It’s possible a lot of the Marshall and Mint Springs trails were destroyed. We may not know until November.
Since Sabino Creek originates along the Marshall Gulch Trail, the monsoon rains can result in a lot of potential flash flooding coming down through Sabino Canyon. So far, the rain amounts are very below average, but we are still in the monsoon season.
“But I’ll tell you what hermits realize.
If you go off into a far, far forest
and get very quiet,
you’ll come to understand that
you’re connected with everything.”
“I have one major rule: Everybody is right. More specifically,
everybody — including me — has some important pieces of truth, and all of those pieces need to be honored, cherished,
and included in a more gracious, spacious,
and compassionate embrace.”
Western Sneezeweed (Mt. Lemmon, June 3, 2016)– Image by kenne
The above wildflower was difficult to recognize this time of year, being early June vs. late August on Mt. Lemmon. But with the help of some of my naturalists friends the mystery plant is western sneezeweed, of which I have posted several times.
Western Sneezeweed with Painted Lady Butterfly Collage (Mt. Lemmon, August 31, 2012) — Image by kenne
Golden Columbine — Image by kenne
Sunset — Image by kenne
Oracle Ridge and Mt. Lemmon Fire Station
Rose Canyon Lake On Mt. Lemmon — Image by kenne
Computer Art by kenne
Arizona Fleabane — Images by kenne
Western Sneezeweed and Honey Bee on Mt. Lemmon — Computer Art by kenne
“My Lady” — Computer Art by kenne
“It’s Ladybug Party Time” — Image by kenne
Western Sneezeweed (Mt. Lemmon, June 3, 2016)– Image by kenne
Western Sneezeweed with Painted Lady Butterfly Collage (Mt. Lemmon, August 31, 2012) — Image by kenne
“Variation On A Theme” — Grunge Art by kenne
![Strawberry field forewer [Explore 2023-05-30 #1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52938290739_54fc88d448_s.jpg "Strawberry field forewer [Explore 2023-05-30 #1]")
Becoming is Superior to Being 