Miami Fire Pictures from Summerhaven – 4/18/2014

It was a beautiful day high on the mountain – we drove to the Summit Trailhead to start a friendly race – Aspen Draw Trail, thru Summerhaven, Mint Spring Trail, Marshall Gulch Trail and the Aspen Trail to Marshall Saddle – I managed to win by about a minute, but not without an all out effort!

While hiking back to the car on the Aspen Trail I noticed smoke below and assumed it was just someone burning brush… But in Summerhaven (to get a cookie!) we were able to see the flames, smoke and orange tint from the Miami Fire.

1504 Hillside Flames
Flames from the Miami Fire on a hillside above Summerhaven. April 2015.
1504 The Miami Fire from Summerhaven
Smoke and flames from the Miami Fire. April 2015.

It was hard to tell how big and close the fire was – but thankfully InciWeb reports that the fire is only 5 Acres and already 20% contained (see updates below). Both Tucson News Now and the Arizona Daily Star report that no structures have burned, there are no current evacuation orders and that while precautions are being taken no structures are currently threatened. The cause is still under investigation but it is believed to be human-caused. The highway was closed at the base.

UPDATE 4/21/2015 – InciWeb now reports that the fire is 100% contained – no structures were damaged and the fire burned 5 acres.

UPDATE 4/19/2015 – Tucson News Now reports that the highway reopened Saturday night and remained open on Sunday.

From InciWeb 4/20/2015: The Miami Fire was 100% contained today at 4:30 p.m. The crew has been released. The fire has transitioned to the Arizona State Forestry Division. This will be the final update for the Miami Fire.

From InciWeb 4/19/2015: Miami Fire is 40% contained. Crews have fireline and are cooling hot spots in the interior (mopping up). Four acres on private land, .6 on Coronado National Forest.
Due to the prompt response of Coronado National Forest, Mt. Lemmon Fire Department and Rural Metro Fire Department, a positive outcome of no structures lost was possible. Close proximity of a helipad and dip site to the fire also contributed to the success.

From InciWeb 4/18/2015: The Miami fire, burning in Carter Canyon near Summerhaven is now 20 percent contained and is 4.6 acres. The fire was active in the afternoon but the fire behavior has now decreased. Firefighters expect to make good progress tonight, but the area has many snags, and heavy mop up is anticipated. There are currently five engines, two water tenders a helicopter, a twenty person handcrew, and various overhead are assigned to the fire. That is more than forty firefighters working to suppress the Miami fire with another twenty person handcrew ordered. The Mt. Lemon Highway remains closed at MP 0.

Campground Changes, 1922, Upchurch, Lambs, Rescue Season – 4/9/2015

The summer heat has started and the winter rains are starting to be harder to remember – as in all recent years the forest service is encouraging caution during fire season – no restrictions yet… National forest officials urge caution with fire, April 02, 2015, Douglas Kreutz.

With warmer temperatures coming the lower campgrounds are closing and the upper ones are opening – Mt Lemmon seasonal campground changes

Tales from the Morgue: Deer and mountain lions, March 23, Johanna Eubank, Arizona Daily Star – A fascinating look back at an Arizona Daily Star article from 1922 – for 4 years the ‘Catalina Game Reserve’ had been closed to hunting in a reaction to game becoming scarce – the 1922 article reports “The advantage of the game reserve is strikingly illustrated, forest officials state, by the increase of game in this district, since sportsmen had almost exhausted the game here before the reserve was closed four years ago”.

Southern Arizona Utility Company Reports Sufficient Water For Now, Tony Paniagua, KGUN9, March 23, 2015 – From the Mount Lemmon Water District – “the water supply is currently doing well, thanks to a few inches of rain in recent weeks and one snowfall of about eight to 10 inches.”

Upchurch promoted to forester for Southwest Region, Derek Jordan, Herald/Review, [email protected] – Jim Upchurch,  formerly Coronado National Forest Supervisor, is moving to a position as a deputy regional forester for the Southwestern Region. Issues that Upchurch dealt with in the Coronado National Forest include the Rosemont Mine and Tombstone Water Pipelines

Bighorn lambs in the Santa Catalina Mountains have been in the news with the count up to 15! Project status updates continue to emphasize that it is unlikely all of the lambs will survive and the importance of the restrictions in place in the Bighorn Sheep Management Area.

Backpacking Romero Canyon, Kurt Papke – a video including some of the great areas above Romero Pools on the Romero Canyon Trail.

‘Search and rescue’ season is underway, April 08, 2015, Caitlin Schmidt, Arizona Daily Star – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department warns that in this “season that can be dangerous and leads to an increase in search and rescue operations”. In the past two months rescue and injury reports include the Phoneline, Romero Canyon, Blackett’s Ridge, Bear Canyon, Pima Canyon, Seven Falls, Ventana Canyon and Finger Rock Trails…

Coronado National Forest – Facebook Page!

 

 

 

2 Ranges, Kannally, Miraval, Horses, Lambs

Move Across 2 Ranges is a great event that challenges people to get out on the trails and complete one of several trail challenges that cover between 5 to 21.5 miles on trails in both the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tortolita Mountains! The 2015 event will on held on Saturday, Feb. 28. Packet pickup and food and drinks after the event will be at Summit Hut‘s Oro Valley location.

Kannally family left lasting legacy in Oracle – Gabrielle Fimbres – Arizona Daily Star: An interesting article about the Kannally family who came to Arizona in the early 1900s and eventually owned 50,000 acres – part of which is now Oracle State Park.

Miraval Spring Hiking Week, March 23-28: Starting on March 23rd Miraval has scheduled a series of hikes for their guests that include Window Rock, Prison Camp to Bear Canyon, Catalina State Park to the top of Mount Lemmon and a Finger Rock to Mount Kimball hike.

2 riders hurt when horse rolls onto them – Carmen Duarte – Arizona Daily Star: Two riders were injured in Catalina State Park in a horse riding accident.

The most recent Bighorn Sheep Restoration Project Status update reports that there have been nine confirmed lambs in the Santa Catalina Mountains and has links to three videos of the Bighorn on Youtube: IMG 0410IMG_0425, IMG_0429.

Lambs, Funds, Star Party, Oracle State Park, Winter Weather

The Bighorn Sheep Restoration Project Status update for 1/15 to 1/28 is now available (all updates are currently available here):

  • Five lambs have been sited! The update links to a video of several of the previously sited lambs: Bighorn lambs & ewes in Santa Catalinas.
  • Residents in the area of Ina Road and 1st Avenue reported 3 Bighorn to AZGF. GPS data confirms that these Bighorn have moved into the edge of the urban area bordering the Pusch Ridge Wilderness several times and also notes several other urban sightings: a Ram was seen several times last year by Oracle Residents and two ewes documented in the Ventana Canyon and Finger Rock Estates areas. “Our intent is to encourage the Catalina bighorn sheep to use appropriate habitat removed from the urban interface and hope that incursions into urban areas will be rare if at all.”
  • The report breaks has some information on the funding sources for this project:
    • 31% State Tag Funds
    • 23% Private Grants and Donations with most of the donations “from sportsmen oriented groups and individuals” including large donations by the Arizona Chapter of Safari Club International, the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society and Safari Club International Foundation.
    • 46% From the Pittman-Robertson fund – this is a federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, accessories and achery equipment that provides funds to manage wildlife.

Catalina State Park will host a Star Party on Feb. 21 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm – the event will start with a presentation by Jim O’Connor with excerpts from his book, Native American Night Sky Stories, and there will be a variety of telescopes at the event. See the Arizona Star Party Astronomy Events page for more details and for other dates at throughout the year at Arizona State Parks!

Arizona hike: Oracle State Park – azcentral.com – Mare Czinar: A short article about the hiking in Oracle State Park – the days that the park are open to the public are limited (currently Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm) but it is well worth finding an open day to visit!

Winter weather! There was rain and snow that temporarily closed the highway and caused 3 hikers to be stranded due to rushing water in the Sabino Canyon Area. Winter weather closes highway up Mt. Lemmon – Carissa Planalp – TucsonNewsNow.com, Snow in mountains, rain in Tucson valley expected – tucson.com, Three hikers stranded because of rushing waters – Ina Ronquillo – KGUN9.

Lambs, Beetles, Wine

After several recent Bighorn deaths it is encouraging that there are now reports of an additional lamb – More lambs spotted in the Catalinas – Ally Aldrete – KGUN9, Another lamb seen in Catalina Mountains – Arizona Daily Star.

In Bear Canyon the Forest Service is starting a project to try to reduce the Bark Beetle population – trees will be removed from areas including “Cypress, Middle bear and Chihuahua Pine Picnic Areas and General Hitchcock Campground. Generally canyon bottom and north-facing slopes” with the goal of stopping the spread of the beetles to adjacent trees and reducing the fire hazard that can be created by trees killed by the beetles. Expect closures to these areas when work is in progress. Forest Service Schedule of Proposed Actions for the Coronado National Forest400 beetle infested trees to be removed on Mt. Lemmon – Matt Fernandez – KVOA.com, Bark beetle removal project to begin on Mt. Lemmon – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now.

Oracle State Park events for 2015 – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now: Also see the Oracle State Park homepage.

Let it snow – Chastity Laskey – The Daily Wildcat: Some notes on the recent snow and things to do in Summerhaven and on the mountain.

Off the Vine wine festival – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now: A wine festival is scheduled for the Steam Pump Ranch in February.