The State wildlife area up the canyon from my house opened back up to entry after being closed sense December 1 to prevent harassment of the Elk on their winter range. I went on a hike to look for elk sheds. I didn't find any elk antlers but it was a very nice walk. The wild flowers were thick. The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area was purchased in 1968 from rancher/logger Lowell T. Murray, and is dedicated in his name. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00959/







Here's the fire history. This Ponderosa Pine stump has 13 visible fire scars. Each ripple is where the tree was scared when a fire came along and burned the ground fuels that had built up sense the last fire.

Here's my educated guess on the age of the stump and frequency of natural fires. This pine was about 250 years old when it was cut about 40-50 years ago. During its lifetime it saw at least 13 forest fires. The fires were low intensity due to their frequency but just hot enough to leave a scar on the cat face (pitch face) created by the first fire it saw when it was a sapling sometime in the first half of the 1700s. The intervals between fires averaged about 15 years The last fire was probably about 1910 when wildfire suppression became effective in the US.

TCJ

Great photo work. (suspect you know that)
Also pretty good call on fire history. I am not an official authority on the subject but have a son in law who is, and loves to explain it to me all the time. Have requested him to send me information on a book I gave him which took duplicate photos 100 years apart, basically from origination of total suppression till?? Have also spent a fair amount of time working with older rangers when working at the Vermillian Valley Resort at Edison Lake in Calif.

Wannabe seeing more.

As a amateur archeologist, I enjoy unraveling things. Nice pics. Most of the stuff around here is under meters of wind blown loess.

Here's a few more. We took another walk yesterday. This time on the other side of the valley. The flowers were every where here. Stll didn't find any antlers.









A smoke popped up over in the LT Murray. It's about a mile up canyon from my house.The stump with the fire scars is on the ridge right above the smoke. I looked it up on Wildcad http://www.wildcad.net/WCWA-CWC.htm when I got home. "5/2, Horse Trail Fire, Controlled at 0.1 Ac. 47 0.666, -120 43.032

My wife took this photo, the smoke is 14 miles away.


Cropped and Photo shopped. It's right where they feed the Elk in the winter.

TCJ,

Cool pics and thread. I had my Red Card back in college but never got the opportunity to use it. I have always been interested in western forests and the fires that help sustain them.

Maybe one day I will re certify and head west for a summer. I think the work would be very gratifying and what better office is there, really?

Wildfire suppression is kind of a two-edged sword.
Years of suppressing fires as soon as they flared up made for a lot of fuel on the ground, so when the USFS (or whoever) changed to a let-it-burn policy-- look out!!
Ecologically the let-it-burn policy is probably best-- that's how a lot of forestland renews itself. Unfortunately, it also makes for a lot of property loss and possible loss of life.

TCJ
Here is the book info I spoke of/wrote of above. Long title tells most of the content.

Fire In Sierra Nevada Forests:
A photographic interpretation of ecological change since 1849

George E Gruell

Mountain Press Publishing Co. First Edition October 1, 2001

NOTE: They are all "first editions" only multiple printings.
Paperback 10.3" x 7.2"

Still available on Amazon so title should be all ya need if ya want it.

EDIT: Below are ISBN No.s (international standard book number)
A Hardcover version would have a completely diff. #.
Be careful when ordering newer books online as some sub-sellers do not state the ISBN # so you can end up with a softcover when you wanted a hard cover
EDIT-OVER
10: xxx = prior to 1-1-2007
13: xxx = After same

10: 0878424466
13: 978-08784244667

Chris C PS: PM me with e-mail if want a relevant story.

Smoke from the Alberta fires started rolling in here pretty heavy last night.

wannabe wrote:TCJ
Here is the book info I spoke of/wrote of above. Long title tells most of the content.

Fire In Sierra Nevada Forests:
A photographic interpretation of ecological change since 1849

George E Gruell

Mountain Press Publishing Co. First Edition October 1, 2001

NOTE: They are all "first editions" only multiple printings.
Paperback 10.3" x 7.2"

Still available on Amazon so title should be all ya need if ya want it.

EDIT: Below are ISBN No.s (international standard book number)
A Hardcover version would have a completely diff. #.
Be careful when ordering newer books online as some sub-sellers do not state the ISBN # so you can end up with a softcover when you wanted a hard cover
EDIT-OVER
10: xxx = prior to 1-1-2007
13: xxx = After same

10: 0878424466
13: 978-08784244667

Chris C PS: PM me with e-mail if want a relevant story.

PM sent

Yesterday we hiked up in the higher country in search of the wild and illusive lady Slipper Orchid. We found several under a mountain willow and Doug Fir. First ones I have ever seen.

In the montane West, its association with Douglas-fir and shrubs such as ninebarkand snowberry indicates it has existed for centuries in habitat shaped by wildfire.

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty ... anum.shtml






Lunch at Red Top Lookout.

Table Mountain Fire, North of Ellensburg, WA. Burned Sept 2012. Fire Weed blooming Aug 27, 2016. Its a lodgepole pine stand with lots of seedlings coming in but hidden by the Fire weed.


Manastash Ridge fire. west of Ellensburg. Burned 2013. Another lodgepole stand with abundant seedlings resulting from the fire. Photo taken July 2016

Nice pictures. I attended college at CWU and miss that area. I learned to fly at Midstate Aviation on Bowers field. My wife and I just floated the upper Yakima River last week and then drove to leavenworth for the night. Finishing up a Rans S-20 Raven build and hope to spend more time over in your area.

Best,
Jim

Nice to see you are at it again.

excellent pictures. Thanks for posting.