At around noon today, I decided to get on up there to check out how things were lookin at Deep Creek, regarding this recent fire in the area. I first went to a spot at the top of the canyon where there are these rock outcrops, and when you get up on them you have an Eagle's Eye view of the terrain in all directions. I named that place the Eagles Crest :-) From that vantage point I could see about three places where the fire burnt down the hills into the Deep Creek Canyon. A couple of the places it looks like the fire got stopped at the PCT. Downstream from the metal arch bridge about three quarters of a mile, the fire burnt down a wide ridge all the way to the creek bed, since the PCT is on the north side of the canyon in that area. I had my good binoculars with me, and could see that the area on 173 where the Kinely Creek bridge is got completely burnt out by the fire. The Bradford ridge trail is burnt on both sides of it, but this fire also left unburnt spots in many places. The closest this fire got to DCHS was up by the Bradford ridge trail, just south of where you cross over the barbed wire fence, along a ridgepoint, almost within site of DCHS. You can't see any burned areas from DCHS. So to back track, I started hiking into the canyon around 2PM, down the hills to the place where Kinely Creek meets Deep Creek. The ridge that comes down to the creek just on the west side of Kinely Creek, which runs uphill south from the PCT, got almost completely burned. The thick groves of trees in the lower portion of Kinely Creek did not get burnt, and I was glad to see that. The east side of Kinely Creek, down in the canyon, did not get burnt either. I didn't see any spots where the fire jumped the creek to the north side. Once I got down to the creek, I took a refreshing Fall dip in the rather cool waters, then got my shoes on an began hiking upstream back towards DCHS on the PCT. You could see that the firefighters had worked the PCT to make it a better fire line in case the fire crept that far down the hills. The only place you can see fire by the PCT is on the west side of Kinely Creek, and downstream from there in a few places on the south side of the canyon. Hiking east towards DCHS, you can't see any evidence of the fire since its far up at the top of the canyon. I saw a police chopper a couple of times, flying across the canyon but they seemed to be heading off to other things. When I got to DCHS I found that our good friend Las Vegas Firefighter ( Greg ) was there, enjoying the beautiful weather. Greg had been talking to another Naturist who was down there for the day, who had said he had gone to Burning Man. Greg just before I arrived had been telling this guy ( can't remember his name ) that I go to Burning Man, and about my Burning Man photo site. Just after that I showed up, a fun coincidence. Anyway all three of us chatted a bit, then Greg and I Chatted some more. The Arizona Pool is full, nice to see. The cottonwoods on DCHS Del Mar are looking great, getting taller all the time, and bright green. Another couple came jogging down the Bowen Ranch trail and we ended up talking to them for some time, while soaking in the Womb. The Womb is looking real fine, since Jobe cleaned it down to the bottom, and now you can see clearly the big boulders on the bottom. Around sunset there were some great tropical looking multicolored clouds above, which had forms to them which looked like some kind of strange webbing. Everything is looking wonderful down there. Finally Greg and I did our hike out, and I hiked with him to his vehicle, then he gave me a ride back to mine, then we followed the Powerline Road out to the West, and when we got to the top of the mountains above Hesperia, the city light where wonderful to see, twinkling in the clear, dry fall air. The Powerline Road has been graded recently so it was a smoother ride down those steep hills than it normally is. Good to see you again Greg, thanks for the ride back to my truck :-) Sorry I'll be missing this weekends DCV day at the springs, but my wifeee hornswaggled me into going to Vegas with her, and we will have our own hotel room, without the kids, and that can only mean one thing, Ye Haw :-) I took quite a few photos on my hike today. When I get some of them up at Wizard's pictures, I'll post that info at this thread. Real Glad to see that DCHS didn't get burnt, or any hills within site of it. Also since this fire was basically within the Kinely Creek drainage, any soot and muck coming from heavy rains will be hitting the creek far downstream from DCHS. We can do without that black sooty water which came after the Willow Fire, Yuck!
