Red Rabbit

Is this an Arizona or national WTF raffle?

My favorite place to photograph fall colors is in Colorado, especially the San Juan Mountains. It had been a few years since 2022 when I was last in the mountains for the changing aspens. I had ten days for this trip and spent the first four days beneath Capitol Peak waiting for fall and winter to mingle. A storm on the third night made the fourth day memorable. It was nice hearing the elk bugle in the mornings, despite not having a hunt permit. Actually, I failed to draw any hunt permits this fall, so all shooting will be done with a camera. Afternoon spotlighting as the storm cleared. Sunset on Capitol. Along the Last Dollar Road near Telluride is an area of aspens which grow in many intersecting angles, an area I call the "wacky forest". I try to make photographic sense of it on each visit. Morning sunlight crept over the mountain to illuminate the tree tops.

Bet his dog and wife returned after he won the lottery 😉

It was special to see the moose in RMNP several times this year. I did not see any last year when in RMNP, and moose are not native to Arizona.

Before and after an art show in Estes Park, Colorado, I was able to spend several days photographing the moose, elk, deer and landscapes. Here are a few of the moose which the lens encountered. Fuji GFX 100s with adapted Nikon 200-500.

More of Hwy 67 and 12A west to open noon today 8/28. https://www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/posts/pfbid029gruZtaTvPFtKdgLzpqf8GaUVvZLb3Tuf6qLdKSeV9qihpmrPy6qW9vV94cTbKSMl?__cft__[0]=AZWfoSPmGSd2aNNbwiVFKzj5CbKtDeA-6DJ_sY7KlBCtEq7uzHAPSwBefyVlqZIAC7Ff-2DVJvfNgRcbyCqIrQqCkQcGF1iesbCFs1k0LHBR25WK7pUe-pfEu63KdEz5017-qkxJVEjWlGRJEtUMfnCpQImWGrDeUWfqPob3ii35JrXXa2oB2vLFeTTCh0AiF-1MpHSZ8zMD67dTFu_Ql2fp&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/alerts/white-sage-dragon-bravo-fires-temporary-area-closure-public-health-and-safety

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/newsroom/releases/kaibab-nf-further-reduce-north-kaibab-closure-area https://www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/posts/pfbid029vqLUYECzqbJ9SxgMBpiW8K5wBUZFnK5EbydGnFVJbPBU3nnWvUHGhmQUb1TnQq4l?__cft__[0]=AZWGN3xojYNnGhysWRGN30gkmDVZ4CxzhENIDogxL61w-slLHmM0ZQhmvBPCWmZKzgh-qwTAEdBpwDHUlP0DxYfG4tTEcIfoBrLwrnD2QyGalPQHcSSOQl6Zxl0uFOivjCR-iDwtxQdtQ3dsw1uU3OFt26QdxykTlgQHT8mrURvSYQfY7wPSMeWVeBjXSulhOReXs99gA5fFZzDHADFG_JRm&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

The Dragon Bravo fire began as a small lightning caused fire within a few miles of the historical lodge on the north rim of the Grand Canyon and has grown to a 112,000 acre monster on the North Kaibab. Earlier this week, I went to the south rim to observe and photograph the fire for a few days. Intense fire formed a dramatic pyrocumulus cloud. Smoke settled into the canyon each night. The scenes were dramatic, beautiful, saddening, maddening and depressing to me- a mix of emotions.

The grid of spots northwest of the fire bondary is gone this morning. I was told that the dots forming the grid may have been satellite artifacts. But that NW finger grew and joined the main body and the fire spotted across FR 610. On flightradar now, there are two small choppers making loops down towards the entrance station, presumably dropping buckets of water. This morning's map:

PM sent with Q?

Do any of you wildland fire fighters have any thoughts about the grid pattern of hotspots seen on the map to the northwest of the main fire boundary? https://www.facebook.com/doug.koepsel/posts/pfbid0vruLkyBGvku5tYE6HWYh1ohMe1s1hH8dt2UkrMa47Kd9T74tM9gNqCqj7K4L8ne9l?__cft__[0]=AZV1Anw0dbBeD_DgDe2F2trT0rXU-e__vRoCQCw8CHJ67bd5IfS0DydQLDhYBJCCzkGdTqKhBVEKoGrrCieROQqK2G6_G7afshpKETg8xB-1ZFiRamb5rjYeSB7AFjfU6gaCuSMMhRaIbbbgvz1_rAAeBFYvkqZlnh3z4upzZKmKrg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

re the mules: "news about the mules came in this morning from GRCA Superintendent Ed Keeble: All of the mules, every single one, were corralled and taken safely, and alive, to their main ranch in southern Utah! "

I have been looking at AirNow to see from the nightly IR where the fires have spread and direction they are going. https://fire.airnow.gov/#9.26/36.4945/-111.939 The Grand canyon webcam is not pretty. https://www.nps.gov/media/webcam/view.htm?id=CC0CA1C7-E607-6F46-707E19938BBFEE63

Yes, the lodge has burned. Mules were turned loose as there was not enough time to evac nor enough trailers. From what I have heard, many but not all NPS housing lost, backcountry office, general storee, campground, visitor center, cabins were lost. The NPS announcement seems to have some spin, imo.