Jemez Mountains

On the road to the Jemez Mountains

 Tuesday we went for a ride to the Jemez Mountains with the hope of going for a hike.  When we got there,  however, we saw that all the trails, campgrounds, and even the parking lots were closed to the public due to extreme fire danger.  Similarly, last week when we went to the Santa Barbara Campground, most of the trails were closed.

 

On the road to the Jemez Mountains

I just read in the paper yesterday (in the Santa Fe Reporter)and again today (Santa Fe News), though, that the Santa Fe National Forest will be re-opening today with fire restrictions lifted, due to the recent rains from the monsoons.  The Forest had been closed since June 24.  Despite the re-opening and recent rains, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center is still forecasting persistent drought conditions for most of the state through September.  Forty percent of the state is still under exceptional drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Driving through Espanola

In 2011, there was a major fire in the Jemez Mountains (Las Conchos Fire).  It was at the time the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history; it burned more than 150,000 acres, and threatened Los Alamos National Laboratory and the town Los Alamos itself.  Sections of Bandelier National Monument were burned.   The fire was started by a tree falling on a power line. Because the fire was in a watershed area and was so intense that it removed all or most of the ground cover in large areas, it presented a serious flash flood danger to surrounding communities and to the Monument. 

As we drove through the Jemez Mountains, evidence of the fire was everywhere.  In some areas, the mountains were completely cleared of trees and other vegetation.  In other areas, blackened trees remained, and in some places the trees were only burned at the base and we could see the beginnings of recovery with some new, green growth on the the ground and higher up on the trees.

Mike at Overlook Park in White Rock, NM

View of the Rio Grande from Overlook Park

Effects of fire in the Jemez Mountains

More fire effects