Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Temple is the “sparkle” on the Fourth of July. 🙂

Smoke? Yes, we still have it, sometimes worse than others. Ash? We’ve been getting that, too. On my hikes in Spring Creek Basin, I’ve been seeing these weird black things, and when I reach down to touch them or pick them up – almost thinking it’s a rock or some kind of leaf? – they disintegrate in my fingers. But I haven’t been ready to call those bits of ash – they’ve been maybe about the size of a fingertip? Not large, not tiny. But today, no mistaking it, though it’s much finer and mostly white/grey. Hard to get a pic that shows it.

This is ash on water. Not sure it shows well?

From Watch Duty’s report Sunday night:

“Containment on the Ferris Fire has increased to 21% at 47,780 acres.

“Firefighters continued suppression efforts along all areas of the fire Sunday including significant firing operations in a finger canyon along the western edge of the Dolores River Canyon west of Five Pines Canyon.

“Crews strategically applied fire to widen and improve dozer lines and remove fuel in front of the advancing fire and reduce the potential for even more acres of uncontrolled fire impacting private and public lands.”

Smoke from the western/southwestern side of the Ferris Fire is at far lower right on the southern horizon of Disappointment Valley, blowing north/northeastish across the southeastern horizon. You can see part of McKenna Peak and Temple Butte at far lower left. The smoke low and to the right, that starts to obscure the farthest lower hills/ridges in the background is from the fire’s northeastern push into Ryman Creek drainage (that area) south of upper Disappointment Valley.

The smoke was not fun this morning and into the afternoon (hello, the ash). Fortunately, it lifted in the lower-mid part of the valley by the time I took the above pic, probably around 7:30 or 8 p.m.

And we carry on.