Big Bear trails

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Matador98 said:
Yep, you hit it right on the money. The company is not committed to it. I worked the project, and it hurts to see the subpar DC-10 getting all the work. The 747 is a much more refined and innovative design...and it dumps under pressure (a lot, trust me, I saw a test on the ground and the thrust is amazing, I know the number, just can't share it), so there is no reason to get down as low as the DC-10 does and clip trees, as it did back in June (could you imagine the forest fire that would cause?). The DC-10 is just a glorified C-130 gravity drop bomber...but, in this case simplicity won. Another issue is that the not to be named 747 operator wants a fed contract, and won't settle for a "little" state one.

They fill the 747 with fire hoses, multiples of them. It actually doesn't take too long to fill it, but again, the refill number is probably proprietary, so I shouldn't share it. And they both can get back to their home airports so damn fast and drop so damn much, their throughput of getting water/retardant/gel on the fire is way superior anything else out there. The DC-10 can drop a mile line or so, and the 747 can drop two.
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Yeah the story I heard was the Evergreen pulled the 747 into the airfame test facility and that was the last anybody heard of it, CDF just bought into the public push that 10 Airtanker put on the State and they bought it......hefty contract for three years, but at least CDF had the balls to try it, the Feds cant seem to get anything going...................FWIW I would of rather had the state lease about 10 Helitankers for the money they spent but politics won, Its done what they asked it to do and kept the time off the S-2s on major fires
 
Marc P said:
That sucks...I was just up there about a month ago too.
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Yeah, they have not released any maps yet, But I suspect that all the Upper Holcomb Creek area is gone and all of the road out of Fawnskin to somewhere past Hanna Flat is burned and all the connecting trails into Holcomb Valley, not sure how far East into Holcomb Valley but the big cement plant above Lucerne has fire above and around it...
 
Funny how a natural thing like fire seems so personal when it hits somewhere you frequent and "call your own". If we don't lose any firefighters or civilians this time we will come out ahead. Not looking forward to seeing the aftermath in Holcomb Valley though.
 
That forest has been a mess for years, the dead fuels on the ground and in the air are hidieous, its too bad the USFS is so strapped that they could not do control burns in the winter to burn off the dead fuels, but around John Bull and Holcomb Valley is a mess and I hope they keep it off that knoll cause it would burn too hot and keep us out of there for a while
 
it is bad.

Here is a recent burn picture...you can see 3N16 towards the bottom.

6784.large.jpg
 
calstyl2 said:
Yeah the story I heard was the Evergreen pulled the 747 into the airfame test facility and that was the last anybody heard of it, CDF just bought into the public push that 10 Airtanker put on the State and they bought it......hefty contract for three years, but at least CDF had the balls to try it, the Feds cant seem to get anything going...................FWIW I would of rather had the state lease about 10 Helitankers for the money they spent but politics won, Its done what they asked it to do and kept the time off the S-2s on major fires
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Hanna Flats Campground is "destroyed", per some of the public info meetings in Running Springs.

And on the 747, the system is modular so they can pull it out and operate it as a freighter during the winter, so this $$M system is sitting on some hanger floor. There was a very direct and specific reason they gave up, and the feds were pretty much ready to sign it, but they were too prideful, IMOP. I have a of these feeling, however, it'll be pulled out, finished, and operating...as long as 10 Tanker doesn't blow it and take out more trees putting the entire question of a jumbo tanker in the toilet.
 
Saw this fire from a distance heading out to Needles Friday evening and the smoke trail all the way over on I-40 coming home Sunday morning. Very sad. There's a ton of dry and dead brush from the bark beetle up there. News last night said Green Valley Lake, Fawnskin, Running Springs and all the surrounding towns were evacuating and all roads were closed to anybody but residents. We're likely not going to be able to wheel in that area for quite some time.
 
SOCALFJ said:
This sucks so bad. Do they know if was started by lightning? The day the fire started someone was wheeling up there and posted pics of rain drops..
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That was my friend carl and I who were wheeling up there during the first Butler 1 fire that was started by lightning at the junction of the highway and the dam near fawnskin. The officials are calling this Butler 2 and I think that the cause is still under investigation if I understood the article correctly.
 
This is definitely going to take some time.
 
Unconfirmed report...

As of today, Friday, September 21, Crab Flats, Green Valley, and
Holcomb Valley Campgrounds will reopen. On the west side of the
district,
3N16 is open to 3N34. 3N34 will be open to Crab Flats CG. 3N16
will remain closed at the 3N34 intersection. Horse Springs, Hanna
Flat,
Big Pine Flat family campgrounds remain closed. Grays Peak, Ironwood
and
Big Pine Flat group camps also remain closed.

On the East side of the district, 2N09 and all roads east of 2N09 will
reopen. All roads west of the 2N09/3N16 intersection remain closed.

The PCT will remain closed from the 3N16/Holcomb Creek crossing on the
west side (approx. 2 miles northeast of Crab Flats), to 2N09 (Polique
Canyon Rd.) . Little Bear Springs trail camp is closed to public use.

Grays Peak trail remains closed at this time. Cougar Crest Trail is
reopened.

4-wheel drive routes 3N93, 2N06X, 3N11, and 3N17, and 1W17 (Redonda
ridge)
are within the fire perimeter and remain closed at this time.

Butler Peak lookout is closed to the public.
 
looks like a split in the forest again, much like after the Old fire closed Dishpan
 
cmjrfan8 said:
Unconfirmed report...

As of today, Friday, September 21, Crab Flats, Green Valley, and
Holcomb Valley Campgrounds will reopen. On the west side of the
district,
3N16 is open to 3N34. 3N34 will be open to Crab Flats CG. 3N16
will remain closed at the 3N34 intersection. Horse Springs, Hanna
Flat,
Big Pine Flat family campgrounds remain closed. Grays Peak, Ironwood
and
Big Pine Flat group camps also remain closed.

On the East side of the district, 2N09 and all roads east of 2N09 will
reopen. All roads west of the 2N09/3N16 intersection remain closed.

The PCT will remain closed from the 3N16/Holcomb Creek crossing on the
west side (approx. 2 miles northeast of Crab Flats), to 2N09 (Polique
Canyon Rd.) . Little Bear Springs trail camp is closed to public use.

Grays Peak trail remains closed at this time. Cougar Crest Trail is
reopened.

4-wheel drive routes 3N93, 2N06X, 3N11, and 3N17, and 1W17 (Redonda
ridge)
are within the fire perimeter and remain closed at this time.

Butler Peak lookout is closed to the public.
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I just got off the phone with the ranger and not much has changed. West of 2n09 is closed. East side of 2n09 is open. There's still hot spots to put out and excavating to do in the closed area.

This monday a friend and I will attempt gold mountain and john bull. anybody interested?
 
Mlachica said:
I just got off the phone with the ranger and not much has changed. West of 2n09 is closed. East side of 2n09 is open. There's still hot spots to put out and excavating to do in the closed area.

This monday a friend and I will attempt gold mountain and john bull. anybody interested?
Click to expand...

I've been looking for a run this weekend. I have Monday off as well. Where and when were you thinking of meeting up?
 
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