Yosemite: Hwy 120 Closed East of Groveland

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khanom

Trad climber
Greeley Hill
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 19, 2013 - 07:08pm PT
Just a heads up for those headed to the valley. Caltrans says:

SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA]
IS CLOSED FROM THE NORTH JCT OF SR 49 TO 7.5 MI EAST OF GROVELAND
(TUOLUMNE CO) - DUE TO A WILD FIRE - A DETOUR IS AVAILABLE

Inciweb says it's closed from 4 miles east of the ranger danger station to east of Buck Me-adows.

I'd guess the detour is to torture yourself taking Hwy 49 down to Mariposa. Yeah right.

This is almost certainly to move equipment around since the fire should be well away from Hwy 120. Hopefully it's very temporary.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Aug 19, 2013 - 08:24pm PT
Aug 19 2013 3:04PM [52] 61-004 FOREST SVC HAS CLOSED SR120 AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THE FIRE HAS JUMPED SR120 JWO BUCK MEADOWS
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Aug 19, 2013 - 09:07pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
There's a sign on the highway and a plaque at the Rim of the World overlook, naming this section of 120 the "Eva Marie Schicke memorial highway".
This video describes the 2004 accident where she died - the location was close to where the current fire is.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 19, 2013 - 09:14pm PT
Did this fire start yesterday afternoon. I thought I saw a distinct column of smoke driving out north of town around 2:00 or so. Then I wwnt to where I could take a shot of it and the T clouds swallowed it and I could not see it again.

My eyes may have played tricks with me, but I know a smoke column when I see it.
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Aug 19, 2013 - 09:47pm PT
Got turned around there

Came over Sonora Pass. Currently in Bridgeport

Susan
klk

Trad climber
cali
Aug 19, 2013 - 09:54pm PT
bummer, dude.



abrams

Sport climber
Aug 19, 2013 - 10:07pm PT
Imagine a bunch of that giant mutant manzanita is burning there.
Nearly as bad as the smoke from coastal range fires. Aaaack!





Dr.Sprock

Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
Aug 19, 2013 - 10:52pm PT
hooch farmers start this one?
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 20, 2013 - 12:20pm PT
October 5, 1988: "Patsy Hamm will always remember the day the Smith Peak Forest Lookout burned to the ground.
The lookout burned Aug. 31, 1987, in the Stanislaus Complex Fires that destroyed 147,095 acres in Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. A wood frame building atop a metal two-story tower, the lookout burned within a couple hours of when Hamm abandoned it about 1 p.m.
Now, rising like a Phoenix out of the ashes, the lookout has been rebuilt and is nearly ready for use again in the Groveland Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest." (Merced Sun-Star)

This is the fire I remember. Jeff was photographed as a long-haired evacuee on the porch of the Buck Meadows store and it was published in the local firestarter.


Smith Peak:Groveland Ranger District, 3,877' elevation.y 1910, Smith Peak, two miles from the Groveland Ranger Station, was used as a fire lookout. Smith Peak was selected as an administrative site in 1931, and soon after a wooden lookout tower was built. In 1952, a metal lookout tower was constructed, along with a garage. The tower burned down in the 1987 Stanislaus Complex Fire, and was replaced in 1988. Smith Peak is used every summer as one of the two staffed fire lookouts on the Groveland District. Photo: 1943.

Then there was the complex fire which came down to the back doors of El Portal in the next few years.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Aug 20, 2013 - 12:22pm PT
hooch farmers start this one?
they haven't reported a cause.

Crap. This is the third big fire I can think of at Buck Meadows in the last 20 years or so. Not a good place to put down stakes.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/
klk

Trad climber
cali
Aug 20, 2013 - 12:33pm PT
man, i hope the moisture beats out the lightning.

wind out of the sw, it could make a long run up the clavey.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 20, 2013 - 01:55pm PT
hey there say, timid... oops, i just posted about the fire... and now just saw this...

say, where is my brother matt? how is his place, have you heard?
thanks for any info...

will be in a bit, i am late to start chores around here...

god bless... hugs to you and nita...
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Aug 20, 2013 - 02:20pm PT
The MODIS satellite fire mapping data of the Rim Fire
The red squares are areas generating the most heat.
This fire seems to be more active in a SE direction at this time.


The yellow squares at the lower right are Tuolumne Grove ( slightly above the green line) and El Portal (due south)

Here is the Rim Fire in relation to Yosemite Valley.

Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Aug 20, 2013 - 02:59pm PT
Was stopped at the Crane Flat entrance last night trying to return to the Bay via US 120. Had to go back on 140 through Mariposa to Merced:

http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_67b30826-087e-11e3-b6f3-0019bb2963f4.html

Lots of ashes falling down mixed with rain. Lots of strange, powerful winds blowing about in the Merced River Canyon. Pretty big fire. Started smelling it up at Tioga Pass a couple nights back.
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Aug 20, 2013 - 03:47pm PT
The most recent update of the Rim Fire.
This thing is taking off and has been picking up in a more easterly direction

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 20, 2013 - 05:10pm PT
Godspeed, Khanom.

Keeping the fickle fingers crossed it doesn't get to SSR.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 20, 2013 - 05:54pm PT
Jeff and Denise live out further than you do by lots. Denise's house, though, is just off Feffetti.

Check in with you tomorrow.
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Aug 20, 2013 - 06:23pm PT
The 3 pm update.
This thing is still spreading primarily east and southeast.
The separation of the hot zones seems to indicate there are a lot of wind blown embers traveling east and southeast.
In the last few hours this fire seems to have spread out somewhat but has not gotten worse in intensity overall.
Good luck to the firefighters.And to local residents.


Strider

Trad climber
ಠ_ಠ
Aug 20, 2013 - 06:39pm PT
Ward, which website are you going to for that map? It is actually the most updated map I have seen. The Inciweb map is old as is the willandfire.maps.arcgis map.

So far things around here are OK. I live at the Evergreen Lodge and while there is a little bit of smoke in the air, we are not evacuated and I think it is unlikely the fire will make it this far. Regardless, we are prepared to evacuate at a moments notice. San Jose Camp, Camp Tawonga and Camp Mather are currently evacuated.

Let's see how this goes. Good luck on your end Eric.

-Nick
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Aug 20, 2013 - 06:55pm PT
Ward, which website are you going to for that map?

To get the data I have posted you must have Google Earth.
Although the Active Fire Mapping program can provide data in several ways.

Go to: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

On menu at left choose " Fire Data in Google Earth"

Once at that site go down to " AFM KML Bundle" click on" current"

If you have Google Earth these links will allow you to access fire data gathered from the MODIS satellites
http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/about/

I'll get off the thread and allow you locals guys to communicate.
Good luck and stay safe.
Watch for wind blown embers.

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