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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 6, 2009 - 11:24pm PT
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Just watched a huge beautiful home spout 60 foot flames. They said the fire is threatening the SB Mission. I know that Gibraltar is right up the hill. Anyone know how bad it is and what has already been scorched? How sad.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 6, 2009 - 11:31pm PT
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Mandatory Evacuation:
Reportedly North of Foothill Road H 192 between Ontare Road and Morada Lane to El Cielito Road/Gibraltar Road to East Camino Cielo.
Non mandatory Evacuations:
West of Coyote Road/Sycamore Canyon Road
North of Alameda Padre Serra
North of Constance Road
North of State Street to La Cumbre Road
East of La Cumbre Road
West of Highway 154
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 6, 2009 - 11:58pm PT
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Good thinkin' crusher.
There is a lot of climbing up in those hills. Fortunately the rock won't burn.
Feel sorry for all those residents who are losing houses. I wonder how far up the mountain it went? Any locals have a better report?
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Ya know it's supposed to do this, right?
Nature normal is like that.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2009 - 12:08am PT
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duh. But fire supression turns them into infernos that devastate rather than do what they would have done under normal conditions. And burning people's homes isn't normal. That's just tragic. It's a risk people take for living in hills surrounded by forest, but it still is tragic.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Yeah, Captain's right, it's supposed to, naturally. And as usual, unfortunately things aren't allowed to behave naturally and become ten times worse.
Just wanted to send a shout out to friends up there, hoping everyone is evacuated and ok, and animals too.
Anyway I hope the freaks don't come out tonight down here in the Santa Monicas - the brush is all-time high and dry.
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Some animal rescue groups were pretty proactive this time. The fire sorta "blew up" around 4:00pm and a lot of people weren't home. Animal rescue went to the homes in imminent danger and removed animals from the homes when the owners weren't present
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2009 - 01:00am PT
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Hey Captain, go tell the elderly couple who lived there for 40 years to "move" now that there house is ashes. Way to be compassionate. Obviously you don't know anyone who lives there. What is your point anyway? Fire is natural and it's their fault they live there and so who cares? We're all well aware fire is natural.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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tom, my husbands family lost everything but their lives and their car in a huge fire years ago in Orange County. Where I live in Valley Center, CA we've had horrendous fires in the past years. Fire storms are horrible.
Don't believe Skully was being mean spirited....just pointing out the sad and the obvious. Peace, lynne
Praying for all those affected by this most recent fire....know many on ST are also. If we can do anything please let us know.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2009 - 01:28am PT
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L,
don't think there is a person on this site that doesn't know fire is horrible and a natural thing. The point of the thread was to update people of a fire and that people living there (possibly family/friends) are fighting for their lives and property. I wouldn't tell people who are dying in a flood that it's natural and that they shouldn't have lived near a river. Again, what's the point?
They've evacuated down to portions of State St. Prayers out to you in SB.
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jstan
climber
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I have been stealth for the last two days just down from Lauro reservoir. Petie tried to sneak home after work but the cops got her. Then the two of them brought her up to get me in their black and white. I am trying to save three houses so I was in Blanche's house next door and saw them coming. By the time they thought to look there I was already on the roof. Didn't even suspect I had it in me!
A week ago we bushwhacked up Cathedral Peak's ocean side face which is now burned off all the way to the summit. Nuttin there anymore. The brush was so thick we had to crawl on our stomachs at times. Inspiration Point AND the ridge to it from the north are also completely burned off. The fire is trying to move NNW up wind and potentially could circle around, then move downwind and get me from behind. As long as another salient does not pass the reservoir on the south I have a good escape route. An hour ago there was heavy fire up above the reservoir but I could not tell for sure where it was. If it was anywhere near the Laurel Canyon wash, I would not be able to sleep tonight. So I hiked up there, met an Aussie and a firefighting crew but stayed off the road so I would not get picked up. The development above the reservoir has lost several houses and the big blaze in that area is in the area being developed ( one $10,000,000 lot) next to the Arroyo Burro trail. More than a mile from me and two gullies to the north. Sleep till 1AM!
One photog who explained he works for the European equivalent of the AP came up the drive and wanted to know where he could get a shot. I said "follow me" and got up on the roof(1:12 roof). I have 150 gallons of water in plastic garbage barrels on the ridgepole. I explained that when the fire melts the barrels the water will very nicely flood the whole roof. He said, "You have it all figured out." I replied, "Maybe. Better check back after the fire." He said, "You don't seem worried at all." I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It ain't burning yet."
Then, showboat that I am, I hit the jackpot. He asked, "Can I take some pictures of you?" Now I was primed for international exposure. I was wearing that hat Kerwin likes so much. Except it now has a coat of paint on it and the crown is entirely ripped out. And one shoulder of my business shirt had been ripped off. Panache. Ultimate panache.
I blew it though. I should have faced him, assumed the four finger mission accomplished pose and said, "Eat shyte George!"
That little f**ker does not have any idea what a real costume looks like.
Have all my thirty year old ropes in the truck ready for the escape. Would not want to loose them.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Thanks for your update jstan - sh*te be careful on the roof!!!
Will keep all fingers and toes crossed for you and yours up there tonight.
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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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GODDAMNIT!
I lived in the last house on Laurel Canyon, right at the dead end. I rode Jesusita every day, along with Arroyo Burro (very tech creek crossings).
I love that area and miss it very much. Be safe John!
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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I wish no ill. I hope folks escape the conflagration.
Nature is bigger than you, however, and will work her will.
Get out of the way. We are as bugs. Do you feel for the bugs that hit your windshield?
Now, as ever, humans fail to understand the Earth on which they live.
Hope springs eternal.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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hey john--
i love the hat, i'm just not sure the world is ready for it.
stay cool.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2009 - 11:25am PT
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Jstan, thanks for the update. Cathedral won't be the same for awhile. Is the Mission still in the middle of it all? Has it gone to Gibraltar area yet? Don't be a hero, be safe.
And after it all, you should write a book (about this or anything... you got talent).
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jstan
climber
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The Tea fire burned along Gibralter road and started to get close to Los Canoas and Mission Canyon but did not quite make it. I don't think Gibralter is in the picture at all for this one. Tunnel road is horribly exposed fire wise. Only one narrow twisty road in that any burning tree could block. You need asbestos underwear and a chain saw in that canyon.
9:30AM
For perhaps the last hour we have had a little lower winds but that will change about noon. Reportedly this is the last day sundowners are expected. So if we can get to midnight the town will probably make it. The westward front is now further way and I can't see what the smoke column looks like. I can't make out anything from Mission canyon. For the fire to get to the mission itself it would require really severe winds for a day. They would be throwing the kitchen sink at it. We just got a new and slightly larger helicopter. Must be LA12 and its cousins are all in AZ. Jay got great pictures of those boys when they were working the Gap fire near his ranch. I want one.
Back to work.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Best of luck! I doubt the barrels would melt before the roof was going good but it is a good idea.
As I watched on the news last night all I could think of was why weren't the fixed wings up? It wasn't blowing that hard. OK, so you add 20-30 kts to punch through the 'holes', fly a little higher, and lose some accuracy but it is better than nothing! I can guarantee you the pilots would go up if their chickenshit bosses would let them.
During last year's Sierra Madre fire I was at a party in lower Sierra Madre. Got there about 1830 and there was zero air action. A fellow ex-Navy bud and NW jock and I were incredulous; it was perfect flying conditions, low wind/excellent visibility, and there was a good 1.5 hours of light left. It really seems to me like they wait until these fires really get going before they make a real effort. It is also a national embarrassment that we're still using 40-50 year old piston aircraft like those pathetic S-2's. If the political will was there we could have a fleet of 25 new C-130's for the cost of a week of the Iraq mess.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Jstan,
Is there any word on how this started? I haven't been able to find anything online and certainly not in the LA Times this morning.
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Barcus
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, Ca.
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Reilly,
The smoke was too thick for the fixed wing aircraft.
(according to last nights news)
Marcus
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Barcus
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, Ca.
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Crusher,
You can check the local channel, KSBY.com
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jstan
climber
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We have two big boys working Mission Canyon!!!!!!! Sounds like turbine engines and the tank looks to be maybe 1000 gallons. I am guessing the pod on the front is for infrared. Heads up display. The unit looks where ever the pilot looks and the display is on a helmet mounted screen. Round the clock operation.
We are going to make it.
Edit:
Long wave(8-14 microns) allows you to see through smoke better than does midwave(3-5 microns).
One site on the net says witnesses say they heard gunfire just before the fire broke out. Early yet.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Good thoughts for your and your neighbors' safety, JStan.
Please be careful!
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flamer
Trad climber
denver
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Jstan.....
Forget the water.
Cut a 6"(scrape on the ground to mineral soil) line around everything. If the Fire is coming, with NO CHANCE of missing, light off the fire side using road flares then get yourself out pronto.....you didn't hear it from me.
josh
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roy
Social climber
New Zealand -> Santa Barbara
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Hi,
I'm glad you made it through jstan; it sounds like it was getting a bit hairy. From my vantage point (5th floor at UCSB) it was intense late yesterday afternoon. The flames around Arlington Peak were huge; even from here. I would not have wanted to be anywhere near the canyons then. My house was in the evacuation zone as of yesterday morning, but I didn't have anything really valuable there - I moved it all out when I was evacuated in the Tea fire.
The fire is still lurking in the canyons on its western edge so we are not out of it yet. There are big plumes starting to grow higher on the slopes. This afternoon could see another gale force wind so the risk of another firestorm is high.
Hang in there, Roy
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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sundowners up again?
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Winds blowing-but not as bad as they could. Fire currently traversing the face going to the west(left)towards San Marcos Pass. Winds have kept shifting direction. South would be bad
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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jstan: "I am trying to save three houses so I was in Blanche's house next door and saw them coming. By the time they thought to look there I was already on the roof. Didn't even suspect I had it in me!"
But we know you do, jstan! Good luck, and don't walk under any ladders!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Ho man, be careful down there, meanwhile if you have to relocate, I believe Jox has rentals in the tweak 'n' weed zone.
No Lobos!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Any more news? jstan? Fluoride?
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Mighty Hiker,
The southern end closest to the city has held and hasn't been threatened much today. Winds blowing towards the mountain most of the day. It has crested the ridge at east camino cielo in a few spots and has tried to burn down the other side towards Santa Ynez, but they're beating it back fairly well. It is moving west and east in terrain where only aerial bombardment is practical or safe. The sundowners are expected in a few hours and that'll a be a deciding moment.
One intersting story of many. Last night the fire was doing it's best to break through the fire line at the city. The fire was moving quickly down a canyon being pushed by gusts hitting over 60mph. A group of firemen made a heroic stand at the mouth of the canyon, determined not to let the fire past them. They held the line and probably saved a neighborhood from carnage. The firemen were made of group from Pasadena and Glendale.
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GBrown
Trad climber
North Hollywood, California
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Jesus Cris John, how do you always manage to find a Foops wherever you go? A Nose for a challenge and Persistent about finding it. When the funs over there buzz me.
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jstan
climber
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May 10, 2009 - 05:42pm PT
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5 day TR:
Tuesday:
About 1 or 2 PM I was up in our 60' palm tree when i happened to look up. There were perhaps 100' flames in a very small area off the Jesusita trail but up on the flank of Cathedral Peak. The sundowner was getting a bit worrisome as viewed from the top of a palm tree so I endeavored to finish my task and get down. The wind was moderately hard that night but easing off as we got to dawn. Things looked worrisome. We were told evacuation is "mandatory" but the fact is an officer has no legal right to move a citizen off their property. None at all. I stayed as most houses burn down slowly from opportunistic spot fires once the main blaze has flashed past. The only thing you have to worry about is the fact the downside gets big if your planned exit path gets cut off.
Wed:
The first day of the Tea fire featured 60 mph winds but the second day eased off as I remember. So that fire was kept to a fairly small area. 200 houses tho. The Jesusita fire reversed that and wednesday's winds were very strong. Mind you the topography and the local heat generation make any general characterization of wind speed difficult. By the end of wednesday they were quoting 200A but the smoke was so thick I think the number was meaningless. Tuesday and wednesday I got water on the roof, laid out all our hoses, turned off the gas in the neighboring, now deserted houses, and pulled propane tanks away from the houses. I slept on the roof so that I could immediately see all around merely by opening one eye.
Thursday:
The morning winds locally were mild giving one hope as I was cutting back vegetation abutting the garage. Then I saw the first of three skycranes (I mentioed in an earlier post ) and I started jumping up and down and cheering. Up till that point we had had only four or five small helicopters and the tide was clearly going against us. Had the wind stayed low thursday night the adventure would have been over. It didn't. The increasing wind caused me to reconnoiter so as to determine how far away the fire was prior to dark. I went up onto a small hill above the pumping plant and and saw that while most of the local fire was well out to the west near the Arroyo Burro trail there was fire threatening a development off San Roque and just the other side of the pumping plant. The hill I was on had dead vegetation on it a good four feet thick and I saw points of light more like bioluminescence than burning embers. There seemed to be no thermal heat associated but the light continued even when I rubbed them against the dirt. They were worrisome so I got off the hill and went back to the house. When I got back to the house 15 minutes later I looked back at the hill I had left and saw it literally explode. C4 could not have been more dramatic. That was a close one. Then the hill began pouring streams of sparks toward the vegetation in our group of houses. The line had been breached and it was all going to go if nothing was done. So I got a shovel, put on some goggles and went back to the hill. When the smoke and sparks were too heavy I just put my back to them and kept going. The thermally generated wind was probably up around 60mph. and blew my Tom Scheuer cap away. (It went down a culvert so I hope I may be able to recover it.) The eucalyptus trees beside the pumping station were ablaze to their tops and that fire was headed down both Laurel Canyon and San Roque Canyon. Many of the sparks headed toward our area were coming from a four foot high pile of debris. I figured if I could get some dirt onto it the sparks could be reduced. Unfortunately the earth was like concrete and I did not have the mattock I needed. So the fire was going to go down both canyons and it was unlikely the fire would not also get to our group of houses. As I was heading back to the house to make what stand I could there I passed a fireman who told me in no uncertain terms that I was in the "Grey zone" and my future would be problematic if I did not get out. I had my truck parked on a slope ready to go so as long as I stayed aware should the fire come in around behind me, the final decision was yet in the future. Very near future but still in the future. When I got to the house there were four firemen on the roof and eight pumpers on the street.
CalFire has a Command and Control capability as good or better than any military force in the world. Within thirty minutes of the explosion of that hill they had assembled, where needed, 100-200 men and I would guess 30-40 pumpers. Santa Barbara would have a huge hole in it today had they not had the force needed to hold a quarter mile long line at Foothill spanning two canyons and the flanks to the sides. When I asked what I could do the firemen said you can get out. These guys I listen to. The big grassy hill behind us burned as did the large house at the top. But they stopped the fire where the grass met our group of houses. Our development would be gone for sure.
Our house is dusty but unscathed.
That's about it.
Oh yes. I think I still have the flu. No sense of smell at all.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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May 10, 2009 - 05:47pm PT
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Wow John. I am glad that you are okay. You are a real trooper.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 10, 2009 - 08:25pm PT
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Something new?
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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May 10, 2009 - 11:36pm PT
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John
I hope things will turn out not only for you, but
your neighbors. Please take care.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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May 11, 2009 - 12:26am PT
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Jstan,
You are an amazing person. It has been a privilege to get to know you. Be careful.
Ken
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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May 11, 2009 - 01:15am PT
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Tom Slater wrote: "But fire supression turns them into infernos that devastate rather than do what they would have done under normal conditions."
Actually, not true for So Cal chaparral according to decades of research by the scientist who probably knows by far the most about California fire ecology (J. Keeley of USGS) and his many colleagues. This well traveled belief is in fact true for montane coniferous forest, but not for chaparral. The natural fire cycle for chaparrals is that, whenever the fire burns, it is a stand-replacing inferno, which is followed by a fairly well known pattern of ecological succession from root-crown sprouting and species whose seeds' germination is triggered by fire. So-called defensible space is not all that effective in chaparral vegetation under the wind conditions that regularly occur (as in the present case), not to mention the erosion and landslide problems that are created when the only long-term stable native vegetation (chaparral) is drastically altered or removed. If your house is in the middle of it, it is at very high risk when the inevitable fire burns every few to many decades, unless the architecture is of the most modern fire-resistant type. By far the best way to protect life and property is not to have development peppered throughout this vegetation type.
Conifer forest is a completely different story; there, the pre-suppression fire cycle was of relatively frequent but low intensity fires which burned the (relatively sparse) saplings and understory, but did not kill or consume the canopy trees. With logging of the big trees and suppression of fire in the dense secondary forest growth, now you have conditions where fires are stand-replacing, and there are pretty much just two alternatives, either wait for centuries for the natural cycle to re-establish itself (which might not happen in some geographic areas due to climate change), or spend a lot of money to thin smaller trees but NOT also log the few large ones while you're at it (as has been proposed sometimes to fund the process).
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adam d
climber
CA
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May 11, 2009 - 01:50am PT
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Mongrels thoughts make sense, but it is challenging to generalize about chaparral as it takes so many forms. From sparse waist high scrub to 40' tall elfin forests and with a wide range of possible species makeup. It seems to me that without fire suppression, most chaparral would not go 50+ years without burning (certainly not with the rate that humans have been lighting fires lately in SB county and elsewhere). Some of the chaparral in SB is downright enormous. Big difference lighting up a field of black sage vs a stand of 50 year old ceanothus or scrub oak.
Even though most fires in chaparral will burn everything above ground, it seems that the ultimate scale of the fire and the impact on humans would be quite different depending on the makeup of of the chaparral and the amount of fuel out there.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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May 11, 2009 - 08:11pm PT
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hey john--- sorry to hear you lost that hat. good thing you documented it with photos.
at least you got to keep the house.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 11, 2009 - 08:26pm PT
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jstan, modelling what may be the missing hat, at last year's FaceLift. Hopefully it will be found safe and whole. And I hope jstan is also, in between climbing on roofs, dodging fires and fire fighters, and (possibly) climbing into culverts.
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada, CA
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May 11, 2009 - 11:21pm PT
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John,
Best wishes.
Erik
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jstan
climber
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May 12, 2009 - 12:51pm PT
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTvu_y_up58
Turns out these puppies have a cult following. Lift 2700 gallons of water (rated load 20,000#) using two 4500 hp turboshaft Pratt and Whitney engines. Located in Oregon Erickson Skycrane has a fleet of eighteen so the ones we see here probably come down on lease as needed. Each one has its own name. A firefighting version purchased by Australia was named “Elvis.” The design started out as the Sikorsky CH54 but was eventually bought by Erickson who now manufactures them.
Can’t find a price anywhere. Governments buy them.
Instead of getting a Saturn 5 for Christmas I now want a SkyCrane.
I know. I know. Fickle
EDIT:
Tue: 3PM
Glendale just picked up the length of hose they had left at our hydrant. Going home.
Seems like every time you gain something you also lose something.
Sad feeling.
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scuffy b
climber
Bad Brothers' Bait and Switch Shop
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May 12, 2009 - 12:53pm PT
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Saturn 5's are pretty hard to come by.
You might, just might, get a SkyCrane...maybe it will be
bringing a pony, too.
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MisterE
Trad climber
One Step Beyond!
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May 12, 2009 - 12:59pm PT
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Glad everytrhing is fine for you, John
Jeff: so sorry to hear about the loss - that's a heart-breaker.
Erik
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2009 - 12:05am PT
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30 goats bit the dust. The fire is stil going. Crazy. More winds too, but they say it might miss the area and stay south. Were any climbing areas torched?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 15, 2009 - 08:31pm PT
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I wonder how jstan is doing? His e-mail has been OOO since before the fires.
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jstan
climber
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May 15, 2009 - 09:00pm PT
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Sorry for not replying quickly. Worrieth thee not.
The cold has had me down also since before the fire and I took more than a full year's supply of smoke into the lungs in just one week. Getting better now. My email is dead dead mostly out of laziness.
The Sky Cranes have been going constantly, this afternoon a survey helicopter was thoroughly checking out the fire line which our house is right on, and this morning the roads were full of pumpers headed back home. Saturday I expect they will announce containment is 100%.
Believe it or not when I went into the neighbor's (unoccupied) house and saw the chair I had been sitting in while watching the TV in an attempt to find out what was happening, I got an attack of nostalgia. I want never to do it again but it really was an incredible experience.
Wildone's house is still there and even Dempsey the friendly neighborhood watch dog. She is a truly excellent watcher. Tomorrow I will try and recover my Thom Scheuer baseball cap. It was the Mohonk Preserve's 2002 Land Stewardship Award to me so I really need to get it back.
Contrary to Kerwin's fervent hopes, my usual hat was never in danger. It spent the fire buried and lost somewhere under the stuff I threw into the truck.
A couple of coworkers at the plant got together to try and decide what it was they most needed to put in their trucks to save. Their wives' shoe collections were the obvious choice. When done they got together and settled, again immediately, on the rest of their wive's wardrobes. Their own jack hammers, saws, and other tools were much more easily replaceable.
I may be wrong but I suspect these two items would have been the last the wives themselves would have selected. Mind you, if wrong, I won't admit it.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2009 - 09:39pm PT
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for visuals go to :
http://www.mercurynewsphoto.com/2009/05/santabarbarawildfire/
Photo 43 and 58 were favs...
Anyone local know if any crags are closed?
Heading up Mem. Day and will give a report.
Fire Status
• 8,733 acres burned
• All evacuation orders and warnings lifted as of May 13, 2009
• Residences threatened – 500; commercial properties threatened – 0
• 80 homes destroyed; 15 homes damaged
• 1 commercial property destroyed
• 2 outbuildings damaged, 79 outbuildings destroyed
• 1,857 personnel on scene: 111 engines, 57 crews
• 1 air attack tanker and 4 helicopters
• 30 firefighter injuries to date
• Cause under investigation: Tip line: (805) 686-5074
• Air quality warning remains in effect
• Estimated costs to date $17 million
• Expected containment 5/20/09
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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May 20, 2009 - 10:29pm PT
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fire crags-open
lizards mouth- open(went there today)
San Ysidro- open
Brickyard- closed-originally marked that it would be closed until Sept. but heard rumor that may open sooner.
Playground-closed(same situation as Brickyard)
Gibralter-unknown
If you had a specific area in mind, let me know and I can find out.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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May 31, 2009 - 08:48pm PT
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Coming into this thread late - it's been a few weeks. I live in Mission Canyon, ran Jesusita trail every other day. Fire came to within a few hundred feet of the house.
I was also shooting for the press - kevsteele's blog has some images.
A couple of 20 image galleries of the fire are here and here: the second is while embedded with fire crews, very close and personal.
Here is the Gibraltar Rock area as it smoldered in the late stages of the fire. Climbers were up there today as I rode my bike along the road and I plan to head up there again tomorrow to look closer...
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jstan
climber
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May 31, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
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KS:
You must have had some really good filters to deal with the smoke.
Great stuff!
Edit
So far I have seen only San Roque Canyon. It was really hot there and Kevin's pictures make it appear it was generally hot on Inspiration Point. Not like the Day Fire. This one may be awhile coming back.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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May 31, 2009 - 09:41pm PT
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boy, that looks like a hot one.
did it sterilize the soil?
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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May 31, 2009 - 09:56pm PT
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Just burn it & get on with it.
Sheez.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 1, 2009 - 02:00pm PT
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Kevin, thanks for the images.
Gibraltar is open and cooked... wow.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Here is the Gibraltar Rock area up closer today.
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Slater
climber
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Wow, glad I got some pictures when it was green! What a wasteland! So, it is open then to climbing? It'll be a trippy experience for sure.
Thanks for posting that photo.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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technically, the road is closed to through traffic for a month while crews trundle rocks from the uphill slopes Mon-Fri 8am-4pm. But you can drive past the sign and up, i guess as long as you are not continuing to the top you are not "driving through" - if you do it during the week you may have a delay from the road crews.
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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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At least the mini-approach to toxic waste wall will be easier! (j/k)
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Slater
climber
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Maybe it'll open up some bouldering?
Did the fire affect any of the other areas? Did it go as far west as Cathedral?
I have no idea how far west it burned.
Erosion will be a bummer this winter as always after a fire.
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adam d
climber
CA
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From the reports I heard, it sounded like the Cathedral area burned. I haven't been down to SB (except Friday in the dark) to see it yet though. More after pics!
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jstan
climber
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The fire largely burned off the side of Cathedral Peak facing the ocean. Two weeks before the fire we bushwacked Cathedral. Much of the chaparal below the East ridge to Cathedral Peak is also gone. The prominent broken face east of tunnel trail at its top was also burned.
The fire also went in back of Cathedral and cleared a significant area around LaCumbre peak. The western fire boundary was west of Rt154 in places. Firefighters put up a huge battle to keep it from jumping 154.
Jesusita is still closed so I have not been up there yet. Just think. The poison oak has been set back a peg or two! Won't be long before it is back.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Wildone: here's the base of Toxic Waste Wall...
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Yes, Cathedral is toast. I've been up and down Gibraltar all week helping prep a trail race in the backcountry for this weekend (on the green side, not the blackened side..)
As jstan points out it's a wide swath from Cold Springs across the front range to San Roque Canyon that is all the way to Camino Cielo across most of it. Then a lower charred band keeps going west past 154. (was with fire crews on 154 that night) The lookout on top of La Cumbre was saved and Flores Flat as well.
Jstan: we should connect! I climbed Foops when you still could and just spent this evening with another gunkie (C Moratz) in town visiting (he heads to Yosemite tomorrow).
Some more after pics below..
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Slater
climber
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Kevin,
you're proud of your license plate
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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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Nice- I love that goddamn toxic waste wall. And I lived about 150 yards from that reservoir, last house on Laurel Canyon road at the dead end.
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Slater
climber
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so I'll bring a wrench when I'm up there. I wonder what that kind of heat does to the rock and the hardware? The fact that it's sandstone makes it even more sketch. Wildone, is the house still there, I wonder? 80 houses were lost, that blows my mind. That's a lot of family photo albums and high school yearbooks and wedding pictures and...
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jstan
climber
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The large house on the hill slightly east of where Kev's picture of the reservoir was taken, burned. I understand it was not insured and I assume this was because there was no hydrant. The house is above the reservoir. There was also a small structure almost exactly where Kev took the picture. That is gone.
At the end of Laurel Canyon road where it meets the water facility there is a house to the left( West) slightly down in Laurel Canyon. That house is still there. Where Laurel Canyon road abuts the entrance to the water facility there is a spur road running east along the base of the hill. I don't think any houses on that spur were burned. But the fire came right down across the ball field and up to the houses.
As Kevin's pictures imply, the fire was unusually hot. I expect the mature trees down in San Roque Canyon will make it back but at the moment they certainly don't look as though they will.
The fire fighters put up a hell of a fight. Really sorry I left. But if it had come down to running for it I probably would not have been allowed to move my truck. Had everything in it.
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Slater
climber
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From greener days...
Doug Englekirk on the Nose, Gibraltar Rock.
Photo Tom Slater(c)
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Slater
climber
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From Painted Cave you can see the burn, and how close it got to that community. They must have been crapping. There are orange streaks of retardant on the hills nearby.
Went to Lizards Mouth, which is rad, but Brickyard was closed, even though it is literally right next to Brickyard. When did that fire happen? Man, tons of rock on West Camino Cielo and out by the Gun Club (Bunker Hill). That place must really resist development due to the limited access 'cause it looks really rad.
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Slater
climber
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Both guides say the rocks behind the Gun Club are fair game when it's closed to shooting. I'd think that they would have discovered a sacred site before just recently?
Plus, they shoot the sh#t out of that place and it's on the Winchester Gun Club land. Where did you get that info?
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Rokrover
Trad climber
SB, CA
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The range warden at the skeet range told us Bunker Hill was off limits during operations. However, it borders more interesting formations to the south that are on the restricted Chumash "wind cave" site. This is fenced off along West Camino Cielo but not on the northern border with the jeep road towards Brush Peak. A sensitive area, regardless. Some more information on the site:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=16584
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Bunker Hill looks better then it actually is. Unlike lizard's Mouth-which is fairly hard sandstone, Bunker Hill is soft sandstone that doesn't inspire much confidence.
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Slater
climber
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Good to know. At least now I can sleep at night knowing I'm not missing anything.
Man, driving up WCCielo I was just gawking at all the boulders up in the trees/bushes. That one house with the 30' blocks in his yard... how'd ya like to own THAT house! "Honey, I'm going out for a few laps in the front yard!" Dude probably doesn't even climb...
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Looks like things were pretty intense, John. We're glad everything turned out OK.
Curt
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Neat place to live, sorta. You don't sleep well on hot, windy nights :) And the constant brush clearing for a defensible space has gotta get old after a while.
Interesting mix of people, too. Some normal, everyday people mixed in with some very odd ducks.
Hopefully the Brickyard will open soon. Ironically, the Gap fire started at Lizard's Mouth, but it didn't suffer much damage. Brickyard got pounded. The long trail into the 'yard is soft dirt most of the way, which most likely caused USFS some erosion concerns. But I'm sure a lot of new stuff will be finally accessible, now. Hopefully knocked down some of the poison oak, too.
Wonder how Arrowhead Springs fared.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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It stands to reason that if they closed the 'yard after the fire, that they'll close Gibraltar soon then too? Kevin, know anything/heard anything about this? What a bummer, but maybe necessary? That would suck for SB locals.
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Rokrover
Trad climber
SB, CA
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The Brickyard (and Playground) are currently off limits due to the hydromulch treatment to prevent erosion before plant regrowth stabilizes the soil again. Supposedly hikers will break through the mulch crust and compromise its effectiveness. The concern was runoff during the rainy season would impact the ranches and watershed along the foothills. The closure should be lifted this Fall. The art at Arrowhead Springs is OK, but the Gap Fire came mighty close and singed the neighboring boulders at “The Village.” Meanwhile, there is no indication yet of similar treatment with closure being planned around Gibraltar Rock / Toxic Waste Wall / Cold Springs Dome. The hills there are too steep for hydromulch to be effective. Probably there’s no budget left by now anyway.
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