Flagstaff and the surrounding forests, that is.  Already we are having fire restrictions, I would imagine if there's no moisture everything could be closed by April.  

Several friends of mine work as wildland firefighters and they are working on evacuation plans for parts of Flagstaff.  The tree moisture levels on 1,000 hr and 10,000 hr fuels (big trees) are similar to conditions just prior to our monsoon season, and there's a lot of underbrush from last years awesome winter.  

Myself, I live in downtown Flag, but national forest land is less than a couple blocks away from my home so I must consider a remote possibility of an evacuation scenario.  I own acreage outside of town and it is incredibly dry, there isn't much left in the way after the beetle kill several years ago and our current lack of a winter.  

At any rate, I hate to be one of those who talk about the weather.  However, I do think it is a big deal for a lot of people, especially the smaller communities in northern AZ.  Heber-Overgaard really took it during the rodeo-chedeski fire, and things are drier now than that season.  

JMHO,




Holy crap!  My 300th post!

I just moved to Flagstaff this week from Upstate NY.  I am totally thrilled by the amount of outdoors stuff to do here but am bummed that my first year here everything is going to be closed.  What exactly does that mean?  Do they really close all the National parks?  No hiking, camping or moutain biking?  Has this happened before?  How long might everything be closed for?

Yeah, and my lips are chapped and my skin is all dried out.  All this after one week.  At least its sunny and warm.

A few years back they even closed all below-rim areas of Grand Canyon, excluding the Kaibab and Bright Angel trails.  This year is by far drier than that one, normally fire restrictions don't come until May or so...

They don't actually close the parks per se, but they hand out pretty hefty fines if you're caught with a camp fire or smoking.  Yeah, it bites!  The weather is getting perfect for camping and fishing, and I can't enjoy myself without a crackling fire illuminating the tip of my fishing pole.  

If we get a few good rains, they'll lift the restrictions.

This is AZ, we dont have rain all that much.  

Gee, two other ARFCOMMERs in Flag area now.  I am in Doney Park, you know, the place where all the wind goes.

We had a 1.5 acre fire in the eastern part of Doney Park Sunday.  According to the scanner, Summit fire called in all the trucks, had Coconino NF folks working to keep it from spreading.  Good there was not much wind.  I have my defensive space cleared.

MJ, we get much more precipitation up here than down in the Valley.  Just not this year.

Probably already seen quite a few posts from me asking a handful of questions. I, too, moved to Flagstaff from Southern California in mid-January. I am so dissapointed in the La Nina that the Southwest is experiencing this year. I love snowboarding, and the resort is so dried out.

I am jealous of my sister who has been getting so much rain in Northern California.

.....Let me rephrase the statement... I am jealous of the weather she is getting not the area.

I just went shooting out off the Winona exit in the cinder pits today. The weather was great.

Well my dad said they got 14" of snow back home (north of Syracuse NY) in the last few days, so while I understand the concern here let me tell you I am not feeling too awful bad about the weather.  I spent most of this week in Sedona on Jeep trails with the top down even!  I am going to be bummed if they close the parks though.

NAZARFCOM'ERS!  I thought everyone here ate too much granola to support this site, glad to hear otherwise.  At any rate, WHEN the forests start burning it will be national news, much like the Rodeo-Chedeski a few years back.  

As far as evacuation, I think we could all crash at Winston's, right?  

It'll probably be one Hot summer this year.

Quoted: NAZARFCOM'ERS!  I thought everyone here ate too much granola to support this site, glad to hear otherwise.  At any rate, WHEN the forests start burning it will be national news, much like the Rodeo-Chedeski a few years back.   As far as evacuation, I think we could all crash at Winston's, right?

... My place next to Tonto Creek or here in the Valley?

... I'm in the same boat as you my brutha, if the Ponderosas burn, I'm right in their path.

... On the other hand, there's always room to unfurl your sleeping bag somewhere around here - just bring extra beer