scorched earth

We had an eventful week alongside my usual foothills trail route this past week.  

Amateur rocket launch set off a 2 acre blaze early in the week, then some copycatting reprobates set another fire on Saturday, not 100 yards from the previous.  

looking north @ scorched earth

looking south from same location at what once was

Hotshot crews and heliflights fought that 40-acre fire thru the night, saving our Sandias western slope from the devastating winds that followed on Sunday.  Hearty Thx! to all you responders!

Had my first chance to check the damage after work today, stopping short in shock, even though I thought I knew what was coming.

before, in the height of monsoon season

after, in the depths of stupidity

Nothing but raw, scorched sand where once was high desert prairie.

Most of the (wide) singletrack in the area was widened out by the firefighters to serve as firebreaks.  What once was singletrack, now more resembles jeep trails.  The vegetation might eventually recover, but I bet we've lost that singletrack forever.

schweet singletrack, gone

All in all, maybe a coupla miles of singletrack loop, few acres of prairie affected.  Bad enuf on the face of it, even more scary to think how much worse it could have been.