The extent of the damage has not yet been assessed.
Chill Y'all. Nothing in nature is forever. Nature is incredibly resilient.
Wayne
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What effect will it have on water sources i wonder
Saw a summary of the fires and some of the trail closures are:
the AT closed from the Nantahala River at Wesser south to Rock Gap Trailhead on Forest Road 67
Wesser Creek Trail
Benton MacKaye Trail east of Beech Gap
Chunky Gal trail from Glade Gap to Tusquitee gap
Portions of the foothills trail and whitewater falls trail.
Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness
said to call US Forest Service at 828-257-4200 for more information
Tipi's perspective reminds me of the dynamic planet we live. The nature of NATURE is that it is dynamic. And, that although man's behavior can change the face of the landscape, and should be ethically and ecologically considered in how it does that, there are far larger cataclysmic forces at work. Man is just part of a far larger interconnected whole. Yet much of humanity has the world view that it is apart and above the rest of the natural environment. It is human centricity and hubris that fails to recognize this and results in human behavior that has vast consequences to not only itself but sometimes the whole.
Hiking experiences in Hawaii where the hike goes through vast dynamic recently active lava fields in Hawaii's Volcano NP where isolated islands of native forest and wildlife exist called kipukas are surrounded by stark lava reminds me just how dynamic life and Nature is. And, yet even in the stark seemingly initially barren seemingly destroyed lava fields ferns, ohia lehua, guava, and native grasses that have learned to adapt and evolve are visible. It reminds me that once the entire Hawaiian Island chain rose out of the sea in lava once barren of life. Life found a way.
And, the Polynesians found a life - created a good life - when they sought to cooperate with Nature as first impulse rather than view themselves isolated from it.
Your wider perspective reminds of varying accounts of The Dust Bowl. Most accounts are from a human centric perspective which ignore the role of human ignorance and misguided Abrahamic world view human behavior - a failure to recognize a larger ecology where the environment includes humanity acting together as an interconnected larger web of life.Originally Posted by Tipi Walter
When man believes he is apart and above the rest of Nature and the environment, not recognizing ecology as an interconnect whole, it results in perspective's that blame the cause of the Dust Bowl experience on something other than man's hubris and that human centric world view.
Historically Native Americans generally had a world view where they adapted to changes of Nature flowing with it rather than fighting it or seeing themselves apart from it. They lived interconnected to and cooperating with Nature perceiving themselves as but one strand in a larger interconnected web of life - a larger ecology.
Settlers with a human centric Abrahamic Manifest Destiny perspective failed to take into account strong winds, periods of drought, dust storms, periodic wildfires, shallow soils, and how and why native plants had adapted were a natural part of the way of life and things on the Great Plains. Humans brought the experiences of the Dust Bowl largely on themselves because they ignored the larger interconnected whole and the way of things that occur naturally on the Great Plains as it had occurred for 1000's of years previously. Whereas Native Americans adapted their ways of life quite successfully to living in the Great Plains in greater cooperation with and regard for Nature.
“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
― Aldo Leopold
“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”
― Aldo Leopold, Round River: From the Journals of Aldo Leopold
Thanks to Tipi, Dogwood, Venchka, and everyone for a viewpoint that speaks to the larger and more important picture. As I typed the OP, I was wrapped in a bit of self-pity, since my long dreamed of AT thru-hike experience was going to be somehow "tarnished". I needed to take a step back and reflect on things from 30,000' up.
“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates
Yes, the thought of the AT being tarnished does suck. However, the opportunity to hike the trail is still there.
The trail going through the fire area does not amount to a lot when you look at the trail in its entirety. It will most likely make you even more grateful for the trail sections that have not been burned. Many gripe about no views, but you might actually be able to see more because the fire has opened things up. The fire will allow you to see things many have not had the opportunity to see on their hike.
Yes fire is a natural process, but is the drought natural or caused by human influenced climate change? Is such a large scale burning natural, or are they going to hike thru a human caused event. Some people go hiking to get away from the influence of mankind.
But there is a rub there as the forest is already greatly altered by humans, it is not original growth patterns but a much more immature forest as most has been cut down at some point.
It's a sobering thought if one had to walk thru miles of the burnt down forest, even camp in it. Perhaps not what one expected, but it is the trail who is the teacher, the hiker is only a student.
The man made influence on the landscape predates recorded history.
Arson is abhorrent. Natural fires have existed since forever.
Go to CalTopo.com. Find South Fork, Colorado. Turn on the fire history overlay. Zoom out and look at the 2012 & 2013 fires. Scroll along the Continental Divide.
There might be some new views opening in the green tunnel. Perhaps a new bald to enjoy.
Wayne
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Notseeignthatoverlay,
Not seeing that overlay, and would be more interested in the southern appalachians, other places have different burn cycles. Would love to see the overlay of the Gunks in NY, that area burns completely like every 20 years (in smaller large segments)
I just hiked the Three Forks to Neels Gap section this past weekend, and was stunned to find the hot remains of a fire at a trailside campsite. The fact that someone would use a fire within view of smoke is unbelievable.
The Appalachian Trail, AT enthusiasts, and ideal that is the AT, no matter how that ideal is defined, is just part of the larger interconnected web that is dynamic. It is not apart and set above the rest of the web. It will change by way of man's behavior, Nature, and time. It may even cease to exist in the physical altogether at some stage.Yes, the thought of the AT being tarnished does suck. However, the opportunity to hike the trail is still there.
The trail going through the fire area does not amount to a lot when you look at the trail in its entirety. It will most likely make you even more grateful for the trail sections that have not been burned. Many gripe about no views, but you might actually be able to see more because the fire has opened things up. The fire will allow you to see things many have not had the opportunity to see on their hike.
I too enjoyed the perspective of the second paragraph. The fire adds an element of diversity and perhaps appreciation for a larger AT experience.
Saying the AT is tarnished predisposes the AT and all that it represents, and can represent, is static to an ideal state.
The AT, just as humanity, is not insulated, no matter if we desire otherwise, from fires(man made, accidental or not, and 'naturally' caused), historically significant fire towers being erased, ice storms, droughts, tornados, solar flares, erosion, exponentially increasing human population straining the AT corridor, termini or its path being relocated, whitetail deer population explosions, elk being reintroduced, global climate changes, vagarities in regional weather patterns, confrontations of all manner, or aliens landing in Damascus Virginia to take away Lone Wolf.
A worthy aspect of an AT experience can be in recognizing how these experiences can change, are ever changing, just as the AT is ever changing, and is inextricably interconnected to a larger dynamic ecology.
The temporal AT is no different in that it will change just as the other great physical man made wonders and cultures and experiences associated with them have changed - the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Colosseum in Rome, the pyramids at Giza or Teotihuacan or Angor Wat
Tab in upper right corner of the screen. Click it and a menu drops down. Fire History is there, about half way down the menu.
Other places also have much greater burn areas. The actual AT occupies an extremely narrow corridor. The actual burn areas may not be near the trail. Too soon to know for sure.
Wayne
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Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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"You can't fix stupid."
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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My spring hike followed in the path of a string of fires. There was even a bit of conjecture on the trail that someone was setting them intentionally. The more I hiked, the more I saw horrible fire safety practices.
Campfires unattended, not one single fire properly extinguished at the end of the night, numerous people tossing a branch in a fire and immediately heading off to sleep secure in the knowledge that someone else would watch it burn down, a trail runner feeding a large fire on a very windy night in dry conditions, long branches up to twenty feet of length with one end left lying in the fire, one fire in the middle of a field with no ring of stone or cleared area.
Nothing we say here will make a difference. Stubborn people are going to do what stubborn people do. The old "I've been leaving smoldering piles of coals overnight for 30 years and I've never started a fire" crowd. It's easier to just blame some imagined arsonist than to realize that your own fire safety practices are non existent in practice.
Wildfires are natural, just hope nobody is hurt. I've hiked through plenty of burnt out areas, especially the Jersey Pine Barrens. It's always a cool surreal experience and nature bounces back pretty quickly. It'll be a nice change for those of us starting early, instead of a sea of brown we'll change it up with some black!
When I had a temporary job once with the Georgia Forestry Commission I learned that fires are often caused by lightning,arsonists,careless idiots,and the ignorant types who do not know that you should never have a fire when the relative humidity is less than 40%.
Generally speaking,every winter there is quite a bit of controlled burns taking place in the state.These are usually fairly well contained because they are set by professionals who know how to burn "under the wind."What we have now is run away wild fire and it can be scary......
I'm not saddened. It's natural and will add to the adventure.
"Out of the Southern Burntlands we arose. It was our tutelage, and out of it we rose stronger than ever!"
I dont mind walking through burnt forest. I just want to know if ill be able to walk through the areas or will i need to yellowblaze it around the closed areas next year.
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