Portal after Hurricane Odile, Part 2

The Forest Service has closed the road into Cave Creek Canyon indefinitely. In places the road has been seriously undermined, even washed away. Anyone needing to access the Southwest Research Station will have to approach from Paradise via East Turkey Creek, then turn left and drop down into Cave Creek Canyon.

Bud and Deborah Johnson hiked into South Fork to the trailhead. They report that the road below the bridge is bad. The bridge and two cabins survive intact, with possibly a small amount of flooding in the cabins, but above the bridge, the road to the trailhead is simply gone. The rumor is that the Forest Service may not replace the road at all; I haven't been able to reach anyone who could confirm that.

(I often walk the South Fork road, and don't believe it's a big loss if in the future we have a trail rather than a road for that half-mile above the bridge. Beginning at the junction with the main canyon road, the South Fork road often hosts more species of birds than the trail up the canyon, although most birders don't realize that, and drive right past this excellent habitat in their hurry to get to the trailhead.)

Alan and I stopped by Cave Creek Ranch to ask Reed about the damage there, and to lend a hand. Floodwaters did enter several cabins; he's in the process of pulling up wet carpet and pads, and mucking out the dense silt that covers the flooded floors. Tony and Rene have very kindly been helping.

The propane tank was floating in the floodwaters, and Reed tied it to a tree with clothesline to prevent its voyage downstream. Another tank from someone's place across the creek probably had a broken valve; the smell of propane was strong.

Woodland Cottage, sans part of its former woodland, with the back porch seriously undermined and about a foot of silt on the front patio. 

(Photos by Narca)

In Woodland Cottage, the most impacted of the ranch's cabins, the floodline on the interior was about 18" high. Water overtopped the bathtub and floated the refrigerator, which fell over on its side, where it was found still running –– even with the electric sockets having been under water!

Silt piled against the front door had to be dug out to allow the door to open.

In a digression, another favorite birder destination is the Casa de San Pedro in Hereford, next to the San Pedro River. Patrick and Karl, the owners, tell me that they were prepared for the San Pedro River to rise 18' –– and it rose 21'. One of their main issues, like Reed's, is mud everywhere; their landscaping also needs major work. They do hope to be back in business soon.

Fire News: Photos of South Fork

Now at over 70,000 acres, the Horseshoe Two Fire burning in the Chiricahua Mountains has become the 6th largest fire in Arizona history, and is expected to grow to about 90,000 acres before it is contained.

Low-intensity burn in South Fork

(All photos by Rose Ann Rowlett)

Rose Ann Rowlett sent these photos and a report on her recent visit to South Fork, in the company of Linda Peery (USFS biologist), Salek (a hydrologist), and community members Dave Jasper, Richard Webster, John Yerger and Reed Peters. Linda was asking local bird experts their advise on avoiding harm to nesting cavities as the USFS prepares for expected floods during the summer monsoon.

Burn at the South Fork trailhead and picnic area

Burn from the South Fork bridge

A few (not many) mature riparian trees will be removed in South Fork and the main Cave Creek Canyon, in order to protect bridges and the town of Portal from some of the more serious ramifications of flooding. Rose Ann was encouraged by the competence and concern she saw in personnel who will be working with rehabilitation of the canyons.

May 31 fire map

Detail of West Turkey Creek / Saulsbury Saddle region

Detail of area to be burned out in Rucker & Tex Canyons

Current, ongoing burnouts in Rucker and Tex Canyons down to Highway 80 and in the West Turkey Creek area are expected to be completed during the next week, finally achieving containment of this very intense, extensive fire.

Smoke over Portal and Cave Creek Canyon, 31 May 2011

At last night's community meeting, folks from the BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) team talked to the community about measures that they will be taking to help the recovery of the Chiricahuas during the coming year. Right now the team is mapping the burn so they know where the fire burned intensively, moderately or at low intensity.

The monsoon itself will determine what happens in the aftermath of the fire. The best scenario would be a gentle start with patchy rains, moving from lower elevations to upcanyon. The team will advise Cochise County on what needs to be done to protect the town of Portal, which is in the county's jurisdiction, and not the BAER team's. (It will be interesting to see whether local government is as responsive and competent as the federal fire and BAER teams have been.)

Fire crews have accomplished what has often seemed impossible under these windy, dry conditions. The last big winds, Wynne said, gusted to 60 mph! I'm hearing from many people that "they are my heroes!"