FIRES

[greenonion]

While I have thought of adding a wildfire overlay in the map, I'm not sure how much it would be used since people use Watch Duty, Facebook, COTrex, and other apps. However, whenever there are incidents like this, I do try to get "Alerts" out on 14er, Trailhead, or Route pages. Since the route descriptions are used more than anything else on the site, people should see those alerts. AND, they immediately get picked up by the mobile apps so they can't miss them when viewing impacted routes. Like, now, if you look at the Massive route, you'll see alerts. I can change them on the fly and provide more info than just a wildfire polygon.

I learned a while back that recreating what other sites have, is mostly a waste of time and effort. Like when I built a full map "Drawing" interface that was much easier to use than CalTopo, providing a simple way to create map tracks/waypoints and download them to GPX or KML. But hardly anyone would use it, so I canned it. Oh well. I'm guessing CalTopo will continue to offer some free tools, like basic map drawing.

I completely get that Bill. Makes tons of sense. I jumped the emotional gun while thinking of possibilities related to extreme fire. Thanks for responding and for putting up the alerts and notifications you have. Really, thanks for what you think about and do behind the scenes.

[Androzs]

I wanna climb Kit Carson soon. I live in Gunnison. Wondering what the smoke is like up at Willow Lake from anyone that's been recently. Looks like it shouldn't be bad.

[Arthur Shagisultanov]

I wanna climb Kit Carson soon. I live in Gunnison. Wondering what the smoke is like up at Willow Lake from anyone that's been recently. Looks like it shouldn't be bad.

We climbed Crestone Peak yesterday. There was a moderate, low-hanging haze in the San Luis Valley starting late morning, but the Sangres were completely clear. The smoke is quite variable, though—we climbed Crestone Needle a week ago, and it was so bad on the drive out that the sun disappeared entirely behind the smoke well before sunset.

Here's a great resource for tracking fires, smoke, and air quality: https://fire.airnow.gov/. The AQI monitor in Crestone looks to be good right now.

[ECF55]

The smoke is quite variable, though

For sure. I'm heading out in a week and have been angsting a lot about the conditions. Monsoon moisture pulses clearly put the explosive fire growth in check. Big dry heat domes tend to make things much more combustable and then it comes down to wind direction for where the smoke is carried. Some of those AQIs last week looked really unpleasant.

Here's to a surge of monsoon moisture. Good luck out there.

[bdloftin77]

Gold Mtn Fire jumped into the West Fork area. One of my favorite parts of Colorado.
https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-i ... ntain-fire

[SkaredShtles]

Gold Mtn Fire jumped into the West Fork area. One of my favorite parts of Colorado.
https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-i ... ntain-fire

Looks like it may have leapfrogged the Middle Fork as well...

Screenshot_20260712_124731_Watch Duty.jpg

[bdloftin77]

Indeed it did. Wonder if that whole area will go up in flames.

IMG_1623.png

[dwoodward13]

Sad news that a pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed after crashing in Silver Jack Reservoir.

https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/13/pilo ... ire-crash/

[chicken_dip]

Hi all, i have read a ton of conflicting information as to whether or not Uncompahgre is climbable right now. The Gold Creek Fire page doesn't list Nellie Creek as one of the TH closures but I just wanted to be sure since everything else is saying it is closed. I live in Gunnison so it wouldn't be trek to come back to town but I have 4 days planned already this week.

EDIT: Updated closure map just came out. I am going to go ahead and say the trail closed for sure.

https://inciweb-prod-media-bucket.s3.us ... zKIf4jeil3

[greenonion]

Hi all, i have read a ton of conflicting information as to whether or not Uncompahgre is climbable right now. The Gold Creek Fire page doesn't list Nellie Creek as one of the TH closures but I just wanted to be sure since everything else is saying it is closed. I live in Gunnison so it wouldn't be trek to come back to town but I have 4 days planned already this week.

EDIT: Updated closure map just came out. I am going to go ahead and say the trail closed for sure.

https://inciweb-prod-media-bucket.s3.us ... zKIf4jeil3

Agreed. According to that map, the actual TH is outside the closure, but not by far. And most of the trail itself is in the closure. Best to stay away for now

[dwoodward13]

Hi all, i have read a ton of conflicting information as to whether or not Uncompahgre is climbable right now. The Gold Creek Fire page doesn't list Nellie Creek as one of the TH closures but I just wanted to be sure since everything else is saying it is closed. I live in Gunnison so it wouldn't be trek to come back to town but I have 4 days planned already this week.

EDIT: Updated closure map just came out. I am going to go ahead and say the trail closed for sure.

https://inciweb-prod-media-bucket.s3.us ... zKIf4jeil3

To add to the confusion, that location for the summit is rather hilariously wrong. Not the highest quality map, but on the amended 7/2 closure order (latest on the GUMG website) the summit is right on the closure boundary (the closure line follows the Ouray/Gunnison Ranger District boundaries, which bisects the summit), but per the letter of the law the summit trail does jussstt cross into the closure on the ridge. I'd also consider with the new Elk Fire, air quality is going to be highly suspect with a wind direction out of the N, NE, or NW between the two fires.

[greenonion]

I’d still highly recommend avoiding the area. We were just north of Lake City three days ago on Highway 149. Air quality was horrible