Hum, BIBE basically shut down just after my OML attempt in March. I started looking north and missed Last Chance Canyon by a week before the Lincoln National Forest shut down. I was lucky though to have a great to Wheeler Peak the weekend of Juneteenth . I really liked the area and started planning another trip in the area for the week following Labor Day. Unfortunately, I was stunned to discover this today.
http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/NM.phpHere are some excerpts from that page -
WHAT`S RESTRICTED:
NATIONAL FORESTS and GRASSLANDS
Carson National Forest has posted Fire Restrictions at Stage Three as of June 30th. Click here for details.
Santa Fe National Forest implemented Stage III Fire Restrictions across the Forest on Friday, June 24. Stage III Fire Restrictions will restrict access/use to certain parts of the Forest, yet there will be opportunities for people to recreate in the forest. For a detailed list of what will remain OPEN while under Stage II Restrictions, click here.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is closed.
Lincoln National Forest remains closed. For details, click here.
Due to Extreme Fire Danger Levels, Cibola National Forest on June 20th set Stage III restrictions for the Sandia and Magdalena Ranger Districts. For details, click here.
Earlier, the forest had to COMPLETELY CLOSE the Manzano and Gallina Mountains of the Mountainair Ranger District May 18th. For details on these earlier closures, click here. (See below for other closures.)
Stage III is not good. I looks like it basically shuts an area down. And we all know what Stage II means no fires and we all see where that seems to wind up these days.
This country is hurting and we really need rain. The country all the way up the Pecos River Valley is as dry as I can ever remember. I was saving vacation days for a trip or tow between Labor day and the end of the year. I guess I will have to wait and see if we get rain in September a traditionally wet month in West Texas before I look for something else to do.
Randy
