No off-roading

[big jim]

I saw on the news this morning the BLM was stopping off-road due to fire danger. Has anyone else heard this?

Jim

[baldwinwb11]

my wife said she heard the same thing on the news, but I don't know any particulars.

[azrubyman]

What surprises me is that anyone needs to be told.
Seriously....it's drier than a popcorn f*rt. The rains will come in a few weeks and everyone can sigh relief.
All we need is fire caused by ANYONE offroad and we will all pay the price with sensational headlines like,
"Off roader cause Arizona to go up in flames". "Jeep fire reduces Tonto National Forest to charcoal".
Sierra Club says, "Off Road vehicles cause most forest fires and should be banned in teh summer months" .
Ken

[xFallen]

I suspect someone heard something to that effect but misinterpreted what they were hearing. The BLM can impose such closures but according to the latest information I could find as of today there are no such closures in Arizona.

Please check it out for yourselves here:

http://www.publiclands.org/firenews.php?PHPSESSID=16363c49c4f48e8b09146d0f2a1 749dd

And here:

http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/information/firerestrictions/az/restrictions_az.htm

These sites should be bookmarked by any outdoor enthusiast as they seem to have the latest information about closures and restrictions, often more up to date that the BLM site itself which often remains alarmingly static.


Barry

[Antman]

I suspect someone heard something to that effect but misinterpreted what they were hearing. The BLM can impose such closures but according to the latest information I could find as of today there are no such closures in Arizona.

Please check it out for yourselves here:

http://www.publiclands.org/firenews.php?PHPSESSID=16363c49c4f48e8b09146d0f2a1 749dd

And here:

http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/information/firerestrictions/az/restrictions_az.htm

These sites should be bookmarked by any outdoor enthusiast as they seem to have the latest information about closures and restrictions, often more up to date that the BLM site itself which often remains alarmingly static.


Barry


Good info Barry and I was about to post but you beat me to it. There is a lot of info there and I usually check daily during the summer.

[xFallen]

Good info Barry and I was about to post but you beat me to it. There is a lot of info there and I usually check daily during the summer.

Have you found it to be accurate Bill? So far, I have. The FS sites are usually good.

We use it for radio purposes, you see. The VHF/UHF contest is this weekend and our favorite spot up in DM53 is sometimes the subject of closure or restrictions. No campfires for us this year and it has been chilly at night I hear.


Barry

[Antman]

Have you found it to be accurate Bill? So far, I have. The FS sites are usually good.

We use it for radio purposes, you see. The VHF/UHF contest is this weekend and our favorite spot up in DM53 is sometimes the subject of closure or restrictions. No campfires for us this year and it has been chilly at night I hear.


Barry

I also have a son who is an assistant heavy engine boss stationed at the Tonto Sunflower station in the summer who I talk to almost daily and yes the sites are pretty accurate. Sometimes they are slow putting stuff up though, but man there's a lot of neat stuff up there when the fires are going! :D I forget where DM53 is. I think I am in DM43 here in the Heber area. I used to run about 500 watts on 2m ssb/cw with stacked 11 elements at 80', but have been inactive on both vhf and hf lately. :o

[xFallen]

I also have a son who is an assistant heavy engine boss stationed at the Tonto Sunflower station in the summer who I talk to almost daily and yes the sites are pretty accurate. Sometimes they are slow putting stuff up though, but man there's a lot of neat stuff up there when the fires are going! :D I forget where DM53 is. I think I am in DM43 here in the Heber area. I used to run about 500 watts on 2m ssb/cw with stacked 11 elements at 80', but have been inactive on both vhf and hf lately. :o

I am in DM43 down here. QRZ says you're in DM44. :)

DM53 starts just past the ski resort East of you a bit...Spark it back up for the weekend -- we could use the points. :D


Barry

[Antman]

I am in DM43 down here. QRZ says you're in DM44. :)

DM53 starts just past the ski resort East of you a bit...Spark it back up for the weekend -- we could use the points. :D


Barry

Your right. I dug up my map. DM44 Sorry, but I doubt I'll be home this weekend.
Gud luck though!:D

[LOWTECH]

What surprises me is that anyone needs to be told.
Seriously....it's drier than a popcorn f*rt. The rains will come in a few weeks and everyone can sigh relief.
All we need is fire caused by ANYONE offroad and we will all pay the price with sensational headlines like,
"Off roader cause Arizona to go up in flames". "Jeep fire reduces Tonto National Forest to charcoal".
Sierra Club says, "Off Road vehicles cause most forest fires and should be banned in teh summer months" .
Ken

Hummmmmmm thought it was lighting

[xFallen]

Hummmmmmm thought it was lighting

The off-road vehicles quote is wrong even by their own publised stats.

The overhwleming majority of fires are started by lightning like they have been for the last...what...million years maybe?

BTW, the only closure that resembles the above statements appear to apply to and come from the Prescott National Forest.

Anyone else have any concrete factual information surrounding closures with attribution please? Sure don't want to be out there in palces they don't want us. :rolleyes:



Barry

[Craig]

The VHF/UHF contest is this weekend

How the heck do you have contest?

[xFallen]

How the heck do you have contest?

Essentially by accumulating the greatest number of contacts from as many different places as possible. If there is propagation it can be fun, especially if it is on the higher UHF bands since those conditions are rare. If not it is a real snoozefest. It is mostly an excuse to get out of the city for a weekend.


Barry

[xFallen]

Good info Barry and I was about to post but you beat me to it. There is a lot of info there and I usually check daily during the summer.

Bill,

Just wanted to say I saw you in the high country just before noon if memory serves. You were turning left in town there off the main highway after having just turned onto it. You were following a rather bright orange rig.

I chose to pilot the Accord rather than hump up there in my TJ otherwise you might have noticed. :rolleyes: :D

Weather was great.


Barry

[Antman]

Hey Barry, you should have thrown a rock at me or something! :D Yea, I was chasing Mike Wixom's buddy, and met both at the Chevron. Mike was suppose to call me but forgot and I ran across the orange Commando, so was trying to see what they were up to.
Hope you had fun this weekend in the contest!
73

[xFallen]

Hey Barry, you should have thrown a rock at me or something! :D Yea, I was chasing Mike Wixom's buddy, and met both at the Chevron. Mike was suppose to call me but forgot and I ran across the orange Commando, so was trying to see what they were up to.
Hope you had fun this weekend in the contest!
73

I considered flipping a U and chasing you down but was already late. I was supposed to be on our secret hilltop location before 11:00 am and still had some miles to burn.

We did okay. Weather was nice, didn't get murdered in our sleep, eaten by hungry animals or burned or smoked out by forest fires. We had openings on 6m (although as is typical the bulk of the openings happened before the contest) and worked into CO on 2m which was cool. We did Tucson on 1296 last year but no go this time -- just 432.

My original plan involved trying to get up there wuith the rig a day or two early and pester you for some trail advice or just go exploring, but decided instead to enjoy 28 mpg at...umm...good speeds....instead of, what, 12 mpg if I am lucky at slow speeds.

So there you go. :D


Barry
dit dit

[kkhop]

Hey Barry, you should have thrown a rock at me or something! :D Yea, I was chasing Mike Wixom's buddy, and met both at the Chevron. Mike was suppose to call me but forgot and I ran across the orange Commando, so was trying to see what they were up to.
Hope you had fun this weekend in the contest!
73

Did you get to show them around the cracks?