“Trip Report – Lonesome Complex Fire”

[t.darrah]

Living in southern Oregon, near Crater Lake and the PCT, I hear daily updates regarding the Lonesome Complex fire. Just this past week the fire doubled in size resulting in the closure of the PCT from Devils Peak north into and through Crater Lake. I decided to take a fast overnight trip to see the fire. Here are some pictures.

Devils Peak PCT trail marker.

PCT closed section below Devils Peak.

Alta Lake, south of Devils Peak, in the smoke.

Fire burning north of Alta Lake.

Fire helicopter picking up fire crew from lake below Alta.

Look closely and you can see the helicopter next to the lake below with fire burning beyond.

Fire crew near helicopter.

Helicopter with fire crew heading out.

More fire and smoke.

Alta Lake.

Camp next to Alta Lake.

My view from camp.

Alta Lake near dark.

[Bill B]

Nice photos! Which McHale is that?

[t.darrah]

Bill,
Good eyes, that is a brand new full dyneema LBP35 that Dan just finished for me. The tarp is a MLD spectralite.
Thom

[Jay Wilkerson]

Hey nice pictures- it's hard to believe there is still fires this late into the season. Just wondering what is night/day time temps in Or in Sept. Thanks

[t.darrah]

Jay,
The weekend was the coolest we've had in the area for some time. Day time temperatures Saturday were in the mid 70's with a lot of wind and overcast/smokey skies. Over night temperatures at Alta Lake were in the low 30's, any colder and I would have had ice in my water bottles.

Maybe the most interesting part of the short trip was hearing, and seeing via headlamp, the large number of deer and elk migrating away from the fire under the cover of darkness. The ground along side the lake was, for lack of a better word, trampled the next morning as I packed up and headed out.

[Jay Wilkerson]

Interesting about the elk and deer, there alot smarter then they appear-sometimes!! I am thinking of hiking around or by Crater Lake next summer any suggestions: thanks

[Christopher Holden]

Geez Thom! How much of your trip was spent manicuring the campsite for the photo? I think I see a couple pieces of gravel that could have been moved to fill in a low spot!
Bummer about the fires, but it's got to be worth the trip when you see these events in action.
I spent my weekend slumming by the lake. I killed more beers than fish and spent a night under an open sky. You can bet the tarp went up quick when I smelled rain last night! Our night time temps are still in the 60s. I've got a few more months before I can compare cold stories with you.
Chris

[t.darrah]

Chris,
The forest service set the site up a few years ago to let over used areas closer to the lake recover. I seemed to have the whole Sky Lakes Wilderness to myself due to the fires (except for the helicopter pilot and fire fighters at the lake below me that the picture shows leaving) and the site I used had the best front and center view of the fire.

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