The Cascade Waldo Canyon Fire Chronicles

A Private Experience of a Community Calamity

My first hint of trouble

A Closer Look

Too Weird

Way Too Close to Home

And one half hour later

It was a smoke signal that said “grab your stuff and go!!!”

Our House as We Left:Those aren’t clouds

Some watched our mountains burn with this kind of view

For us, it was about figuring out what was happening from fire maps and expert briefings

And pictures posted online like this one of the Manitou Evacuation. Our house is five miles up that

highway.

Until Monday, when I discover that the Cascade Volunteer Fire Department has a Facebook page with

pictures

My favorite hiking trail. I cried.

And Tuesday, When We Went to the Woodland Park Wal-Mart.

Those aren’t clouds.

There was no way we’d miss the 4 PM briefings that day

But the 4 PM briefing didn’t tell as much as a wind gust we noticed in Woodland Park, and this email

from our son in Iowa sent at 3:45

We tuned in to the scanners and listened as the changing winds changed fates

“They’ll feel that in Colorado Springs in ten minutes” Steve said.

The Fire has Many Fingers:We’re Evacuated and Go to Erie

Camping out in Erie

• Seven people, six cats, two baths, three bedrooms. Surprisingly comfortable.

• Poor cell service, internet and local phones go down regularly. People wanting updates. We do our best.

We Get to Go Home:Few indications of what had happened

One of Many Happy Neighbor Reunions

Always happy to see each other, but never

quite so happy as today.

EXPLORING OUR PYRAMID MOUNTAIN STOMPING GROUNDS:

The Original Fire Line

The Fire Line That Held –Further From Home

Burned on the left, slurry and green on the right

A Favorite Old Trail is a Fire Line That Held

Still Some Wildlife in the Area

We also had a bear come up on our deck.

Precarious trees

Before

After

Our treasured trail…

Firefighter Thank-you Signs Are Everywhere

Cat Cranials: Good Post Fire Medicine

My Almost Daily Trails are Closed

Our Next Challenge: Flooding and Ash

Free Sandbags Anyone?

But Life Does Go On. This Sticky Geranium Grew in the Week After the Fire

We Have New Heroes(We probably wouldn’t be home

now without them)

And While I Might Not Be Able to Go See How our Sacred Scarred Lands are Doing, Our Fire Fighters

Post Pictures that Give Heart

And for many of us, our open hearts is one of the greatest treasures we keep from the fire.

Gratitude and thanks.