Archive for East Mountains
And, They Did
by Chuck Ring
Have A Heart … Give A Hand And a great hand and big heart it was. On Saturday, September 20th, 2008, citizens from Edgewood and the rest of the Estancia Valley turned out to raise money for the Tony Jaramillo family (see details in preceding link).
From community leaders such as Edgewood Mayor Bob Stearley with wife Diane and Edgewood Town Counselor Rita-Loy Simmons and hundreds of other area citizens, the generosity and caring nature of those who attended and bid for items in the silent auction or purchased food and baked goods was demonstrative of the general top-notch nature of our citizenry. The fund raiser was successful in all aspects and the proceeds will help the Jaramillo’s to move forward from their tragedy.
The Jaramillo’s have asked that their deep appreciation for all who assisted be passed on. So, everyone, please believe – you are deeply appreciated.
Additional Closures And Restrictions Announced In Sandias and Manzanos
by John Weckerle
Effective Monday, June 30, the closures and restrictions on activities within the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest will be expanded. Hiking and biking are now prohibited except within portions of Forest Trail 365 and associated secondary trails outside the Sandia Mountain Wilderness (foothill trails), and within the boundaries of the Sandia Peak Ski Area. All other trails are closed, including the La Luz trail. For a full listing of closures and restrictions on activities within areas still open to the public, see the full text of the closure announcement.
Big Spring Fire Explodes
by John Weckerle
People traveling through the Estancia Valley were met yesterday with the sight of a huge plume of smoke rising from the Manzano Mountains, the result of an expansion of the Big Spring Fire. The fire, according to this Albuquerque Journal article, has grown to 3,000 acres and is being exacerbated not by wind – as with the Trigo fire – but by dense, dry fuel (the effects of tree density are also discussed in this Mountain View Telegraph article). The article states that two public meetings will be held today: one at the Estancia Community Center at 2 p.m., and one at the Torreon Community Center at 6:30 p.m. An evacuation center has been set up at the Estancia Community Center.
Cibola National Forest Announces Partial Closures
by John Weckerle
Beginning today, portions of the Sandia District of Cibola National Forest will be closed, and other areas will be subject to additional restrictions in response to potentially hazardous fire conditions. South of I-40, biking, biking, and motorized vehicles are now prohibited in the back-country and on all trails, and only the Pine Flat Picnic Ground and Cedro Group Campground are open. Only cold picnics are allowed; no campfires, charcoal, or stoves are permitted.
North of I-40, no fires or charcoal are permitted, but some stoves, lanterns and heaters may be used. Smoking is allowed in vehicles only, and no motorized vehicles may be used off roads. No areas are yet closed north of I-40 because conditions are less dry than in the south, but additional restrictions may be expected if dry weather continues. It should be noted that there are no predictions of substantial probability of rain in the next seven days. For more information, read the Forest Service notice.
Rain, rain…
by John Weckerle
Yesterday, I used the last of my harvested rainwater. Even though I have a 3,600 gallon capacity, the dry winter, followed by a dry spring, left me with far less than half of that to get through the season. With the second-year trees and shrubs associated with our ecological enhancement activities and the new vegetable gardens, plus the fountains/wildlife bubblers, that much only goes so far.
Why so dry? Part of the answer lies in the state of the El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that affects weather on a global scale. It involves temperature anomalies in the surface waters of the central tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño represents a period when surface waters are 0.5o or more warmer than normal, and La Niña represents a time during which temperatures are 0.5o or more cooler than normal. ENSO neutral conditions exist when surface water temperatures are within 0.5o of normal. During the El Niño part of the cycle, our area tends to get more rain, while dryer conditions persist during La Niña. During ENSO neutral conditions, there is an equal chance of having normal, above average, or below average conditions. We are currently experiencing the La Niña effect, which is currently weakening. »» Rain, rain…
Hey, Central New Mexico – Want To Take A Ride On the Space Station?
by John Weckerle
Well, you can’t – but you can watch other people do it for you. According to NASA, there will be some great observation opportunities from points within our area over the next few days, and at some times, both the International Space Station and the space shuttle will be visible at nearly the same time. For more information, check out the Moriarty Space Station sighting schedule.