A devastating surprise
We encounter the horrible effects of the East Troublesome fire at Grand Lake, Colorado
We took the picturesque drive out the back of Rocky Mountain National Park and drove toward Grand Lake, where we had a reservation for the night. As we descended from the magnificent views, we entered a heavily fire-damaged valley below, passing horribly charred mountains.
The East Troublesome Fire of October 2020, had nuked the entire area around Grand Lake.
Mike and I have seen the results of a lot of fires on our travels and in our time in California, but this fire had burned so hotly that nothing but ash remained of entire forests.
When we planned the route to our next destination after Rocky Mountain NP, we had no clue that we were driving directly through the East Troublesome’s pathway as it roared its way through the mountains, a “superfire blow-up” and the second-worst fire ever in Colorado history. A “blow-up” is one of the “superfires” that can happen when wind, climate change, heat and drought, and an abundance of fuel—dry lodgepole pine—come together.
The campground at Grand…
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