Dispatch: Week of August 9
Joshua Tree enacts fire restrictions, plus Fortynine Palms Oasis closure
Hello from California’s high desert, where the remains of a tropical storm are lingering and rendering swamp coolers across the Basin pretty useless today.
On to this week’s news:
In local news:
The York Fire in Mojave National Preserve is up to 95% containment as of Wednesday morning. It has burned approximately 93,078 acres in California and Nevada since it ignited last week.
The wildfire did burn some Joshua trees in the Preserve, CNN reports, but the damage to the trees is far less than the Cima Fire several years ago.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision between two helicopters working on the Broadway Fire near Cabazon.
The crash killed three people: CalFire Division Chief Josh Bischof, Cal Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez, and pilot Tony Sousa.
Joshua Tree National Park officials instituted fire restrictions within the National Park boundaries on Tuesday due to “hot, dry weather conditions, high winds, and increasing fire danger.”
Wood burning and charcoal fires, including camp fires and barbecues, are prohibited during the ban. Smoking within 10 feet of vegetation and generators are also banned under the restriction.
The Yucca Valley Airport’s runway is back open for business after a maintenance closure that lasted until August 5. The runway was repaved as part of the project.
It’s official — July was the hottest month on record for the Basin and most of the surrounding area.
The popular Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail in Joshua Tree National Park is closed until October 1. The closure will allow the park’s resident bighorn sheep safe and undisturbed access to the area’s drinking water.
The Perseids meteor shower is expected to peak this weekend with more than 50 meteors expected to be visible at once. Head into the park and bring your telescope for a wild Saturday night.
Tickets are now available for the Joshua Tree National Park Association’s Bighorn Benefit Dinner & Auction on September 23 at the Soundstage in Pioneertown.
You can purchase tickets online here or in-person around the desert starting Monday. Purchase includes an open bar, full catered meal, and live music. There will also big a silent auction throughout the night.
In state news:
Wildlife officials captured and relocated Lake Tahoe celebrity Hank the Tank, a 500-pound black bear known for dumpster diving.
After capture, officials renamed the bear Henrietta the Tank, as she is female. Her two cubs were sent to a rehabilitation facility to unlearn their mother’s tactics.
Mammoth Mountain finally closed its ski season on Sunday a whopping 275 days after opening. The season is officially the resort’s second-longest, thanks to this winter’s record snowfall.
Three California residents sued Tesla in a proposed class action over the company’s estimated driving ranges for their cars.
Areas across the state are at an increased risk of Valley Fever this year following the winter’s torrential rains.
In other news:
The first leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tours concludes tonight with her final show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Swift will continue to tour through the end of 2024 with stops in South America, Europe, and Asia.
Several wildfires are burning across Hawaii’s Maui. One fire is threatening the popular resort town Lahaina, leading to mass evacuations around the island.
The U.S. Women’s National Team lost to Sweden in penalties over the weekend. It is the first time the team has not advanced out of the Round of 16 in tournament history.
Pupdate of the week: Both dogs were thrilled with the lower temperatures Tuesday evening and took advantage of the break to do zoomies in the yard while I got to enjoy the sunset.
Trail tip of the week: Conditions can change rapidly during monsoon season, so be sure to check local weather forecasts for trails and mountains to ensure you won’t get stuck up high or in a canyon as a storm rolls in. I use mountain-forecast.com for bigger peaks and OpenSummit for everything else.
Read of the week: I’ve been on a bit of a science writing kick, almost entirely because of Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree. It is a beautifully written account of Simard’s research looking at how the network of fungi and tree roots work together in a healthy forest to keep the trees alive, and what is at risk when fires burn through or loggers clear cut large sections of trees. It is one of those books that reads like science fiction, but could not be more real.
Watch of the week: Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty is out with its second season and it is just as good as the first. The show follows 16-year-old Belly’s summer of crushes and first dates while she stays in a coastal town in Massachusetts with her mother and brother. It’s a great teen drama-dy based on a YA novel with a solid music selection, perfect for the dog days of summer.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend and get a chance to get outside regardless of the humidity.
- Megan