Sequoia grove under threat just as Cima Dome Joshua Trees were in 2020
New direct flights out of PSP, upcoming Hazardous Waste collection event in 29, and MCAGCC training kicks off today
Hello from California’s high desert, where Mother Nature put on a show earlier this week. A late (or early, depending on your accounting) season storm rolled through the Basin, lighting up the sky and rumbling through the clouds. Although the dogs didn’t appreciate the 4:00 a.m. wake-up call, I didn’t totally mind.
All the smoke that has been drifting in and out of the Morongo Basin the last few weeks has come from the KNP Complex Fires, which is currently burning north of us in Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park. As of Wednesday morning, the fire had burned 84,166 Acres and was 11% contained.
The KNP Complex hasn’t dominated national news the way the Caldor Fire did around Lake Tahoe, mainly because its boundaries have remained far from human development. At first, the lightning-ignited fires were left to burn out in remote locations in hopes that it would stop other, bigger fires from erupting.
That hasn’t been the case. The KNP Complex has been stubborn and, because of the aforementioned remoteness, extremely difficult for firefighters and first responders to contain. Evacuation orders are currently in place for parts of Tulare and Fresno counties, and all visitor access to the national parks and forests is indefinitely cut off.
On Tuesday night, the fire made a scary run up to the park’s namesake trees, which reside in groves throughout the park. Sequoias are especially hardy trees with bark more than 24 inches thick and pine cones designed to open and seed during heat events like fire. But the massive, centuries-old giants aren’t designed to handle mega-fires like the KNP Complex or last year’s Castle Fire that was still burning in some trees come early 2021. First responders tried wrapping the trunks of some trees in fire-resistant materials in hopes that they could be saved, but last night one massive tree was totally consumed by the flames and crumbled to the ground, according to eye witness reports.
In the coming weeks, we will start to learn more about the fate of the world’s oldest trees in our new reality. It is possible that a new generation of trees will take root in the ashes and become even hardier against these devastating fires for the benefit of their species. It’s possible that Sequoia National Park could, hundreds of years from now, tell the story of resilience, the story of nature overcoming human-caused calamity. I need that to be the outcome because the other options are too devastating to think about.
Because the other outcome is what happened at Cigna Dome in Mojave National Preserve. The 2020 Dome Fire ripped through the largest Joshua Tree forest in the world, and now the ghostly skeletons mark an eerie graveyard dedicated to a changing climate.
I haven’t gone since the fire because I can’t look at the trees that are in some sort of color-inverted dystopia. My first trip out will be sometime between December 3 and December 17 with the CSU Desert Studies Center as a volunteer to replant new trees at the burn site. If you are able, I implore you to sign up by reaching out to Andrew Kaiser (andrew_kaiser@nps.gov or 760-252-6016). It’s a poignant and incredibly symbolic opportunity to give back when we have taken so much. In action, there can be hope.
And now, onto this week’s news:
Five airlines have added 14 new direct routes out of Palm Springs International Airport, KESQ reported Tuesday.
New routes include: Southwest direct to Sacramento, Dallas-Love, Portland, and Chicago-Midway; Canadian airline Flair Airlines direct to Vancouver, Toronto, and Edmonton; budget-airline Allegiant direct to Nashville, Des Moines, Indianapolis, and Provo; Alaska Airlines to Austin and San Jose; and Jet Blue direct to Fort Lauderdale.
New routes are available to purchase today and start running just ahead of the holiday travel season, which is forecast to be even busier than usual.
Summer travel, which usually falls in Palm Springs due to the heat, set records this year, KESQ reported.
The overflow parking lot, which has remained closed due to decreased travel during the coronavirus pandemic, will reopen during the holiday travel season.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department Household Hazardous Waste program is hosting another drop-off event in Twentynine Palms on October 23.
The event will be at the Twentynine Palms City Hall (6136 Adobe Road) from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The event is open to Twentynine Palms residents only, per an ID check, according to the County website.
County officials will accept household waste (no business waste) such as batteries, old paint, motor oil, computers and electronics, and pesticides, among other items.
For more information, please visit the event webpage: https://sbcfire.org/event/29-palms-household-hazardous-waste-collection/
The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center is running a training program starting today through the end of October and has advised Morongo Basin residents to be aware of the extra noise in the coming weeks.
Marines and Sailors are participating in the Service Level Training Exercise 1-22, Z107.7 reported.
The training includes offensive and defensive training, including aircraft and heavy artillery.
For more information about Service Level Training Exercise 1-22, MAGTFTC, or MCAGCC go to https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/MCAGCCTP-C. You can also call (760) 830-9222 or email SMBPLMSSOUNDREPORTING@usmc.mil for more information.
Pupdate of the week: Alice’s schedule has shifted so now her highest energy period is first thing in the morning and lasts through about 10 a.m., so I am going through lots and lots of coffee. Oliver is back to napping in the sun in the afternoons and is totally oblivious to everything around him.
Trail tip of the week: I highly recommend getting out as soon as you can this week to explore some of the secret water spots in the park. My partner and I spotted tons of greenery last weekend and even a young group of California tree frogs! It is such a great reminder of how complex the ecosystem is, and I am always grateful that we are close enough to explore the park at all times of the year.
Book of the week: If the chilly temperatures have you in a certain wintery mood, I have to recommend Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman. Braverman is a musher currently based in far Nothern Wisconsin, but her memoir covers her relationship with nature, and dogs of course, throughout her life. She has a wonderful writing style and is also a contributor to Outside Magazine where she shares tips for newbies wanting to explore the outdoors. What stood out most to me, however different the temperatures, is her tenacity and appreciation for places other people deem desolate, something we in the desert can definitely appreciate.
Show of the week: I finally started Apple TV’s The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon last week. The second season just came out, so I figured it was as good a time as any while I wait for new episodes of Great British Baking Show. It follows two women anchors on a popular morning news show not unlike The Today Show as they grapple with the fallout of a colleague’s termination. Aniston is fantastic, and although it gets a little too real at points, the cliffhangers always keep me coming back for more.
Small business of the week
Giant Rock Meeting Room is officially back from summer break with its incredible selection of pizzas and awesome patio space. Currently, the Flamingo Heights mainstay is open Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. with live music outside, and on Sunday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. Pro tip, the $5 mimosas on Sundays are worth the drive out.
Giant Rock Meeting Room is located at 1141 Old Woman Springs Road in Yucca Valley. You can catch their music lineups on Instagram at @giantrockmeetingroom
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and are able to get outside!
- Megan