With the Flagstaff Fire still smoking ominously over Bear Peak, we’re in a holding pattern. We live in the “pre-evac” zone, which I guess is code for “consider what stuff you don’t want to watch burn and get ready to jet.”
Smoke had settled into our neighborhood yesterday afternoon, so rather than risk a nighttime evac, we decided to head north to some great friends’ house and crash there. I was solo at the house while my wife was out hanging with the little dudes…so I walked around and grabbed important docs, some photos, art on the walls, a few family mementos…and what else? Well, I snapped a pic to share with y’all what else I brought along: footwear and climbing gear.
I slammed a rope, rack, helmet, shoes, and harness into my beloved Deuter Guide 45+, then grabbed a duffel and packed my Dynafit TLT5s, SCARPA Gecko Guides, several Rab shells, a bunch of wool socks, two pair of shorts, an irreplaceable pair of Mont Bell Schoeller pants, and then booked it up to North Boulder. No bikes, no skis–I figured I could replace those with a bit more leisure…
Luckily the fire relaxed a bit overnight, as far as threatening Boulder, so at this point it hasn’t descended Bear Peak towards town any further. Stay tuned, because as I type this they’re still bombing just behind Bear Peak and the wind’s scheduled to pick up a bit–although there’s a 40-percent chance of rain in the forecast, too. Wish those firefighters luck!
