Summer 2020

Summer 2020

In early June we went to Amarillo, TX for a long weekend to visit Aimee’s mom. We were shocked to come back home to see our beautiful mountain view on fire and obscured by smoke. While away a freak thunderstorm ignited the blaze. With high heat and no monsoons for at least a month, the fire slowly crept over much of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

We watched the fire crews battling this Bighorn Fire (named after one of the three Pusch Ridge Peaks). A converted DC-10 would drop a line of red fire retardant to prevent the spread to nearby homes. Helicopters would drop 2000 gallon buckets of water.

Every morning we would see the mountains engulfed in a thick smoke that settled overnight as the air cooled. As the atmosphere reheated, the mountains would clear for the afternoon. At night the mountains would be lit with strings of smoldering fires. The fire burned for over a month until the first monsoon hit and contained the blaze.

Two months later we are still seeing the effects of the fire that consumed 120,000 acres. The monsoons are now carrying ash down the mountain with every storm. Our dry sand washes are filling with debris and turning black. Aimee and I are anxiously awaiting cooler temperatures this Fall when we can return up mountain and explore the damage to our favorite trails.