These shots were taken on July 12, the day before the Cold Springs Fire raged out of control and grew from 5 acres to 8000 acres.
I just learned from the Yakama Ranger, Richard Canapo, that the Cold Springs FIre had crossed the entrance road a short distance below Mirror Lake in Tract D Bird Creek Meadows complex.. and as of this time (July 18th 11:00 am) the fire has missed the whole area that is so popular among many annual visitors. Richard has hopes of even opening back up later this season if the roads below are opened back up. The photos included are of Bluff Lake and vicinity, and show the dampness of the meadows at this time which will help protect the area hopefully if the wind shifts dramatically and brings the fire to this pristine wilderness.
The area below the lakes that did suffer from the fires was burned sketchily, with the fire racing through and burning up all the undergrowth but leaving many somewhat blackened snags, and the Yakama Tribe will probably be cleaning up that area back some distance from the road for safety purposes. Richard had been trying to get this done for years before the fire, as he could see the warning signs of this fire coming. As you can see in the photos, there are many dead snags... the area is heavily infested with Spruce Bud Worm, which gradually caused the death of the trees it infests.
