11-01-2001 Orange Diamond Trail Bandelier National Monument

The was the second day that this trail was re-opened since  the Los Conchas Fire, the fire happened on June 06, 20011 and went on for a couple of months. In the winter this is a cross country ski trail. There was a lot of fire destruction on this trail. They cut down a lot of trees to reduce the danger of them falling on people while hiking on this trail. There is a lot of dead fall off the trail and root burn out on or near the trail. With the widening of the trail in time it will be a great hiking and ski trail. Notice how the Aspen trees are starting their re-growth, they are always the first trees to start growing after a fire. The plants and grasses are making a great come back as well.  This trail is about 5 miles from the start of the fire and about 10 miles from Bandelier Park Headquarters.

It is a nice 12 mile drive from home to the trailhead and takes about 20 minutes to be out in the woods. I hope that you enjoy seeing the pictures.

Track of my hike using SPOT You can see where I started and stopped at the top near the highway.  The bottom ones are about 2 miles from the road at the starting point.

Across the road is the trailhead, excuse the sunspot, I'm shooting directly towards the sun.

Back across the road is the parking area. There is a trail that starts here and goes to the top of Cerro Grande, about a 2 mile hike, maybe before it snow will try it out.  The top is 10,170 feet and is one of the peaks that enclose the Valles Caldera, and extinct super volcano. 

Past the fence at the trailhead and starting to have fun.

Not to much burned here looking good.

One of the many burned out tree stumps, in June this was a live green tree.

One shot of the many dead fall trees, none were really close to the trail.

Whats left of a tree.

Burned out root system of a tree.

This clump of grass is having a hard time coming back, everything around it is green.

Going down the trail burned tress are everywhere.

Looking up the ridge through what used to be green trees.

Another shot looking up the ridge, there is a canyon before the next hill.

The weight of the tree was so great that it just broke and fell because of the fire.

See the large ridge through those burned black sticks. See the white line near the top that is the high point of the road from Los Alamos to the Jemez. In the next picture you can see it much better.

The white line is the road from Los Alamos to the Jemez.

Burned trees are every where you look.

This Aspen tree could not support its weight and broke because of the fire.

Looking at all the aspens trees in just three months.