We met our friend Jeff and hiked up Storm King Mountain outside of Glenwood today. It is about two miles each way and 1.250 feet vertical, very steep hike.
On July 6, 1994 14 firefighters died in a forest fire on Storm King. they were cutting a fire line about half way up this mountain and the fire jumped the valley and burned up hill at them with a strong wind behind it and they ran up toward the steep ridge where it was safe, but they did not make it. One was only 20 feet away. There is now a trail and a memorial here. Jeff hiking through the flowers on the way up.
The flowers were unbelievable. Pentastamen, fungus on a dead tree, and arrow leaf balsam root. Jeff and John on the way up. Both are retired firefighers and they wanted to do this for Memorial weekend.
The view was fabulous. It is all spring green and red cliffs. Wall flower, blue chicory, wild chock cherry blooms and arrow leaf balsam root with lupine.
Pentastamen, snail shell and senicio. John and Jeff standing with some of the memorials. There is a cross on the spot each person died and people have turned them into shrines. Those poor people only had to reach the ridge behind John and Jeff.
There was a group of firefighters that once a year have other firefighters, friends and family of the victims on a memorial and learning expierence here. They were here today. Two survivers of the incident spoke. Here are some wild land fighters going down to pay their respects. It was very moving. John and Jeff ahead of me on the trail down. It was soooo green.
Lupine, arrow leaf balsem root and spring green scrub oaks. John and Jeff in the flowers again.
John and Jeff in the oaks again. Solomons seal, white and blue lupines, and lupine and arrow leaf balsam root (again, sorry)
Flowering fragrant bush, not idea what this flowers is and alysum and pink phlox. There was this wishing stump near the end(or beginning, depending on your direction) of the trail. It says knock a coin into the stump and make a wish. John said he did it on the way up, but his wish didn’t come true, he wished he was already at the top . . .
Pink phlox, blue larks spur and yellow something. Fungus on a dead tree (again, sorry again), scorpion weed, mallow and a purple lily.
We rewarded our selves by going to the new Iron Mountain hot spring in Glenwood. John is floating in the front pool. It was lovely.
The bus in front of Martha and Jimjim’s house in Carbondale. Jeff in the white van, Barley, that he lives in. This is about the 4th time this year we have run into him on the road.
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