Santa Fe National Forest CLOSED

It really depends on the staff at the National Forest as to whether you get contacted or not.
On a very recreation-heavy forest where I worked, we had a person that worked very closely with rec.gov and whenever we had closures, would send out announcements of closed areas to those with reservations, and even suggest alternative sites.

Here is an update. On the recreation.gov website under the campground in the Santa Fe National Forest this is the headline:

Attention: Due to Extreme Fire conditions, this facility is closed through July 7th, 2013.

The problem is still confusion. The rangers say it is closed indefinitely and the reservation service says it is closed through July 7. We elected to go with what the rangers told us and we will just move north and go elsewhere, no big deal to us. I wonder if come about next Monday, the 7th will become the 14th in their site notice.

We have to remember that these campgrounds have been privatized as to operation and management. The campground host is the guy that communicates with recreation.gov through his employer, apparently. So, rec.gov does not get their information from the rangers or the forest superintendent. I am sure the host's employer wants to hold as many reservations live as they can for one purpose: income.

In any case, it always has been and remains a piece meal system. We have all seen reservations holding the best sites at NF campgrounds and the user never shows up and is probably a thousand miles away. For those of us who have senior passes, it is half price and so if we blow twenty bucks because we change our minds, so what? Well, the so what is we keep someone else from knowing what is going on and further clog up this patched together system. You just take up a space because you are a no show and hadn't intended to show for days.

I guess I just pine for the days when you drove up, the place was always half empty and you got your spot and quiet, happy campers for neighbors.

Total agree that recreation.gov should have let you know. What if you hadn't checked with the forest service? No way you would know your reservation was invalid.

Sadly, I don't have much faith in recreation.gov. Besides this, I've seen many other errors from them in the past incl. allowing booking of sites that didn't exist (happened to us once...the campground had closed several sites, but the recreation.gov system still showed them as valid) and wrong information (e.g. hookups which were not there or visa versa even). I know a lot of the info depends on 2-way communication so I guess part of the blame falls on the forest service for not including recreation.gov in their notices (at least I assume that's part of the problem). Still, it's frustrating either way.

On another note, sure hope that hot/dry spell doesn't cause anymore forest fires. It's dangerous out there. Keep safe all.

The White's Peak fire south of Cimarron near Philmont is all but a done deal. Several days ago, that fire was 95% contained, and fire crews were being pulled off. That fire was nowhere near Santa Fe.

Closer to Santa Fe are the Thompson Ridge fire in the Jemez Mountains and the Tres Legunas fire in the Pecos area. Both are nearly controlled.

The fire that is still a problem in NM is the Silver fire down in the Gila country, really remote for the most part.

For up-to-date information on fires throughout the country (not just NM), please consult the following site and do not rely on hear-say.

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

:)
Lynn

Goose2448 wrote:
Last I heard was there were fires out side the Southern Part of Philmont Scout Ranch, which is close to Santa Fe. Don't know if they had been contained completly yet though. So we know there are fires in the area. This time of year out there is really bad. Its one thing you have to plan for in the dry states.

PSW wrote:
I agree with closing the forest and have no problem with that being done. The purpose of my post and my concern is that I think recreation.gov should email those with reservations and update them. I suspect that many people don't follow these things as closely as those of us in this incredible drought area follow things. They may travel a long way for disappointment.

We have been going to the NM and CO mountains for forty years so we know many great spots to substitute in other forests.

I read last week that the fires in SW New Mexico were experiencing relative humidities of 2% according to the Forest Service and NOAA. The article gave a comparison: kiln dried lumber normally has a moisture content of about 10%.

The truth is that given the drought year after year, changing monsoons in the Intermountain Area and the beatle devastation, the forests of much of Colorado, NM and others will not fully recover for fifty years or more.

PDW, you are right recreation.gov should email those with reservations and update them, you paid them for their service and that should be part of the service.
I hope that you and everyone in the fire areas get some rain soon. We in the PNW have had cooler weather with rain , that is going to change real fast going from 70 to 100+ by the weekend.

Last I heard was there were fires out side the Southern Part of Philmont Scout Ranch, which is close to Santa Fe. Don't know if they had been contained completly yet though. So we know there are fires in the area. This time of year out there is really bad. Its one thing you have to plan for in the dry states.

I agree with closing the forest and have no problem with that being done. The purpose of my post and my concern is that I think recreation.gov should email those with reservations and update them. I suspect that many people don't follow these things as closely as those of us in this incredible drought area follow things. They may travel a long way for disappointment.

We have been going to the NM and CO mountains for forty years so we know many great spots to substitute in other forests.

I read last week that the fires in SW New Mexico were experiencing relative humidities of 2% according to the Forest Service and NOAA. The article gave a comparison: kiln dried lumber normally has a moisture content of about 10%.

The truth is that given the drought year after year, changing monsoons in the Intermountain Area and the beatle devastation, the forests of much of Colorado, NM and others will not fully recover for fifty years or more.

Parts of Carson National Forest are closed, too. See info at the link:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/carson/home/?cid=stelprdb5424111

:(
Lynn

eubank wrote:
It's closed because of prevailing dryness, winds, and extreme fire danger.
:(
Lynn

Good! they need to close more areas until the fire danger is under control or you may not have any place to go. I would rather have a green place to go to instead of a burnt out forest, change your plans and do something else.

It's closed because of prevailing dryness, winds, and extreme fire danger.
:(
Lynn