One month after the fire

It has now been just over a month since the fire and I had a chance to ride my bike the length of the fire-damaged area of Gazos Creek Road in San Mateo County from the intersection at Cloverdale Road east for another three miles to the end of the road. EPA crews and San Mateo County maintenance crews were present in the areas where there were structures and I heard chainsaws cutting down some of the trees that were posing hazards. The road is clear all the way back now, but the overwhelming smell of wood smoke still lingers. Other than the sound of chainsaws, it is very quiet, with very few birds, in an area that was spectacularly birdy. In spots where vegetation was spared, the leaves are coated in a fine layer of ash and dust. The once-beautiful creek is clogged with silt, debris, and ash. The steep slopes of this canyon have lost the ground cover and brush that will protect it from mudslides this coming winter. A few months ago, I saw small steelhead in the creek. It does not look likely that they could survive in such stagnant water, now. The good news is that the larger Redwoods and Douglas Firs look as if they will survive. Only the lower limbs are damaged. There are scattered Bigleaf Maples and Red Alders that survived, as well as some of the Coast Live Oaks. There were even some sprouts of the hearty California Mugwort coming up. The spring should be very interesting, as we see this area revegetate. There is very limited opportunity for hiking in this area at present. Butano State Park is closed indefinitely.
Attached is a link to some photos I took during my ride.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dpom12/albums/72157716666926688

Posted on October 29, 2020 08:26 PM by dpom