Warm Springs, Gila Wilderness

March 31-April 1, 2012

Last May the massive Miller Fire swept through the Gila Wilderness, consuming more than 76,000 acres, and burning almost all the way down to the Gila River. So it came as a delightful surprise to find the Middle Fork Trail largely untouched by the fire. There were some scorched areas on the grassy meadow above TJ Corral, but the hardy pinons withstood the fire, and the Dennis and Marion Memorial First Anniversary Hailstorm Log was still intact. Once we dropped into Little Bear Canyon, there was no sign of fire damage at all. No words can express my profound gratitude to the fire crews who saved so much of this precious wilderness!

Our visit to the Gila Wilderness coincided with a massive SAR for ultra runner Micah True of "Born to Run" fame, who had been missing for five days. More than 40 crews combed the forest on foot and horseback, while small planes and helicopters thundered overhead. Friends located True Saturday night in nearby Little Creek, and cause of death has not been determined.