On Wednesday I took off for Yosemite, taking my normal route which includes State Route 120. By the time I reached the foothills it was pitch black out and raining cats and dogs. As I drove I did notice several patches of orange/yellow trees. I did not make the connection to the Rim Fire that occurred last Summer that devastated the area. On my return trip the damage was plain to see. While I knew that this was a huge fire, I had no clue just how big it was.
As I headed toward the exit today I noticed large stands of burned and dead trees. The scope of this fire was just beginning to hit me. I traveled for more than 15 miles and both sides of the road were either completely barren or full of scorched land and burned trees.
I arrived at the "Rim Of The World" Vista in the Stanislaus National Forest and couldn't believe my eyes.
The official word is that this fire was caused by a campfire that was started by a hunter, that got out of control. It serves as a reminder to all of us as to how fragile our surroundings are and how our actions can have a major impact on the world around us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rim_Fire