Smoke From a Distant Fire

It was more than evident on the way home Sunday afternoon from pre-riding the June 30th Sleigh Riders run that the High Park Fire shifted gears, or had it.  Either way, 50mph winds couldn't be helping much in 95+  temps.

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I rolled out of G-town about 9:30AM to a beautiful day.  Not a cloud in the sky except for the ominous smoke cloud of the High Park Fire that seemed pretty well self contained as the view of the Front Range was clear and pristine...except for that evil smoke cloud we are all getting used to.

We weren't half way up the Big Thompson Canyon when the winds started to howl and pretty much continued up through Estes, across 7 and the Peak to Peak into Ward and down Left Hand Canyon and into Longmont.  We knew the High Park Fire was also getting those 30-50mph winds and 100 degree temps didn't help.  As we left the canyon it was obvious that the fire had seemed to turn as we looked to the North and was just billowing smoke out to what we thought was almost Loveland.

We continued our ride and by the time I headed East back to Greeley about 3:30 it was the most erie thing I have seen in a long time; if not ever.

As far East as you could see from I-15 nothing but an orange haze from ceiling to ground.  It looked like the Apocalypse or a scene from Planet of the Apes meets Mad Max.  Wow...very surreal!  Knowing how bad it was this far from the fire really makes you think about the 1600 firefighters out there right now giving it their all.

And not a drop of rain in sight.  Monday 95, 91, 82, 93 and 0% chance of rain through at least Thursday.  We need a break here.  45% containment is fantastic but with extreme temps and no precipitation in sight does not add up to much, if any help.

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