July 2017 PNW Discussion Thread

[TT-SEA]

I'm 1000 mi away and hike those trails every year, after discovering them long ago.

 

You hike the middle fork trails every year?    I don't remember see any pics.  

[Front Ranger]

Very true. There is also lots of evidence that the natives would purposefully set small intensity fires on an almost yearly basis, in certain areas. This was both to promote the growth of specific plants (such as huckleberries) and draw out game. Mill Plain, Fourth Plain and Fifth Plain in the Vancouver area all are named after historic, large fire-managed clearings of this type.

Can you imagine the outrage today if hunters were allowed to set small fires to smoke out game? And yet it might help solve the massive wildfire issue.

[Jesse]

You hike the middle fork trails every year?    I don't remember see any pics.  

 

Me remember see pics.

 

I never said I hiked it yearly. Was just surprised you didn't know about the area.

[Deweydog]

You really took that cynical comment to heart huh? The accurate ones hurt the most.

 

Aside from that, I challenge you to legitimately disagree with anything I said there.

Very serious stuff.

[Jesse]

Can you imagine the outrage today if hunters were allowed to set small fires to smoke out game? And yet it might help solve the massive wildfire issue.

 

The northwest is a much different place now than it was in pre-European times. Hunters would have a hard time starting a fire to smoke out elk on Mill Plain.

 

Smoking out game wasn't the purpose, either. The fires would create meadows that would draw out game for grazing the following year, which made for good hunting areas.

[Jesse]

Very serious stuff.

 

You're logged on and posting here right? This place must be 11,843 times as serious as anything else you have going on right now.

[TT-SEA]

Me remember see pics.

 

I never said I hiked it yearly. Was just surprised you didn't know about the area.

 

I knew about the area in general... just not those specific trails.   

 

Jared said he hikes it every year which I thought was surprising.   

[Front Ranger]

You hike the middle fork trails every year? I don't remember see any pics.

Duh. Everyone here has been there and knows them like the back of our hand.

 

Hard to believe you never explored YOUR OWN BACKYARD.

[Front Ranger]

The northwest is a much different place now than it was in pre-European times. Hunters would have a hard time starting a fire to smoke out elk on Mill Plain.

 

Smoking out game wasn't the purpose, either. The fires would create meadows that would draw out game for grazing the following year, which made for good hunting areas.

Ah. Was wondering why you used the term "draw out".

[Deweydog]

You're logged on and posting here right? This place must be 11,843 times as serious as anything else you have going on right now.

Deep.

[Jesse]

Deep.

11,844.

[Jesse]

I knew about the area in general... just not those specific trails.

 

Jared said he hikes it every year which I thought was surprising.

Which trail was it?

[Deweydog]

11,844.

Most if not all pertained to vacation scrutiny.

[TT-SEA]

Duh. Everyone here has been there and knows them like the back of our hand.

 

Hard to believe you never explored YOUR OWN BACKYARD.

 

I don't doubt that you have been there... just surprised that you are in North Bend every year.   

[Phil]

I'm actually relieved that it looks like you were (likely) telling the truth about visiting here. I honestly want to believe you about things. You dug yourself into quite the hole there for a few years, though. I don't think you can blame anyone for being skeptical.

I don't blame you for holding some degree of skepticism, but there's also a point where it becomes a bit excessive.

 

You'll see plenty of pictures and video soon. The last thing I'd do is willingly dig myself into another hole.

[Jesse]

Most if not all pertained to vacation scrutiny.

No I think you are confusing yours with mine. The majority of your 10,000+ posts deal with what losers people who post a lot here are.

[wx_statman]

Very true. There is also lots of evidence that the natives would purposefully set small intensity fires on an almost yearly basis, in certain areas. This was both to promote the growth of specific plants (such as huckleberries) and draw out game. Mill Plain, Fourth Plain and Fifth Plain in the Vancouver area all are named after historic, large fire-managed clearings of this type.

 

They also burned Douglas Firs along the valley bottom to encourage oak growth. They could harvest the acorns from oaks, while the good old Douglas Firs offered nothing. The Willamette Valley used to be a human managed landscape long before we arrived. 

[Deweydog]

No I think you are confusing yours with mine. The majority of your 10,000+ posts deal with what losers people who post a lot here are.

You're not a loser for trying to pick some pre-heatwave fights, but that is what you're doing.

[ShawniganLake]

I'm on the ferry back home to the island and you can see the cloud of interior smoke now moving into the lower mainland.

[wx_statman]

FWIW the 12Z NAM had more of a July 2009 look for Wed-Thu, with the ridge axis and 594dm countour just to our west. This scenario would most likely result in something like 105-106 rather than 107-108 at PDX. 

[Jesse]

You're not a loser for trying to pick some pre-heatwave fights, but that is what you're doing.

Serious stuff.

[Jesse]

They also burned Douglas Firs along the valley bottom to encourage oak growth. They could harvest the acorns from oaks, while the good old Douglas Firs offered nothing. The Willamette Valley used to be a human managed landscape long before we arrived.

For sure. But not even close to the extent of human management now, of course.

[Phil]

About to have dinner outside on the patio, while the sun sets behind the evergreen trees. The temperature is holding steady in the 80s, and there's not even the slightest hint of humidity in the air. Feels amazing.

 

Back to my swampy reality tomorrow, though. Tampa is basically DC with palm trees in the summer.

[wx_statman]

About to have dinner outside on the patio, while the sun sets behind the evergreen trees. The temperature is holding steady in the 80s, and there's not even the slightest hint of humidity in the air. Feels amazing.

 

Back to my swampy reality tomorrow, though. Tampa is basically DC with palm trees in the summer.

 

Looks like you just missed TS Emily. 

[Phil]

Looks like you just missed TS Emily.

Yeah, but that Hippa island cyclone probably put Emily to shame by a good margin. So I'm not sore about missing it.

 

My stepmom did call me up this morning (at like 5AM PDT) asking me how to know if the house was struck by lightning. Apparently there was a vicious squall line with 50-60mph winds there this morning that produced the craziest lightning she's ever seen. That's notable to me given they get big lightning storms almost every afternoon there in the summer. Every year I visit it storms daily.

[Front Ranger]

I don't doubt that you have been there... just surprised that you are in North Bend every year.

I'm not. Only stopped there a couple times in my life, actually.

[Front Ranger]

No I think you are confusing yours with mine. The majority of your 10,000+ posts deal with what losers people who post a lot here are.

Hmm. Perhaps Dewey is the main reason mets don't post here? They are a notoriously thin-skinned bunch.

[Front Ranger]

They also burned Douglas Firs along the valley bottom to encourage oak growth. They could harvest the acorns from oaks, while the good old Douglas Firs offered nothing. The Willamette Valley used to be a human managed landscape long before we arrived.

Certainly ironic, considering the number of Christmas tree farms (in the hills) there now.

[Front Ranger]

FWIW the 12Z NAM had more of a July 2009 look for Wed-Thu, with the ridge axis and 594dm countour just to our west. This scenario would most likely result in something like 105-106 rather than 107-108 at PDX.

Probably stronger offshore winds, though?

[Bryant]

I'm actually relieved that it looks like you were (likely) telling the truth about visiting here. I honestly want to believe you about things. You dug yourself into quite the hole there for a few years, though. I don't think you can blame anyone for being skeptical.

He didn't stop by to say hi I would have selfie'd the out of him and I lol

[epiceast]

In tim's defense Middle Fork road was closed for a few years, I remember wanting to hike up Mailbox peak in '13 or '14 and finding out the road was being repaired.

[Deweydog]

Serious stuff.

Dangerous heat!!!

[Jesse]

Dangerous heat!!!

Dangerous deflection!!

[TT-SEA]

In tim's defense Middle Fork road was closed for a few years, I remember wanting to hike up Mailbox peak in '13 or '14 and finding out the road was being repaired.

Worth the wait... the new road is amazing.

[Front Ranger]

Hot anomalies lead to heated discussion.

[TT-SEA]

About to have dinner outside on the patio, while the sun sets behind the evergreen trees. The temperature is holding steady in the 80s, and there's not even the slightest hint of humidity in the air. Feels amazing.

 

 

I thought temps in the 50s with high winds and sideways rain was your ideal summer weather?

 

A clear evening with a temp around 80 sounds miserable.    I would rather enjoy dinner on the patio in cold rain with everything being blown away.   

[TT-SEA]

I'm not. Only stopped there a couple times in my life, actually.

 

So you hike the middle fork trails every year?   That is basically North Bend.   

[VancouverIslandSouth]

I'm on the ferry back home to the island and you can see the cloud of interior smoke now moving into the lower mainland.

 

Looks absolutely disgusting down some of those interior valleys today. I hope the stronger NW flow down the Strait of Georgia keeps this stuff contained but it's clearly not far from the coast and will get caught in the prevailing northerly flow. This could definitely limit daytime highs; but I would take extreme heat over smoke any day.

 

http://i.imgur.com/nW9yHBT.png

[wx_statman]

Probably stronger offshore winds, though?

 

The east winds could be a problem, just like on 7/29/2009. One of the reasons I would bet against 107 in that scenario. 

[Front Ranger]

So you hike the middle fork trails every year? That is basically North Bend.

Dude - sarcasm detector fail. I was making light of the situation, and everyone shocked you hadn't discovered those trails yet...you silly yuppy you!