Trails affected by last week's Williams fire, which burned over 500 acres and destroyed two structures, are now open again. I decided to take Fritz and Gretchen on an exploratory walk starting from the Lehner Kill site. It was 3:37pm when we started, the height of the day's heat above us.
I just wanted a short walk with the dogs to see the area, but ended up doing a 3.7-mile loop. It's a loop Susan and I have done a few times, walking to the old beaver dam area and back via the wash to the parking area.
The burn area was not visible the first half mile, walking south on the official trail. But once we turned east and headed toward the river, the damage was in full view. I was wowed with disbelief. The thick, dead grass in that open field across from the Casa de San Pedro B&B was completely void, like a moonscape!
The thick shrubbery on the north side of the trail was also completely gone. Since there was no flora to hide the dogs, I decided to let Gretchen off leash here, against my better judgment. She hadn't run off leash for a month, since her last overnight adventure in Palominas with Fritz. I had good views of the dogs in all directions. Whenever I called Fritz back, both dogs came back to me.
The dogs ran toward the river for water as we approached the river. While the smaller mesquite and acacia are all charred, the cottonwoods survived. The damage to the big trees was not as bad as Susan had described it last week.
New grass was already forming. Birds were busy pecking away at seeds that surely were dropped from trees during the fire.
The sad part was seeing the old "Boucher" house off the river. The buildings were designed by architect Robert Boucher, who still lived in the main house and was there during the fire. It's a total loss, both the main house and the guest house. Only the water pump to the pond is still working, but everything else is gone. The caretaker, Joy Vanveen, also ran the Good Shepherd dog training school here. She lived in the guest house.
This area has always been dense with pokey flora, so it felt weird to walk straight toward the house on flat land. It still smelled of charcoal and slurry. Some areas are still deep in dusty ash. The grass and agave will grow back from the roots after this year's monsoon. Most of what burned here is the nuisance flora: mesquite and acacia and high desert grass, sotol and prickly pear and a few chollas.
We walked back via the wash and then returned to the Honda. Gretchen did great following me, but she must have seen something to chase with just 0.25 miles to spare and she took off. Fritz got concerned. He knew he had to follow me, and he did, but he kept looking back for his sister.
So the dog did it again and roamed around for a good hour. I drove around yelling her name, even trespassing on private property calling out her name. I know better than to let her off leash, but I also know that dog needs to run, she loves to run, and she needs at least two miles of non-stop running to calm down. I've clocked her doing 12 miles for a mile in the past.
I drove north toward the Hereford bridge parking area and the famous swan pond east of the bridge. Here is where the fire came right up to Hereford Road and crossed the road, but it looks like most of the fire was suppressed here. The old house by the pond was spared, but I'm sure the homeowners were scared during the fire, fearing for the loss of their little paradise.
When I drove back to the Lehner Kill site parking area, Gretchen was sitting in the shade by the mesquite tree, where we had parked earlier. She hopped right into the car. Both dogs panted all the way home.
Thus ended my Easter weekend.
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