The Good

As we took our Stroll Up the Canyon, we were astounded by what we perceived as being the negative effects of the fire and the flood.  Fortunately, we also found some positives.

When we were in the Canyon in July, I took this picture of the river, right at our propane tank.

Believe it or not, below is the same hole, post flood.  The mud and silt is gone, leaving gorgeous rocks and a beautiful, bubbling stream.

This hole, just below the Schneider's bridge, shows the same effect.

Isn't it pretty?  I never would have believed it, but with the silt and moss scrubbed clean, our little stream looks like it is brand new.

Above our cabin, the fire burned very intensely.  Very few trees survived and none of the ground cover was left.  Yet aspens are already sprouting and the seeding that was done by the Forest Service has taken hold.

It is not pretty yet; but it will be.

The burn scar behind our cabin was pretty obvious.  We had growth, and then it stopped.  Now, the area where the burn scar was is very green - much greener than what was not burned.

Although in the shade, the burn scar's green is different from what was not burned.

Many of the native plants are already coming back - holly, aster, primrose are all growing in the burn scar.

In many places, the fire is not evident and the canyon looks just as you would expect it to look.

So despair not.  Even the road can be fixed, and when it is, we will be able to get back into our little Canyon.  We will learn to live with the changes, and we will once again enjoy our little stream, the coolness of the air, and the camaraderie of our friends.