It was with some trepidation that we returned to hike the 8-mile Black Lake Loop in the Caribou Wilderness, knowing that the 2021 Dixie Fire had licked into this beautiful trail. We were pleased to find that most of the fire-affected landscape was lightly or patchily burned, likely doing a lot of ecological good. Only in a couple places was the burn complete, perhaps considered severe.
One of the most interesting aspects of hiking through wildfire-burned areas is how one gets a heightened appreciation for a sense of place. With the understory all but gone, the topography really stands out. In this lake-strewn landscape, that meant being able to see where we were in relation to not only the larger, named lakes, but also smaller bodies of water that we had no idea were there previous to fire.
While our overall impression of the affects of wildfire on this landscape was positive, there was one sad moment when we found that the largest Jeffrey pine we’d ever seen had succumbed to the Dixie Fire. It had been a massive sentinel, obviously hundreds of years old, growing on a rocky ledge between Jewel and Eleanor lakes that we always looked forward to seeing.
Wildflowers were abundant and just as gorgeous as always. Primrose monkeyflower was having a heyday in particular. There were carpets of the little yellow flower along the banks of several of the lakes. It probably would not be considered a super bloom, but it was still quite impressive.
For trail details and directions, please see Black Lake Loop, August 23, 2020. In the meantime, here are a few more of our more fun finds. All photos by Don Burk. Enjoy! ~Laurie & Don Burk
