RMNP After the Wildfires

Almost every Easter Dave and I drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park to have a picnic, and this year was no exception. This was our first time back inside the park since it was forced to shut down last summer due to the devastating wildfires. We were eager to return to our usual spots, but a bit nervous to see what damage was left behind. Driving towards Moraine Park, the first thing we noticed was a massive black stripe running down the middle of the meadow.

That black line was ash and soot marking the wildfire’s exact path through the meadow. As we hiked out towards the river, the ground was crunchy, a faint smokey odor still lingered in the air, and all that remained were burnt remnants of shrubs and grasses.

We attempted some sort of normalcy by fishing and taking photos, but it was hard to ignore the new landscape. It brought us back to last year, helplessly watching what we consider our backyard being destroyed by a human-caused fire.

The main road to the Fern Lake trailhead was still closed due to fire damage. The restored vegetation that was fenced off from the Fern Lake Fire 8 years ago – an area that was just starting to grow back and thrive within the past couple years – was once again burnt down, having to start again. But the grassy meadow of Moraine Park is expected to bounce back this summer – with signs of new growth already poking up through the ash!

The wildfire continued over the ridge line of Moraine Park, and into Upper Beaver Meadows – the location where we got married. Luckily, we already know from news footage that our two trees are safe, but we still plan to check on them as soon as that area opens up.