Large fire burning on the western slop of the Colorado rockys. It’s burning just north of Grand Junction. Here is a link to a news source.

https://www.9news.com/mobile/article/news/local/wildfire/pine-gulch-fire-explodes-in-size-north-of-grand-junction/73-e09a124a-f7de-4aa0-86d7-169207aa83f2I’m

Just wondering if anyone has watched this show on the discovery ch. If so, is it worth watching?

High wind advisory’s , frost warnings, freeze warnings, winter weather advisories. For all Rocky Mountain counties. Some forecasts are calling for up to 6 inches of snow.

My carrots and lettuce was just starting to look nice. Hope you all can protect your garden’s.

My family owns a few acres and a hunting cabin extremely off the beaten path where we go hunting every year. I sincerely hope that I'm wrong with seeing all these updates about coming disruptions in good supplies, but I'm looking for some survival guides specifically geared towards higher alpine (over 8000 ft) living. Does anyone have any suggestions for some of the better guides you've read?

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/30/colorado-extends-camping-ban-at-state-parks-warns-it-could-be-extended-again/

Camping ban extensions and warnings of more to come. It’s frustrating I can’t even go to my shooting spot. Roads that cross county lines are blocked. Guess I’ll be saving some money in spent ammo.

Information on closers and availability. Pretty much everything is closed still.

https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=45858bd98aa641ed97734d01b437c2d6

I have a very extensive first aid kit that has served me well over the last few years. I have accumulated items by ordering online, local pharmacy’s, and by asking doctors for things when I have to go. And yes I simply tell them I’m a prepper and putting together a med kit. It’s amazing how many docs have hooked me up with the coolest stuff. Even had one prescribe antibiotics to keep for shtf. Grabbing kids and adult masks every visit has payed off well in the current situation. I had quite a few accumulated over years of doctors visits.

But today I cut my finger with a razor blade at work. It happened in a hi rise apartment in downtown Denver. I could go to Denver general, which sounded like a terrible idea or drive home and stitch myself. I drove home opened my kit and pulled out my 5/0 sutures and did it myself. Had to have my oldest son help me tie. The pain wasn’t so bad with passing the needle through both sids of the wound. I figured at the er they would stick me a few times with novocaine before even stitching me so this sounded better. Worked out great. One stitch is all I needed to close the cut tight. No more bleeding or pain when I open and close my finger. Yay for knowing how to stitch and tie sutures. Also helps to have some on hand.

Colorado

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/gis/images/co_swepctnormal_update.png

Idaho

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/id_swepctnormal_update.pdf

Wyoming

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/wy_swepctnormal_update.pdf

Utah

https://www.ksl.com/weather/snowpack

The lockdown and economic uncertainty is causing a up-tic in domestic violence and home burglary’s in Colorado’s mountain towns.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/321242-domestic-violence-burglaries-increase-during-coronavirus-lockdown

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/boulder-seeing-a-significant-increase-in-burglaries-amid-covid-19-outbreak

52 prisoners were released to make space in case of potential outbreaks.

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/13/colorado-prison-jail-coronavirus-early-release/

Small article by CSU give great info about overcoming the difficulties of mountain vegetable gardening.

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/vegetable-gardening-in-the-mountains-7-248/

Here is the report for the upcoming fire season in the Rocky Mountains...

Rocky Mountain: Normal significant large fire potential is expected during the outlook period.

A warmer than average weather pattern existing during the first half of the month of March. A pattern change occurred during the second half of the month and brought cooler conditions. Drier than average conditions continued across northeastern South Dakota and expanded into southeastern Colorado where long term precipitation deficits were observed on the 60 to 90 day maps. The Drought Mitigation Center portrays little change in areas that have been in drought (western and southern Colorado, southwestern Kansas). There is a robust grass crop in the lower elevations east of the Continental Divide with significant fuel loading; however, there has been compaction of these fuels due to snowfall at times, especially in the northern and far eastern areas. These grass fuels across the plains typically remain available to burn during April when pre-green conditions (green-up progresses from south to north during the month) coincide with occasional warm, dry, and windy periods. Otherwise, fuel indices across most measuring sites in Colorado, Wyoming, and the Black Hills of South Dakota are out of season and/or under snow cover. Short term weather models for late March through early April indicate an overall active pattern with seasonal temperatures, and occasional warm, dry and windy periods. Precipitation events are anticipated to be recurring on about a 7-10 day cycle with passing weather systems. Long range weather forecasts show an overall average temperature and precipitation regime expected across the region in the spring. Additional warming and drying are predicted across southern portions of the region (especially southwestern areas) during late spring and early summer, followed by the onset of the Southwestern monsoon in July. The large fire potential forecast across the region continues in the average range during this outlook, with large fire risk early in the period mainly expected regarding the pre-green fire season across the eastern plains which typically continues in April. Warm, dry, and windy periods become climatologically more common during the early spring in conjunction with dead grass fuels across the eastern plains, but with green-up typically progressing from south to north during April. NeutralEl-Niño/La-Niña sea surface temperatures are forecast to persist through summer (or shift later in the summer into La- Niña), with a resultant long range temperature and precipitation forecast average overall, but with a dry and warm late spring and early summer over southern (mainly southwestern) portions of the geographic area. Southern portions of Colorado will need to be monitored for a possible earlier than average onset of fire season in May (late May on average) due to drought in combination with drier than average forecast conditions.

orthern Rockies: Normal significant large fire potential is expected across the region during the outlook period. Very dry conditions have occurred across northern Idaho and western Montana during the past month; virtually all these areas have had less than half of average precipitation. Fortunately, temperatures during this time were generally below average, so little melting of mountain snowpacks occurred, and enough new snow fell to keep SWE basin-average values in the 100-130 percent of normal range. This was due to cool weather systems in strong westerly flow aloft favoring the higher terrain with precipitation, while the valleys were strongly rain shadowed. Further east, a more nuanced pattern occurred across central and eastern Montana, individual weather systems allowed scattered areas during this climatologically dry period to receive above average precipitation (mainly snow), near other much drier ones. Temperatures were generally below average across central Montana, but warmer further east. North Dakota was generally much drier than average during the past month, with a large portion of the eastern half of the state receiving less than 25 percent of average precipitation. Temperatures were also warmer than average in North Dakota during the past month, except for the eastern third, reflecting the deeper, more persistent snowpacks that remained in place there. Plains snow cover across central Montana to western North Dakota melted off in late February but returned over most of that area during the past 10 days. Latest drought monitoring shows small areas of abnormally dry conditions in western and central Montana, but current monthly and seasonal drought outlooks keep the entire region drought-free through June. Calculated soil moisture anomalies are slightly drier than average across northern Idaho, but well above average from eastern Montana through all of North Dakota, a hold-over from the very wet late summer and fall last year in those areas. The NWS Climate Prediction Center outlooks for the April through June period depict the likelihood of near- average temperatures and near to above average precipitation over from central Montana east through North Dakota. For northern Idaho and western Montana, above average temperatures and near to below average precipitation is depicted. Given that the April monthly outlooks depict near average temperatures and precipitation, this would imply a warmer and drier May and June period, which produce more enhanced snowpack melting, faster lower elevation fine fuels curing, and dead fuel moisture drying. This generally agrees with our internal Predictive Services monthly temperature/precipitation outlooks for the same period, except for June. These internal outlooks also depict the possibility of warmer than average temperatures in July for northern Idaho into western Montana, but with near-average precipitation. Live vegetation is dormant region-wide, as is typical for this time of year. During the first half of March it was snow-free east of the Continental Divide. From mid-March through the end of the month several storms brought a return of some snow cover to eastern PSAs. So, fuel moistures are increasing there. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlooks forecast average temperatures and near to above average precipitation probabilities there. This provides moderate confidence that fuels conditions will not become extremely dry for extended periods through the Plains pre-greenup season in April to mid-May and this would suggest a healthy green-up without extreme dryness and drought stress through June. In the western PSAs, snow water equivalent of 100 to 130 percent of normal persists in the snowpack. Given a 30-day CPC outlook for near average temperatures in April, spring melt-off rates should occur at average levels in April, but in May there could be accelerated snow melt-off rates due to warmer-than- average temperatures in the Western PSAs. This could lead to earlier drying in June in the dead fuels but a healthy green-up and growth in the live fuels, given that drought stress is not anticipated, according to the CPC Seasonal Drought Outlook. With the possibility of weak La Niña developing this summer, warmer/drier-than-average weather could lead to lower fuel moistures in July.

The timbered areas of northern Idaho and western Montana with their complex topography, and stable valley inversions are considered out of season for much of April. If May snowmelt rates are increased as expected, the timing of fire season onset in those western PSAs could be earlier in June. Then in July if weak La Niña develops with fuels dryness; this could combine with the typical monsoon thunderstorm pattern for more ignitions than normal. At this time, it is too early to confidently forecast Above Normal significant wildland fire potential for July due to the uncertainty. However, subsequent monthly outlooks may reflect this possibility. For the plains of central Montana eastward into North Dakota some years have more frequent extended periods of warm, dry, and windy conditions and enhanced pre-greenup fire potential. This year there appear to be adequate soil moistures, and this should preclude any rapid drying of fuels there. Thereafter, higher relative humidity due to evapotranspiration during the agricultural growing season will maintain enough moisture in the fuels there. As such, the period for April through July is expected to bring normal significant wildland fire potential.

Link to full pdf (entire US) https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

Any speculation on what he's going to say/do?

I believe he may be tightening the screws a little since people can't seem to control themselves.

I'm sure like me, most of you have firearms as part of your preps. Knowing we have to be proficient, we practice. Where do you prefer to practice and why?

I love Pawnee Grasslands. It's open and plenty of space to set up multiple lanes for multiple types of shooting. My daughter could be working on her long(ish) distance and five feet over, my wife could be working on her pistol, all the time I can be working on my transition. There is no fee to shoot, or enter for that matter. You just have to be the RSO (Range Safety Officer) and police your brass at the end of the day.

Gov. Polis is expected to address the state in just over an hour. That, combined with the whiplash I received over the weekend with the "leadership" of various states and the federal level, I'm a little concerned with what might transpire. Accusations have been hurled, as well as insults and slights, Threats of mass quarantine, legal motions, etc. It's the way things have been for a while. I'm not starting anything political, I'm just concerned, and maybe a little scared. If the so called "leaders" had pulled their collective heads out of their fourth point of contact in the early stages, we, as a nation of people, wouldn't be chasing this. As it is now, we will not be getting ahead of this in the foreseeable future, imo.

This is why I prep.

Now that Colorado is under a state wide "Stay-At-Home" order, what are your plans? I'm really not changing my habits, since I've been like this for a month as it is. My family and I are not social butterflies and typically keep to our very small group as it it. We've kind of kept away from our typical activities for almost two weeks, as well.

What does this look like for you?