Page 64 - The Silver Fire

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A Cache of Weapons (Con’t)
Beautiful scenery, a Black-tailed Rattlesnake, and great company made for an enjoyable day. On our walk out we found a cache of weapons which had been burned, adding a bit of mystery to the day.
It was not clear exactly what we had stumbled on to, but it was not a normal event for the Percha. In a small area there was a shotgun, a pistol, several bayonets, various shell casings from exploded ammunition, the remains of what appeared to be a first aid kit and assorted other items.
A number of questions flowed through our minds. What was this site? Had someone stashed a weapons store? If so, why did they fail to remove it before the fire? Was there foul play? It appeared to be a fairly expensive cache. Was it someone’s equipment that they had left in camp and then met with ill fortune? What? Why? When?
In any case, the authorities have been notified.
September 17, 2013 - Death of A Tree
A post and photographs by Bob Barnes of Hillsboro.
On the 13th I was on the dike at the east end of town watching the water eat away at the bank of dirt that some
people there thought was going to provide protection. For a long time it had been noted that the dike in that area was in general disrepair, but the people living alongside it did not seem to mind. Following the Silver
Fire and the water event on August 4, more interest was expressed in the dikes in town. Sierra County came out and “fixed” the levees. I have no particular expertise in water flow, so I can’t address the claim made by many that the changes they made in the stream bed at the east end of town channelled the water flow directly into the dike. What is obvious to me, however, is that their solution to the dike problem was to pile loose dirt on top of the existing dike. No particular expertise is required to observe that loose dirt, even when it is compacted
roots of a tree that was growing on the old dike.
The top photo is of the dike at 10:00. The photo to the right is of the dike at 11:00, with the tree in the water and the top of the dike gone in places. Video of the event can be seen on The Black Range Channel.
The County’s solution to the levee problem reminded me a lot of the story of The Three Little Pigs - especially the outlook and capability of the first little pig. The County was back after the dike had collapsed a bit to pile more loose dirt on top, guess they never read the story.
As I watched the loose dirt slid into the stream taking the tree with it I was saddened. I am particularly fond of trees. They take a long time to grow, they are survivors, and they are in “it” for the long haul. Trees die - of old age, by fire, by murder, just like humans - but anyone who has spent time in the desert appreciates shade (or at least should), and I think we owe something to the givers of shade.
We have reached our average annual rainfall (a little over 12 inches). That is a very good thing.
a bit, does not stop running water. The only thing that seemed to be holding the dike together was the
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iN MEMORY OF THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOTS