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January, 2025

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My ski hill is on fire :'(

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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
So yesterday at 1pm, a fire started in the mountains behind my local ski hill/ town. In 7 hours it grew to 3,500 acres. At this time it became the nations highest priority due to the national lab. Thought that would help due to the added help. By morning it was at 43,000 acres. Right now its over 50,000 acres and is expected to double in size over night. The town has been evacuated so everyone is safe. i was just about to post the web cam so you could see the flames first hand but it just went down so I will post pictures of the fire that were taken yesterday. This thread is just to vent because I was born and raised on this hill and now it is slowly burning away. It was the one place that always provided a retreat filled with happiness and fun. Its just hard to imagine that a place that I have gone to year after for 16 years is now gone. Just kinda a bummer.

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Jun 27 2011 10:35PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
where / what hill?
Jun 27 2011 10:36PM
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BuSkiz
Posts: 2240 - Karma: 65
Damn sorry bro, VIBES dude
Jun 27 2011 10:36PM
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Thug**
Posts: 511 - Karma: 87
That sucks dude. Some irony.
Jun 27 2011 10:36PM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
Los Alamos NM. The hill is called Pajarito
Jun 27 2011 10:37PM
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Negro_Jesus
Posts: 1789 - Karma: 91
imagine the size of the marshmallow you could cook on that mother fucker
Jun 27 2011 10:37PM
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TheHamburglar
Posts: 3895 - Karma: 3,317
holy shit- that really, really sucks man. maaad fuckin vibes. I hope they get that fire under control too geez.
Jun 27 2011 10:38PM
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3-6-steeze
Posts: 1135 - Karma: 147
Sorry man, can't imagine my home hill just burning.
Jun 27 2011 10:38PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 373
hey man, when sun valley burned it opened up some incredible back country terrain, dont give up hope, youre ski hill might still be kick ass, just a little different.
Jun 27 2011 10:38PM
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saucybiscuits
Posts: 2554 - Karma: 173
but.........the fire will burn all the trees and vegetation.......... so your hill will be BIGGER!!! yeaa!!!
Jun 27 2011 10:39PM
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chuck_testa
Posts: 1469 - Karma: 52
ahh bummer mate. i can't imagine the place where I grew up bursting into flames. I'd be broken.
Jun 27 2011 10:40PM
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Dwarftosser1
Posts: 2602 - Karma: 951
+ vibes man, hope they get it under control.
Jun 27 2011 10:40PM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
Ya its kinda crazy because we had a fire 11 years ago that burned everything in the town except the ski hill. It was the only green area on the surrounding mountains. Emphasis on "was'
Jun 27 2011 10:40PM
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mnfreeskier
Posts: 939 - Karma: 69
this is what i was thinking!!! it might not be so bad after all!!!
Jun 27 2011 10:41PM
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Blindsurfer
Posts: 2252 - Karma: 2,799
sucks
Jun 27 2011 10:42PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Not necessarily gone man! Forest fires happen all the time in the rocky mountains in BC, its a pretty regular to have massive fires rip through huge sections of forests. Burn zones actually can make really cool skiing areas because everything is all of a sudden perfectly spaced tree skiing! Don't know if that's your situation but I'd maintain hope.... The hill will still be there, albeit some rebuilding might have to happen. Stay up! Hope they get the fire under control, and I hope you can still get on snow next season.
Jun 27 2011 10:43PM
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Scott0_robot0
Posts: 3291 - Karma: 212
no more tree runs...
Jun 27 2011 10:45PM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
Ya thats what everyone who has been saying but thats the shitty part. Being a local of the mountain, I knew where all the fun shit was to hit that was in the tree. Its as big as it can get on the mountain that it is on. We had local parks set up through the tress that only my friends and I knew about and could find. That was the magic of the mountain. not thats all gone. And it was a pretty poor hill. They used all the money trying to get snow making this season so there wont be much breathing room to rebuild. It will still be great. Just not the same
Jun 27 2011 10:46PM
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CAPITA-DEVOURS
Posts: 1968 - Karma: 4
thats so shitty, i would cry if that happened to my home mountain..
Jun 27 2011 10:47PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7817 - Karma: 1,537
Hopefully the place is financially well enough to get back on its feet. It'll be slow going, but over time it should recover. Sorry to hear that though man. Best of luck to you guys and all of Los Alamos.
Jun 27 2011 10:47PM
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Kangbang
Posts: 14211 - Karma: 423
I know what you mean. I live where pretty much most of the forest fires are. Last year in the first week of july there were 60 forest fires. Where I live its a weekly event.
Jun 27 2011 10:48PM
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Gmart
Posts: 1634 - Karma: 273
vibes but doesn't that possibly mean a bigger, newer, possibly better hill/ski resort?
Jun 27 2011 10:51PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
That sucks, man. Hopefully it doesn't affect skiing next season (it probabaly won't, unless it fucked with lifts and stuff). I didn't even know they had skiing in New Mexico, that's pretty badass haha. I assumed it was always like 100 degrees there.
Jun 27 2011 11:01PM
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Chupacabraj
Posts: 798 - Karma: 40
that really sucks, hope everyones all good, stay safe out there man
Jun 27 2011 11:06PM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
Lol that is usually the assumption but New Mexico does have Taos which is like world class or something like that. I wouldn't know cuz its expensive.

So I am in the sleeper community to Los Alamos and the labs which is maybe 10-12 miles from the town and the hill. I got on the roof and almost cried. All I could see is blackness everywhere except the ski hill which is glowing bright orange and red with some pinkish. The staff moved the snowcats into the middle of the parking lot and bailed. They don't have too much hope. But in more important news, the fire is moving southeast straight for the plutonium depot at the lab. Sweet huh?
Jun 27 2011 11:24PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
thats weird, hopefully insurance will cover it for the resort or something.
Jun 27 2011 11:28PM
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hellyeaaaah
Posts: 640 - Karma: 8
But that means that there will be a lot less trees, which means a whole lot more sick ass terrain!
Jun 27 2011 11:31PM
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Sitch.
Posts: 841 - Karma: 13
this is great news their will just be a hill with no trees no one big run
Jun 27 2011 11:43PM
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kstanz
Posts: 3058 - Karma: 477
That's terrible dude, sorry :(
Jun 27 2011 11:56PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
vibes bro, i was at your hill last summer biking and hiking around. i hope they get it all under control soon.
Jun 27 2011 11:59PM
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saucybiscuits
Posts: 2554 - Karma: 173
this is actually really sad because i can totally relate to having fun shit only you know about on the mountain. That would be so shitty to lose. +++vibes man. It will get better
Jun 28 2011 12:01AM
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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
Vibes dude. V-I-B-E-S vibes.


I know what it feels like lose something that gave you so much enjoyment. I hope they get that shit under control.

I don't know what I'd do if Squaw ever started burning...
Jun 28 2011 12:05AM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 361
for real, this is sun valley and wouldnt have been shredable before because the trees are tighter with vegetation.
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Jun 28 2011 12:09AM
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tall_pants
Posts: 663 - Karma: 446
Is the national lab battele?
Jun 28 2011 12:16AM
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Just_Send_It
Posts: 4761 - Karma: 992
aww im sorry man that sucks. maybe you'll still be able to ski there next season.

i hope none of the lifts got damaged..
Jun 28 2011 1:23AM
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Static
Posts: 8577 - Karma: 3,994
I skied at Pajarito this year, fun little place
Jun 28 2011 7:39AM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
Its a fun little place. If its still there and you ever go again, let me know. I will show you all the stuff we have set up.

Thanks for all the vibes. Its been rough on alot of people.

A little update is that the wind is now blowing it the fire back up over the mountain and away from town. The lodge was saved because they soaked it in a bunch of foam. They still have yet to say how far down the mountain it got and how much damage it caused. It took down all the various towers at the top so I am assuming the lift houses were destroyed and some damage was inflicted on the lifts.
Jun 28 2011 12:14PM
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popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
There is truth in this, there is a forest on blackcomb that is all burnt and it's super sick powder skiing; feels like you're in Japan or something
Jun 28 2011 2:47PM
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Shlogan
Posts: 4942 - Karma: 430
i was at pajarito when the fire started, so ive seen this fire grow from a few trees to the 50,000 acres now. its definitely a stoke of bad luck, but it may be getting better.
Jun 28 2011 2:52PM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
damn that sucks dude, hopefully your moutain didnt have all their equipment trashed....that would be insanely costly to replace lifts/cables/towers/pipping for water and shit in addition to all teh clean up theyre already going to need, hopefully they have a really good natural disaster insurance policy

those are some awesome pics tho
Jun 28 2011 2:54PM
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eheath
Posts: 61734 - Karma: 124,627
It'll probably okay, the trees will burn but the majority of them will stay up. Its not like your hill is gonna turn into a pile of ashes...
Jun 28 2011 3:27PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
I know it sucks watching it happen but it will probably work out ok in the end. Tree skiing thru a burnt forest is pretty fun actually.
Jun 28 2011 3:35PM
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belden...
Posts: 2914 - Karma: 1,274
Stay positive man it could end up sick

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Jun 28 2011 3:46PM
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Sam.Carson
Posts: 2884 - Karma: 33
damn thats crazy. sorry about your mountain.
Jun 28 2011 4:01PM
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Jahrassicpark
Posts: 2075 - Karma: 38
Damn dude that sucks but think about all the pillows and jibs now
Jun 28 2011 4:19PM
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zagfan5
Posts: 2608 - Karma: 144
this. i saw some footage of ppl shredding pow the winter after a huge wildfire and it looked so cool/eerie. but helped glade out a lot of stuff.
Jun 28 2011 4:56PM
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zagfan5
Posts: 2608 - Karma: 144
thats the pic i was looking for. like i said. cool/eerie
Jun 28 2011 4:59PM
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chardi
Posts: 5040 - Karma: 59
looks like you guys have some new trails opening up this season..
Jun 28 2011 5:06PM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
I know how you feel, I had this place where I used to go every sunday to ski on an artificial slope and there are some really big woods right next to it where I used to play- walk the dog etc.
And now there is a pyromaniac active and he keeps lightning the place on fire.
Thank god it hasn't reached that little plastic hill yet cause it's right between all the trees.
But so much of that beautiful forest has been destroyed.

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Jun 28 2011 5:29PM
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Deluge
Posts: 4401 - Karma: 805
vibes but it might be sick
Jun 28 2011 5:44PM
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-emile-
Posts: 6613 - Karma: 8,592
damn , that sucks , vibes ! but see the positive side.. :)
Jun 28 2011 5:45PM
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