The first two pictures I took at Rohn when I landed to stretch my legs and look around a bit. Rohn is a checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail and a well known name to all Alaskans. Large forest firest burned nearby but the roadhouse stood. There were many hoses surrounding the cabin, ready for a quick plumbing job if things got ugly.
Last summer there had been a lightning strike on the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River, which caused a small forest fire. The second to last photo in this series was taken in June 2009, and it shows that the Post River managed to slow the progress so that only a small area got charred on the opposite bank. The last image was taken this week, and it shows the same area exactly one year later. The fire started again and this time the Post River could not slow the progress and tens of thousands of acres burned. I don’t like forest fires because the smoke reduces visibility and distorts my pictures, not to mention personal losses incurred. There are two sides to every coin, and there are some who are quite fond of the burns. The fires are a natural cycle, and they create excellent habitat for Moose and Bison in the Farewell area. Unfortunately Farewell Lake Lodge took a nasty hit from the fire this Spring burning the main lodge and several out buildings (4th image). It was obvious that strong winds pushed the flames, because the fingers of burned vegetation trailed over vast areas of rock and river bars. It was an impressive image from the air and several hot spots are still smoldering.