SW Colorado Fires: Ferris and Gold Mountain

ChrisC · Jul 7, 2026

My brother had to pack a Fire Evacuation Kit for the July 4th weekend due to local fires increasing in size.

Although Telluride is protected by geography, mountains, and winds from both fires (Gold and Ferris), everything was smoky over the weekend.

Southwest CO Close Up

A large private firefighting force (see Wall of Green $$$$$) was deployed to save the Cimarron Mountain Club --> it's trying to become the Yellowstone Club of Colorado. However, it's not linked to a world-class mountain like Big Sky, so there are limits to its success.

I don't know much about this project, but it appears to lack the scale (12 ranches?) to support chairlift development, even though it's laid out to support lift-served skiing with trail pods. Currently, it's snowcat-only skiing.

Having skied 2 SW San Juan Snowcat operations nearby (and even looked at a defunct operation near Telluride at Lizard Head Pass), I doubt the skiing is worthwhile given its altitude and exposure.

Cimarron Club Home Page

Homepage

ChrisC · Jul 7, 2026

Fire Naming Conventions: I am sure fires are named after local landmarks and areas, but it gets a bit comical to discuss them - especially for the general public.

Utah's Cottonwood Fire is nowhere near the Cottonwood Canyons and is in the middle of the state.
Colorado's Aspen Fire is nowhere near Aspen, CO, and is near Pueblo.
And Colorado's Willow Fire has closed Independence Pass and quick access to Aspen, CO.

EMSC · Jul 7, 2026

ChrisC said:
Colorado's Aspen Fire is nowhere near Aspen, CO, and is near Pueblo.

Full name is Aspen Acres fire. Aspen Acres is a place name, not really a town though. It has ~75-100 homes in that spot on the map and the fire is suspected to have been from a not put out fire at the small campground there (which is named Aspen Acres Campground, thus the fire name). Definitely human caused with 263 (at least) homes destroyed so far and >93,000 acres burned so far.

I could tell you much about it as that fire is very much in my attention as I have a mountain cabin ~10 or so miles west of the current perimeter. It was in and out of dense smoke over the past several days when I was there (though I am back in the metro area again right now).

ChrisC · Jul 8, 2026

EMSC said:
Full name is Aspen Acres fire. Aspen Acres is a place name, not really a town though. It has ~75-100 homes in that spot on the map and the fire is suspected to have been from a not put out fire at the small campground there (which is named Aspen Acres Campground, thus the fire name). Definitely human caused with 263 (at least) homes destroyed so far and >93,000 acres burned so far.

I just watched CNN try to report on the Aspen Acres and Cottonwood fires, wondering what registered with viewers.

EMSC said:
I could tell you much about it as that fire is very much in my attention as I have a mountain cabin ~10 or so miles west of the current perimeter.

I assume you took as many precautions as possible. I have never been south of Colorado Springs, CO, so I'm unfamiliar with the area.

The LA fires have really driven home how quickly fires can spread with strong winds.

Just thought it was a sign of the times to pack fire evacuation bags... just in case.

EMSC · Jul 8, 2026

ChrisC said:
I assume you took as many precautions as possible. I have never been south of Colorado Springs, CO, so I'm unfamiliar with the area.

The LA fires have really driven home how quickly fires can spread with strong winds.

Just thought it was a sign of the times to pack fire evacuation bags... just in case.

As best I can. I don't have much other than some family antiques down there that I would want to remove if I could (but not going to at this point). Everything else at that location is just stuff that could be replaced. My place is very defensible with ~1.5-2 acres of mowed 'lawn'/meadows around it. With trees covering the rest of the property, mostly having branches trimmed up 5-6 feet to not allow bridging from grass/weeds up to the lower branches.

Though I'm always amazed at how many people down there have 3 foot tall meadow grasses or even trees coming right up and touching their homes and cabins. Despite the name of "Wet Mountains" they are mostly pretty dry and get less snow/rain than nearly any other range in Colorado. I assume they got that name because they actually had at least some water and trees for shade for pioneers that had just marched through Oklahoma and SE Colo way back when.

With 1500 personnel on the fire and 10+ miles away there should be no way for it to get to my place now. I'm worrying more about a 2nd fire starting than the current Aspen Acres finally. It is absolutely bone dry down there right now.

jamesdeluxe · Jul 8, 2026

EMSC said:
Though I'm always amazed at how many people down there have 3 foot tall meadow grasses or even trees coming right up and touching their homes and cabins.

I remember what @Harvey told me -- that native ADKers always know who the flatlanders are. They're the ones who don't cut down trees near or alongside their house.

EMSC · Jul 8, 2026

Preferably no trees within 30-ish feet and 100% hardscaped for the first 5 feet around the house/cabin.

Sounds drastic, but it can absolutely be done in a way that looks good.

ChrisC · Jul 11, 2026

jamesdeluxe said:
I remember what @Harvey told me -- that native ADKers always know who the flatlanders are. They're the ones who don't cut down trees near or alongside their house.

One of my friends whom I met in Seattle is very similar to @Harvey in spirit.

He grew up in the Adirondacks (Elizabethtown-Keene Valley, NY) near Lake Placid and loves those mountains. After some time out in the Northwest (Internet 1.0), he moved back East to get his MBA and pivot from tech into real estate.

He's skied all over: Whistler, Banff, Revelstoke, Sun Valley, Utah, Colorado, and Europe (Chamonix, Zermatt). However, he likes the NY Northwoods, specifically Whiteface, and sometimes Stowe or Gore. The High Peaks of the Adirondacks are an extremely beautiful area year-round: lakes (Saranac, Champlain, George, etc), peaks (Marcy, Algonquin are 5k+), and a very strong "sense of place".

I have pulled him out to Telluride and BC, but more often it's East Coast meetups with Seattle WA friends: most often Lake Placid/Whiteface, but sometimes Mont Tremblant or Quebec City.

Think he suffers from a disease that makes him value East Coast - and perhaps NY - skiing that much.

But I am the polar opposite; spend my life getting away from NY and claiming parts of the American West as my own. Both valid choices.

Anyways, he built a cabin/house in 2008 at a location between Keene Valley and Lake Placid/Wilmington, NY. Think it supports best practices in Fire Prevention.

I had some photos indexed to show a cleared lot and a new build. (There is more than a deck chair now):

February 2008

ChrisC · Jul 11, 2026

And yes, when the right storm comes, Whiteface can be

with 10-16 inches of new snow. I think one of "The Slides" opened.

Whiteface - Late February 2008.
(Aside: Good NY State snow days (Nor'easter or lake effect) create an experience similar to Japan - cold, light snow, few crowds on trails, similar topography and trees)