I've read with interest the discussions of pro and con about the C&TS shutdown. Everyone has been watching the situation of the other Colorado fires. Unfortunately, the broadcast media, particularly, has been rife with ignorance, misinformation, and just plain studpidity in their coverage (or non-coverage) of the fires and their ramifications. Shame on them. You wonder how they can look in the mirror and call themselves "journalists." That's bad, because it is aggrevating the situation, including how the Forest Service is approaching fire suppression and prevention.
So, herewith, I will share some facts (and some opinion). Maybe people can draw their own conclusions about the shutdown and other considerations of this fire season.
1. These are not the biggest forest fires "in Colorado's recorded history," as politicians and media are saying. In fact, there's ample evidence that the fire season in 1879 (when the whole area around Cumbres Pass burned) was much worse in terms of acreage loss than what's burned so far this year in Colorado. Of course, there was not much settlement in the area then as compared to now. Still, 1879 would be an instructive year to study. It presented conditions much like this year. Has anyone heard anyone talking about that year in the media or elsewhere? I didn't think so.
2. We ARE in uncharted territory as far as the combination of conditions. Colorado has endured serious multi-year drought before. Why are the fires so bad this year? Well, because a hundred years of fire suppression have provided ample fuel for major fires to "crown" and make for armageddons like the Hayman fire. Fact is that noone alive today has seen the combination of forest and weather conditions that are now present in Colorado (and New Mexico). That the Forest Service would be "running scared" shouldn't surprise anyone. That said, one certainly does have to question why the C&TS is the only tourist railroad closed down.
3. Any fire along the C&TS would be a low priority. We all know that the C&TS and its environs are a priceless historical and scenic treasure. But we are a knowing minority, and in the regional scheme, this area is low priority, just as it has been when it comes to funding and everything else.
4. Finally, whether or not the C&TS is open, the publicity about the fires IS affecting tourism. It can't help it. Colorado has (successfully) promoted itself for years as a place with cool green mountains, blue skies, bubbling streams, and quiet mountain trails. That's the out-of-state public's general impression of Colorado, thanks to years of being "fed" that mystique, true or not. Well, nobody's seeing any of those things in the media coverage of the Colorado on this day. Given that, are people going to rush to ride the C&TS, even if the railroad were running? Food for thought.
There are no easy answers here. Don't run the railroad and risk a permanent shutdown. Run the railroad with low passenger counts and risk starting fires. Boy, oh boy--some choices.
Bottom line: PRAY FOR RAIN!
PS--Lest anyone question my loyalty to the C&TS or my Colorado home, let me say this: I'm a Colorado native and have made this state my home for all of my near half-century. I was in Chama when the first C&TS train came into town on September 6, 1970. I fished and explored the area covered by the Hayman fire when I was a kid (it was ready to burn then!). And, I can say with certainty, I have never seen Colorado this dry and this ready to burn. It is frightening.
