Standing, dead trees send safety risk soaring on Basalt Mountain routes, closures in place.
The fire drastically affected the Mill Creek Trail, a short but popular route, and the longer Cattle Creek Loop as well as Basalt Mountain Road. Dead, charred trees line portions of the road and almost all of the Mill Creek Trail. In some cases, trees with 18-inch wide trunks burned from the inside, leaving charred, hollow shells standing. Those standing dead trees, called snags, line the trails and road in the hundreds. They are prone to fall at any time, especially in breezy or windy conditions.
Follow