Yours truelly. On my mountain bike (not hiking), I got caught up in a very fast moving brush fire, South Bike Trail Fire, which somone set while I was out riding. I was 15 miles into my ride when I realized I was within minutes of being trapped by the fire. Can't even describe what it was like to be nearly surrounded by fire within yards of me.



After making it out to the paved trail, I had refused help several times before I realized driving my truck out of the park I needed help from heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. I was literally riding for my life as I had no clue what was going on, how big the fire was, where it was going, or where to go to be safe. Two weeks later and I am still processing.

Pic from paved trail on way back to my truck. It had rappidly grown by the time I got to this point. The fire crews had been looking for me as I had called 911 to report fire and try to find out safe way to get out... I had been back in the middle of that on my bike on this narrow winding dirt mountain bike trail less than three months old on this section, Twisted Pine.

One week later

Wow! Glad to hear you are OK!

recall seeing some of this on FB....you were lucky!

Scary! I've thought about that as we hiked miles into forests. Sometimes there would be alternate trails on the maps for possible escape and sometimes not.

As you found out the possibility is not that far fetched. Thinking back, at least four of the trails we frequented have had major fires across them over the years. Three in Rocky Mountain National Park and one in the Poudre Canyon.

Wow! Escape by the skin of your teeth. Makes you wonder who put you there and who was watching out for you to get out. It has never occurred to mee while out on a hike that i was in danger from fire but now we're considering moving to an area that is prone to flood and fire. Hmmm. Doesn't sound like that great of an idea when i think it out loud. But it's so beautiful! I suppose nothing is free in life, eh? And nothing should be taken for granted.

Really glad you are OK.

I came close to something similar during a Boy Scout summer camp out near Mammoth Lakes, CA when I was about 12. There was a stream nearby the camp with smooth rocks and small waterfalls, so we would spend most of our days there at this natural water slide.

First it was the smoke in the distance. Interesting, but we keep sliding down the falls. Now the smoke is getting closer and then Borade Bombers started showing up. Being an aviation freak, the planes now have my full attention and I am not noticing how close the smoke is getting. Then the Bombers were getting really close and all the sudden we are in the smoke. Scout masters come a running: we are to return to our tents, change for hiking, kick down the tent poles, and form up by troop.

They marched us about 5 miles to the nearest part of civilization and we wait it out. Hours later we return and find how incredibly close both the fire and borade drops were to our tents.

It is sad as seems like we are having fires pop up all over. No lightening so they are being set. Just read the park I got caught in for the brush fire is being evacuated again. If I was not at work, I would have been there again.