Habitat Change not Habitat Loss

The Coronado National Forest has started to reopen since the monsoons are underway.  The Chiricahua Mountains are partially open but some closures remain in effect until hazard trees are removed and road stability is assured.  The Portal Rodeo Hiking Club made it's first trip since the start of the Horseshoe Two Fire.  The route chosen was from the Visitors center outside of Portal Arizona up Cave Creek Canyon, then up and down South Fork Canyon, and continuing up canyon to just short of the American Museum of Natural History South West Research Station. The walk up canyon covered about 5.5 miles one way and a large group with 8 dogs made the first hike completely in the riparian canyon bottoms.

Over the past several weeks there was discussion about "habitat loss" as the result of the fire, but that is changing to the term "habitat change" as people realize that nothing was lost but instead the mountains experienced a rapid change.  To pay homage to that idea below is an image that illustrates change.  The image was desaturated, inverted, hue and saturation changed, and then inverted a second time.  While the color is different it is still a beautiful canyon and mountain range, still worthy of the designation "sky island".

The map of this hike up Cave Creek Canyon also appears in the sidebar.