[TrappedInLiberalHell]

The Jeffrey pines there will go up like Roman Candles.

Are those the ones with the bark that smells vaguely of butterscotch? I remember when hiking in the San Jacintos near Idyllwild, I saw large stands of dead conifers up on the ridges. Are these the ones that have succumbed to bark beetles? And is it just the Jeffrey Pines? When I hiked through that area I remember someone mentioning a pest killing trees. Until that point I just thought the trees were dying as part of a natural cycle.

Having hiked through the burn zone south of Mount Laguna, which lasted at least 15 hiking miles, I have a profound respect for the damage wildfire can do.

[Yaelle]

Jeffrey pines do smell like vanilla when scratched. There are tons of 'em in Idyllwild.

[spectr17]

Are those the ones with the bark that smells vaguely of butterscotch? I remember when hiking in the San Jacintos near Idyllwild, I saw large stands of dead conifers up on the ridges. Are these the ones that have succumbed to bark beetles? And is it just the Jeffrey Pines? When I hiked through that area I remember someone mentioning a pest killing trees. Until that point I just thought the trees were dying as part of a natural cycle.

Having hiked through the burn zone south of Mount Laguna, which lasted at least 15 hiking miles, I have a profound respect for the damage wildfire can do.

Yes, the Jeffrey Pine. Huge pine cones that almost knock you out if they hit you when they fall.

I flew over the SBNF a month ago and the whole forest is dead or dying from the beetle. Sad to see but now it will be time for a rebirth of the forest.