Yellow Pine ready for its annual Harmonica Festival
I’ve been hard on Yellow Pine for its dependence on the costly South Fork of the Salmon Road. And they have gotten a bad rap for their attitudes about fires and firefighting.
But the residents of this community on the edge of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness have showed how to make their town fire resistant in a way that other rural communities can copy. Once buried deep in the forest, Yellow Pine is thinned, open and has loads of defensible space for firefighters.
The residents stand against authorities who wanted them to evacuate, now appears like good strategy, according to experts. It’s called “stand and defend” in Australia and it has risks, which Yellow Pine residents say they are ready to take.
This week Yellow Pine hosts its famous Harmonica Contest and Festival, which attracts campers and music lovers from around the nation. The road I give them a hard time about is still closed while contractors wait for permits to replace a bridge that burned.
The only route into town is the Landmark/Johnson Creek Road but friends of mine who have attended the festival say it is worth the drive. YP Mule, a regular commenter on this blog said you might even see wolf pups as big as coyotes.
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Thanks Rocky
The bridge replacement has not been widely publicized - the South Fork road is not officially closed, you just can't get here from there. The location of the bridge also prevents traffic from McCall via Lick Creek road from getting here too.
PS - the folks that stayed to defend our village in 2007 were members of our volunteer fire department.
You forgot the 'c' in Harmonica
It's been a few years since I have been to the Harmonica festival. Haven't been there since I worked at Wapiti Meadow Ranch in summer of 04. I sure miss Susan from the general store and love the history of the area. Lafe and Emma Cox are my old cowboy heroes.
I saw the IDPTV show on the festival the other day : ))))
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I saw the IDPTV show on the festival the other day : ))))
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Hey Justin the bow hunter
Susan at the General Store said to tell you hello - and she remembers you too.
We are getting some good rain, 2/10's of an inch so far today, lots of lightning last night and today, keeping our fingers crossed that we won't have any fires. Several groups have already arrived and set up camps on the "golf course" - no camp fires are allowed in that area!