The monsoon is a pretty dependable phenomenon in Arizona, at
least at higher elevations (if not in the deserts), and I
would expect all the National Forests in this state to reopen
sometime in July.  The exact time depends on when the monsoon
starts, and whether it starts vigorously or slowly.  It's very
doubtful any forests will still be closed by August 1.  But
expect things to remain closed for the next 3-4 weeks.

For those who can take a few days off work, or are currently
unemployed, I'd highly recommend going north a few hundred miles.
Once you pass N 37 degrees, all the forests are open, at least
in SW Utah (I didn't check Monti-La Sal NF, since I'm not going
that way).  ALL of Fishlake National Forest is open now, and
most of Dixie National Forest (from north of St George east to
north of Bryce Canyon) is open.  The only closed areas in Dixie
are where fires are actively burning, or recently ended (eg.,
Navajo Lake on UT route 14).  They don't have any widespread
closures at all, and neither of these national forests are
anticipating any closures for the next 10 days, although stage
1 fire restrictions are in effect (no open campfires, etc.).

Also, the northern section of Kaibab National Forest is still
open, around Jacob Lake.  Only one cache there (appropriately
called "Jacob"), but a good place to go to if you are seeking
cool, high-elevation national forests which are open.  From
there, you can go north about 35 miles to Kanab, where there
ARE several regular caches, and a whole slew of virtual caches.
You can start from the cache "Fool Rush In" at
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=8672
and search from that point using the link "nearby caches",
to see what's up there.

Well, this isn't exactly AZ geocaching, but it's "close to AZ
geocaching".   :)

Mike
Team Malthusian

At 23:30:24 -0700 6/12/02 -0700, Scott wrote:
>
>There has always been the threads about what will kill geocaching.  I think 
>I know the answer, even if only for a short period of time, and if only in 
>the Tucson area.
>
>It would appear that the closure of the Coronado National Forest has pretty 
>well done it down here.  I have all of the Tucson area caches on my watch 
>list, and with the exception of Meteor Maniacs coming down and finding a 
>few caches this last weekend, there has been hardly any activity at all.
>
>I suspect that the heat has something to do with it also, but this is going 
>to be one boring summer down here in the Tucson area with no access to the 
>national forest.  Guess I am going to have to drive up to Phoenix and go 
>after a bunch of the urban caches one of these weekends.
>
>Scott
>Team My Blue Heaven
>www.myblueheaven.com/geocache
>
>