Friday, March 11, 2016

Dear friends:  
We had a very cold night and felt as if the frost in the first hours of the day had very severe.  

I drove up to the Sanctuaries. I intentionally left home around 9:00 hrs.  The sun filled the town by 8:00 hrs, so, --I thought--, "after one hour sun the frosted parts may loose".  The ice storm was more severe than we all people in town and our communities could have imagined.  The view from Angangueo towards La Salud-El Rosario was a frosted carpet still covering big areas in the mountains.

On my way up towards "El Rosario", much before I reached "La Salud" community, the frosted sleet was so hard frosted, that some cars were stuck on the road and slippering trying to turn back to Angangueo.  I did it as I got the signals from people assisting stuck drivers.  Right there, at turning back, the view to Sierra Chincua was impressive.

I ran into some Sanctuary guides from Cerro Prieto who belong to Sierra Chincua Sanctuary, with whom I know very well, and they assured me the sleet-snow in Sierra Chincua reached 30 cm. and even 40 cm. height.  I went my way driving back and trying the road up through Ocampo town.

11 hrs.- El Asoleadero, community, short before reaching El Rosario Sanctuary entrance.

The forests of Sanctuary El Rosario short before 12:00 hrs. after 4 hour-sunshine and frost melting.

As I reached the entrance of The Sanctuary, some tourists already arriving, both Mexican and foreigners were told Sanctuaries would stay closed at least for the next 48-72 hours.

I saw Biologist Felipe Martínez, whom I approached, and  who  very corteously addressed me some comments and confirmed to me:

"Estela, we personnel from the Reserve Office and Profepa have decided that the two Sanctuaries should stay closed the next 72 hours.  There is much to inspect and to evaluate, however, the Ejidatarios will not like this and we will have to fight to let them see the Sanctuaries cannot be opend tomorrow Saturday or Sunday; it can be dangerous, since many trees could be loose, it is very slippery due to the so hard and deep ice cover;  we need to make a very careful inspection on the result of all these events".

Without me asking him about the possible state of the Colony, he added holding his camera in his hands:

"I lament I not having some photos I shoot yesterday inside the Colony here in El Rosario.  I went in yesterday afternoon, and I was impressed to see how many big, medium and small clusters hanging from many Oyameles seemed  to be intact.  I got so emotioned.  My concern is now to come to the moment when the ice and snow melt and we start to evaluate the possible perishing of Monarchs not standing the low temperatures during the so many hours they've kept frosted.

Biologist Felipe said he had already published this photos from the Colony yesterday.  I assumed he published them at the official site belonging to RBMM.

To my question as if we mostly had sleet storms than snow storms, he assured it was snow in a mayor part. Last, I asked him about the arrival of a very high level politician down there to the parking area for buses at El Rosario, he said

"It is the Governor, Silvano Aureoles Conejo, but he is only coming to deliver blankets, roofing panels and food to people affected.  He will most likely come here to the entrance of the Sanctuaries to get testimonies from Ejidatarios about the possible affectations in El Rosario, it would be impossible to take him into the Colony; it will take many hours until the ice melts totally.”

I thanked him and said good bye.  They had been too busy and would continues so for the weekend, at least. 

On the way back to Angangueo, it can be seen how rivers recovered considerable amount of water from the snow-sleet and ice melting down from up the mountains.

Going up to Sierra Chincua Sanctuary made no sense.  It would be closed as well.mI will be waiting for Sunday early morning to drive up back to El Rosario Sanctuary; before I do, I will phone a couple of well know ejidatario friend woman to me, asking them whether El Rosario will be opened on Sunday, which Ejidatarios will most probably ask for, as far as I could hear from a group of them talking to each other nearby.

Until Sunday-Monday with my report from the Colony.

Estela Romero
Journey North Correspondent
Angangueo, Michoacán, México
March 11, 2016