Granite Mountain Sheds Light on Some Tragic History

19 fallen firefighters are remembered on this beautiful hike

I finished a really sad yet beautiful movie last night about a story that I already knew. Although, seeing it play out on film made me adore the area and those firefighters even more.

Only The Brave is a movie about the Granite Mountain Hot Shots who were firefighters that lost their lives while trying to contain the Yarnell Fire in 2013. 19 firefighters were overrun and killed by fire on June 30th and one hot shot, the lookout, was spared.

Last year I went to visit my parents in Arizona and they live not too far from Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Park. They filled me in on the history of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots and the surrounding areas.

While Granite Mountain is actually very close to their home in Prescott, Arizona, the memorial park is in Yarnell, Arizona, 30 miles from where they live.

It was a cold day in February, but we decided to make the trek up the mountain anyway. When we arrived there were only a few other cars in the parking lot, probably due to the weather.

The trail is free to hike and was well worth it all the way up, even in the cold weather. The trail takes you through Weaver Mountains and it is a steep incline for about 3 miles.

While walking on the path, we encountered plaques and remembrances for each firefighter that lost their life. Each one was equally sad and touching and they were all spaced out for the first few miles of the hike.

There are 19 stops that feature plaques, messages, painted rocks, and memorabilia that the family and friends have left. 19 stops that represent 19 amazing lives of young men gone too soon, men that were out protecting the land where they live.

Sadly, I didn’t take a picture at each stop because I was still acclimating to the weather and it was too cold to take my hand out of my gloves but I remember each one and how sad it made me feel to see how young they all were.

The fallen firefighters were mostly in their 20s although there were a few older ones that were late 30s. The entire hike is an amazing tribute to these brave young firefighters. Each plaque was heartbreaking to read as many of them had young families. Some just had new babies and some were about to be married.

Once we were through all 19 plaques, we were all out of breath and needed a break. We were still freezing but it was getting a little easier to handle. About 3 miles into the hike, just past the last plaque, there is an observation deck and vista. It provides gorgeous sweeping views of Arizona on both sides.

Even on this cloudy day, we were able to appreciate the sight.

Once we had a snack, a break, and hydrated up, we marched on for the remainder of the hike to get to the incident site. Almost there, I spot a bag of sunflower seeds weighted down by some rocks and I really wanted to know who was a fan of seeds, just like me.

That weighed a little heavy on my heart until we got to the end of the hike.

This is where the tragedy really hits. When you see down in the canyon where the firefighters lost their lives.

I remembered being there as I was watching the movie. I am not sure how accurate the movie is to the real deal but it was frightening to watch. These men were trapped, fire surrounding them from all sides.

They dropped and covered with their protective tents but it wasn’t enough protection. I can’t imagine how scared they were at that moment as they were being burnt to death.

We didn’t make it all the way down because we were already 2 hours into hiking at this point, tired and cold. I would have loved to get down there on a warmer day to see all of the gabion cages that were constructed for each hot shot.

What made me tear up the most is how many people have come to place their local fire stickers and hats, along with other memorabilia. There were so many painted rocks and things to look at.

I almost wish that I would have watched the movie before we went. I think I would have appreciated it a lot more, knowing the entire story. The way these firefighters have to track wind and weather constantly while fighting a fire looked extremely stressful.

I can’t imagine the fear in their eyes when the wind suddenly shifted directions and headed straight toward them, fast. The swift winds made it so they couldn’t escape in any direction.

The way back down the hill was strenuous and difficult, causing us all to get shin splints and we were sore the entire next day.

The entire hike is 7 miles long, that is with taking you all the way down to the fatality site but we did 6 miles of it. It took a good 3 hours with making plenty of stops.

I would actually love to go back on a warmer day to do it all over again. This hike allows you to trek the same path that these 19 men did on their last journey together.

The special way they are remembered will always stay with me. If you are able to do this hike, it will be emotional and leave you with a heavy feeling but I am sure you will have a newfound appreciation for people that risk their lives in their daily work.

I highly recommend the movie about the hot shots and this beautiful area in Arizona.

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Thanks for reading!

Much love, Michele