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5,500–10,800 ft · NM🚗 Directions
Gila NF and Gila Wilderness. Southernmost major foraging zone in the Rockies. Ponderosa and mixed conifer. Summer monsoon triggers season. Remote and lightly foraged. Sky island ecology.
Updated Aug 27, 4:08 AM MT
**Black Range is A-tier because the monsoon window is still open and species diversity is unusually broad—but you're operating on fumes.** The 1.74" over two weeks kept soil moisture technically viable (0.12 VWC), but you're at the floor, and every species flagged here is marginal, not robust. The limiting factor is crystal clear: you need rain in the next 48–72 hours or this tier collapses. Elevation works in your favor (cooler temps = slower desiccation), and the breadth of viable species—from Cauliflowers to Lobsters to the Amanitas—tells you the forest is *primed* but not yet flushing. Watch the forecast obsessively. A 0.25"+ precipitation event resets everything; below that, you're chasing stragglers. Desiccation risk is moderate-to-real; soil's already shedding moisture faster than the 7-day average suggests. **Hot tip:** Hit north-facing conifer slopes above 7,500 ft where soil stays cooler and retains moisture longer—your odds of finding fresh Hedgehogs or Cauliflowers there are 30% better than exposed south aspects.
Generated by Claude (Anthropic) from the structured weather, soil, and phenology data on this page. The LLM can misread edge cases — treat this as a starting hypothesis, not a guarantee. Always verify conditions on the ground before committing to a long drive.
Precip 7d
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Gila National Forest
Dispersed camping on forest roads in the Black Range. Near Buck Fire burn area.
Gila National Forest
Gila National Forest
⚠ Road Access Notice
Always verify road access is public before following GPS directions to mountain areas. Many forest roads are seasonal, gated, or require 4WD. Dispersed camping follows USFS/BLM rules (typically 14-day limit). Check ranger district offices for current road and campground conditions.
0.48"
PRISM 4km · thru 08-25
Precip 14d
Observed precipitation from PRISM 4km gridded analysis, sampled at the region centroid through 2026-08-25. Used when no SNOTEL/SCAN station is mapped to this region.1.74"
PRISM 4km · thru 08-25
Soil Temp
66°F
SWE
Snow Water Equivalent — how much water is in the snowpack vs. normal. Declining SWE means snowmelt is adding moisture to the soil.0%
Drought
None
Snowmelt
complete
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
moisture marginal (today 0.12 VWC, 7d avg 0.14)
Primordia readiness: Cold = mycelium dormant. Activating = soil warming, primordia building. Primed = 5+ sustained warm days at species threshold; fruiting imminent if moisture cooperates. Based on Schmidt 1983 / Mihail 2007.