There was a query on MSAR-Riders some time ago, from Utah,
re difficulty and risk of searching on horseback in terrain
after severe drought and/or bark beetles. Around my town
(Los Alamos, New Mexico), forests were ravaged by wildfire
in 2000, followed by several years' drought and outbreaks
of both pinon and ponderosa pine bark beetles. At last, I
found a website with representative photos to show you all: