High Sierra Topix

Just reviewed the InciWeb fire site and even though there was a 7/31 containment date, given the location of the fire on the north side of the very steep sided San Joaquin River canyon, would not be too optimistic. Instead could burn for weeks. Also are 11 other lightning caused fires in that area. The Mexican Monsoon has been in and out of the Sierra since a week ago Saturday. Potentially a thunderstorm could drench it out but realistically that is unlikely because the fire is quite a ways from the Sierra Crest areas thunderstorms tend to form at.

Any smoke in Sierra skies makes landscape photography futile. I was set to do a 5-day trip from Mosquito Flat to Pioneer Basin next week but that has been pushed out and am now pessimistic it will happen. Instead given the southwest upper wind flows may just get a day or three in up near Ebbetts Pass mainly just working wildflower closeups next week then hope to set a multi day backpack up in late August if the smoke clears.

AlmostThere wrote:a friend at Hume emailed and told me Kings Canyon is full of smoke. from Fresno this morning, the whole range was obscured by haze.

On the other hand we had a view all the way to the coastal range on Thursday from the trails just above Grants Grove.

Check this website before going. They have been pretty good about showing where the smoke is.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... ffVR83n_cs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the forecast above is an example (Lee Vining area). More than a few days out, accuracy is reduced.

I think no matter where you go now, you should expect some smoky skies and just put up with it and have some good "bail out" plans/routes if it gets too thick.

Yosemite this morning.

[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... tinel1.jpg[/rimg]

Just got back from 3 nights in Mammoth area. (Agnew --> 1000 Island --> Nydiver --> Cecile --> Postpile, full TR in a few days). In Mammoth now and it's very smokey. The high country was variable depending on time of day, wind, and rain. Generally smokey in the morning, cleared out by afternoon thunderstorms and/or wind.

Mammoth Welcome Center Inyo rangers said yesterday that its 20% contained and burning 2000 to 3000 acres per day... HUGE!! Apparently they are not doing much to fight it because of the remoteness of the area.

We were at Weaver Lake in the Jennie Lakes wilderness last weekend and while it wasn't crystal clear (especially that wonderful monsoony Friday), there was no smoke to speak of.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3552/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Note the status of HIGH on ability to expand and that burned area is increasing at 2k acres per day that is about 3 square miles. Like I noted earlier, my initial fear was that the fire could burn for weeks well into September and in doing so impact everyone that had Central and Southern Sierra August backpacking plans. Again pay attention to the upper atmosphere wind flows to get well away from smoke:

http://www.narrowbandimaging.com/Jet_st ... t_page.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So there are other Sierra regions worth visiting. The Southern Sierra isn't everything. At this point I won't commit to plans even on Labor Day so instead am considering taking a non-backpacking week off in October for fall leaf work. Am looking into a 9-day road trip to southwestern Utah areas. In the mean time will go far enough north to get out of the general west and southwest upper atmosphere wind direction by doing some wildflower closeup work this coming weekend up in the Ebbetts Pass area and maybe the following week lake edge work on the DL Bliss shores.

SSSdave wrote:http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3552/

Note the status of HIGH on ability to expand and that burned area is increasing at 2k acres per day that is about 3 square miles.

Scary. My daughter is going to Gold Arrow Camp this Sunday for two weeks. The camp is on Huntington Lake. I've called them this morning and they say air is clear, and they are totally safe there, but looking at fire perimeter is not encouraging. We plan backpacking trip for those two weeks our daughter is in camp, but knowing the camp is so close to fire make me worry.

45% contained.....
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3552/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;