High Sierra Topix

I have a trip to that area planned. Is there a wind map showing smoke direction? Thanks.

2000 Acres, south of Mammoth Pool Reservoir, near tail end of Minarets Road
on western side of Sierra. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here we go, fire season in the higher season has begun.
Please make sure to title your posts according to the fires that you are reporting
on to ensure confusions. Thanks

http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/upload ... 140729.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oleander,

Use these sites to get up to date info:
http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/5/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

7/29 Up to 3,060 acres, 19% contained.
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4012/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mineral King valley was filled with smoke this morning. Don't know where the fire is. Thunderstorms the last two days. Trip report pending.

I'm near Millerton Lake right now. It's fairly smoky.

I'm on my way to Bear Diversion Dam / Bear Lakes, but because of the smoke I'm considering heading to King's Canyon / Monarch Divide instead.

Hmmm, what to do, what to do.

Just called the High Sierra Visitor Information Station On Kaiser Pass Road. Ranger's not sure about Bear Lakes but says its "pretty smoky" where he's at, FWIW.

Buford wrote:
Mineral King valley was filled with smoke this morning. Don't know where the fire is.

There have been a couple of fires, now 100% contained, in the the Lake Isabella area
from which the smoke could impact the MK area with the right wind conditions.

French Fire is up to 5,600 acres, a 3600 acre increase.
El Portal is up to 3,545 acres, a 485 acre increase.

PS. Sierra NF restrictions during the French Fire: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 810863.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I also have a trip planned out of the Mammoth area this upcoming week and am putting together some backup plans in case the smoke gets bad. Any ideas on how far north or south I may need to go to minimize the smoke? I'm going with a group of 5, so somewhere where there are no trailhead quotas would be preferable. I'm considering Emigrant or Carson Pass, but I'm not sure if that's north enough to avoid the smoke.