2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Questions and reports related to Sierra Nevada current and forecast conditions, as well as general precautions and safety information. Trail conditions, fire/smoke reports, mosquito reports, weather and snow conditions, stream crossing information, and more.
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robow8
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by robow8 »

Was supposed to do the Rae Lakes loop, but the Rough Fire had other plans for us. Went up to Hamilton Lakes on the HST instead. Smoke not too bad at Hamilton, Got worse the closer you got to Crescent Meadow. Noticed ash on the tent at Hamilton.
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SweetSierra
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by SweetSierra »

I was at Lodgepole campground on Tuesday night of this week ahead of a 5=day trip I was going to do over Silliman Pass to the Tablelands and back out via Pear Lake. The smoke was so bad on Tuesday and Wednesday morning that the closest ridges were barely visible. Later I learned 7,000 more acres had burned Monday afternoon. I had ash on my tent Tuesday night. I decided not to go because the air quality was so poor and I didn't think it would be good for me to exert and breathe the smoky air. It was for me the worst smoke conditions I've experienced while at a trailhead ahead of a backpack trip . Still, it wasn't an easy decision not to go (other people were involved). But indications (at least my assessment of them) were it (smoke conditions) probably weren't going to get better. You never know for certain, though, and the conditions could have been better in the high country, but it looked socked in up there too. I had a smoke cough for a day when I got back to Fresno. In all my years of backpacking I've never dropped out of an organized trip due to smoke.
Last edited by SweetSierra on Mon Aug 24, 2015 3:06 am, edited 3 times in total.
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austex
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by austex »

markskor wrote:Just a heads up to anyone going out this weekend.
In Mammoth today, awoke to hazy (at best) skies - where yesterday totally blue, today smoke fills the area's sky - visibility, maybe a mile.
Wind from the southwest and driving in tons of ash...sigh. :crybaby:
Mark, any better today? (hopeful)
I have a permit out of n.lake/Paiute tomorrow. Call the white Mtn Ranger Sta; says air is unhealthful. *sigh* Need to go to plan B whatever that is.
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rlown
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by rlown »

Austex,

Two webcams for you:

Mammoth mountain caltrans cam: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/cctv/

Bishop towards Mt. Humphreys: http://bishopweather.com/

Looks yucky.
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austex
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by austex »

Thanks Russ. I have my Klymit LWD all set to go to Puppet. In PHL flying to LAX tonight; will have to do some thinking!
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markskor
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by markskor »

austex wrote: Mark, any better today? (hopeful)
I have a permit out of n.lake/Paiute tomorrow. Call the white Mtn Ranger Sta; says air is unhealthful. *sigh* Need to go to plan B whatever that is.
Better today - wind abated.
Whatever, I would still go but expect some smoke regardless.
Mountainman who swims with trout
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rlown
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by rlown »

just based on http://bishopweather.com/QTmovies.html I would have a strong plan B, not in the path of the wind/smoke. As I haven't been South of bishop, I don't know what that means. Or.. somewhere SE of where any of these fires are burning.
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BigMan
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by BigMan »

Prayers for the safety of our firefighters and for everyone severely impacted by these fires.

Given that, I feel a bit misguided asking, but if you'll forgive me...

Does anyone know how the smoke is in Kern Canyon?

Thanks.

Geoff

Edit: I just found this from 8/14/15. Impact on Upper Kern from the Cabin Fire:

http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com ... e-air.html
In wilderness lies the hope of the world.
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oleander
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Re: 2015 Fire & Smoke Reports

Post by oleander »

Wanted to submit a smoke report, just back from 10 days wandering portions of the northern third of Kings Canyon NP. (August 13-22)

Route was South Lake - Dusy Basin - northbound JMT - Black Giant Pass - Ionian - upper Goddard Creek - basin immediately to the east of Finger Peak - Reinstein Pass - Martha Lake - Davis Lakes - JMT north - Darwin Bench - Lamarck Col.

I got smoke EVERY day from the Rough Fire, but it varied considerably in seriousness. Some days I had clear skies and only whiffs of smoke here and there, usually in late afternoon/early evening. Other days I had smoke all day. A couple of nights (Ionian) I had bits of ash fallen on my tent. But even on the worst days, it was never "choking" or thick or eye-watering smoke. Never enough to make me want to change my plans.

The biggest lesson for me was that you can't game/guess where the wind will take the smoke on a given day. One of my very LIGHTEST smoke days was the one when I was physically closest to the fire (basin east of Finger Peak). A pleasant northwest wind took the smoke in a different direction than me and I had blue skies. I think that was August 18. Whereas one of the HEAVIEST smoke days was August 21 going over Lamarck, many dozens of miles distant from the fire. The smoke arrived not only heavy, but early in the day (10 a.m. versus around 1p.m. most days).

So don't think you're going to avoid the Rough Fire smoke just by keeping a few dozen miles distant. Wind has a way of making up the distance.

The strategies that helped the most were:

1. Camp high. Very high. 11k+ if possible. 10k might be okay. You may/will still get some smoke, or even (on the worst nights) ash falling, but it won't be NEARLY as bad as in the lower basins.

2. Hike very early in the day. Days start out very clear around 5 or 6 a.m. (I could even get some great non-smoky morning photos!), but the smoke was sometimes noticeable enough by 1 p.m. to cause me to cough a little when exerting myself uphill.

3. It's the altitudes/basins under 9,500 where the smoke looks overwhelming. There is some kind of inversion effect happening? So if you're going into the region, just plan to not only camp high, but do a very high-altitude trip in general.

The worst-looking places (from my vantage point) were the Enchanted Gorge and the lower (under-9500 feet) Goddard Canyon. Fairly heavy smoke also seemed to settle in the lower (under-9500) South Fork San Joaquin, below Maclure Meadow, but it didn't look as bad there as it did further south.

A party who tried to go into Ionian (Black Giant Pass) about 3 days after me, said it was terrible and that they had turned around and left. I had found it just fine there. They probably got unlucky with wind direction. Or else the smoke haunting the lower basins has started blowing up-basin.

As of at least August 20, the rangers at both Maclure Meadow and Leconte Canyon have posted signs and are actively patrolling the trails, encouraging southbound JMT'ers to exit the trail. This morning both the North Lake and the South Lake trailheads had disoriented, recently exited JMT'ers trying to figure out their next plan. Also met a party who'd left their car at Wishon and exited the east side instead, stranded.

On the drive from Bishop back to the Bay Area today (8/22), smoke the whole way. On the 395, midday, you could not see the mountaintops. In Lee Vining it was slightly less bad than further south. Through Yosemite the smoke seemed thickest in the middle part of the park (Mt. Hoffman area), then thinned out a bit again on the west side.

Now time to turn in after a long drive.

- Elizabeth
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maverick
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Walker Fire Update 8/23

Post by maverick »

Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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