High Sierra Topix

Now that our Wilderness Permit (for 9/13-20) has been cancelled and returned to us, we are brainstorming for alternative areas. We were leaving from the Bishop area, so immediately considered the White Mountains, but are not sure about water availability up there. My buddy Carleton has long spoken of the remote beauty of the Warner Mountains in Northern Cal.? This is migratory bird season now, so we also wonder if this might be a great time to visit Goose Lake, in hopes of seeing a lake full of Snow geese? I guess the trick is to find a smoke-free area. Are the Trinity Alps in the smoke?

Please let us know all of your secret spots for backpacking. Thanks, Ian and desperate friends.

I'd love to try and help, but...

https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status ... 0369990656

Sorry, no secrets. The smoke map is just amazingly terrible everywhere. I would say that you should be flexible and ready to leave for someplace that clears up the day before you leave. Several years ago I drove up 395 with all my Harrison maps looking for clear air. I kept going a long distance until things looked better in Yosemite. Then half way into my trip, a fire erupted near Tioga.
https://fire.airnow.gov/?lat=34.0262911 ... 99&zoom=10
Apparently there is no way to hide from global warming.

I personally am planning to day hike for the next few times out. Locking yourself into one location seems risky when things are changing day to day. There's fires everywhere, all over the state. A shift in the wind direction makes air quality terrible really fast. Not to mention the risk of new fires setting your car on fire or cutting you off from civilization.

I suppose you could keep your trips short, and your decisions last minute. That's probably your best bet at avoiding a smoke out.

Central Nevada is not too far from Bishop, and, at least at the moment, not in the heavy smoke as seen on satellite. Be aware that you will be completely on your own out there with likely total solitude.

Three mountain ranges in central Nevada are particularly interesting and high, although I have to admit, the last time I hiked out there was in 1977:
Toiyabe Range - The Arc Dome wilderness area in the south is >100,000 acres. A few trails, lots of open country high up for cross-country. If you have two cars, you can do the Toiyabe Crest trail, which runs about 50 miles from Kingston Canyon in the north to the top of Arc Dome (then exit down the North or South Twin River to make a reasonable car shuttle).
Toquima Range - the modest-sized Mount Jefferson Wilderness in the central part of the range has the highest peak in central Nevada (over 12,000 feet) with large plateau of alpine tundra on the top. Suitable for a one or two night loop from the east side (Pine Creek, I believe?).
Monitor Range - The Table Mountain Wilderness in the central part of the range is also about 100,000 acres. It is a volcanic table slanted to the west, and cut by streams into interesting rimrock gorges. The high part is a series of giant aspen groves - especially nice at the end of September when they turn color. Fishing is apparently good in the main streams.

-Phil

druid, that is a very scary satellite image!! Thanks for the advice-- Phil, those look like some great options. I'm familiar with the Snake Range, and the Ruby's, but these are new and closer. Cheers, Ian and friends.

This won't help you, Harlen (in Bishop), but the Lost Coast is appealing right now. No smoke and no heat. Either the King Range in the North or the Sinkyone area in the South. Last time I was there, the Sinkyone had no quota or permits. The only limitation with Sinkyone is that with cliffs and vegetation, there are limited tent spots at the obvious shore access areas (Little Jackass, Bear Harbor), but Wheeler has more sites. Wandering Daisy has a great trip report for this area.

To those saying the Lost Coast, there is a fire burning just East of there. Off shore winds (like we have today) create some pretty bad air quality there. Shelter Cove has an AQI for 200ish this morning.

The Warner mountains & southeastern Oregon currently have the best air quality. But the winds will shift and that will change.

Conditions are changing hourly so it is hard to guess where to go days from now. The BLM part of the Lost Coast (north of Shelter Cove) does require permits and has quotas. For most, the long drive to Warner Wilderness is really not worth the effort. I would be more inclined to watch the air quality data and do short trips close to home when conditions are right, in areas that do not require a permit. But, many Wilderness areas are closed now. Perhaps time to enjoy photos of your previous trips with a bottle of wine!