Dayhike to unnamed peak next to Cardinal over Taboose Pass yesterday; with the stiff winds the smoke raged up Kings Cyn by 2PM and was nearly blinding within a couple of hours. We swear we saw floating ash as we exited. Terrible terrible

Planning to head into the back country Friday. Going to have to get a walk-up permit for one of five trailheads: N or S Fork of Big Pine, Bishop Pass, Pine Creek Pass or Lake Sabrina. Any suggestions on which would be less smoky? I'm assuming N or S Fork of Big Pine, but I figure it could be crowded there over the weekend. Thanks.

myles wrote:Planning to head into the back country Friday. Going to have to get a walk-up permit for one of five trailheads: N or S Fork of Big Pine, Bishop Pass, Pine Creek Pass or Lake Sabrina. Any suggestions on which would be less smoky? I'm assuming N or S Fork of Big Pine, but I figure it could be crowded there over the weekend. Thanks.

It WILL be VERY smokey since the winds are picking up Thur into Fri night, especially areas between Independence and Mammoth. You may experience ash floating in Friday and Saturday in these areas. You can expect to be rather miserable and have low visibility every afternoon and evening. Even the rangers have been pulled from the backcountry in these areas due to the unhealthy quality of the air. I would strongly recommend against going into backcountry in said areas, as your experience may be less than favorable. The Whitney zone is reported to be much more pleasant with minimal smoke. You'll have to go as far north as Bridgeport to escape along the 395.

Deb wrote:

myles wrote:Planning to head into the back country Friday. Going to have to get a walk-up permit for one of five trailheads: N or S Fork of Big Pine, Bishop Pass, Pine Creek Pass or Lake Sabrina. Any suggestions on which would be less smoky? I'm assuming N or S Fork of Big Pine, but I figure it could be crowded there over the weekend. Thanks.

It WILL be VERY smokey since the winds are picking up Thur into Fri night, especially areas between Independence and Mammoth. You may experience ash floating in Friday and Saturday in these areas. You can expect to be rather miserable and have low visibility every afternoon and evening. Even the rangers have been pulled from the backcountry in these areas due to the unhealthy quality of the air. I would strongly recommend against going into backcountry in said areas, as your experience may be less than favorable. The Whitney zone is reported to be much more pleasant with minimal smoke. You'll have to go as far north as Bridgeport to escape along the 395.

Hey Deb. How do you think it'll be around Tuolumne Meadows this weekend?

For anyone still hesitating about starting a trip this weekend: On a 3-day trip from the Rush Creek TH (Silver Lake) to the lower Davis Lake and the summit of Rodgers Peak, ending Friday, we had no smoke issues, with good views of Lyell/Maclure and Ritter/Banner from the summit. Clear skies nights and early mornings and some minimal haze later in the day, with enough smoke to significantly limit distant views. Strong winds mostly from the west and south appear to have pushed most of the smoke east of the crest--since the crest trends northwest/southeast, my guess is that as long as this wind continues skies will be clearer as you move north. The word may be out, because we stopped counting the hikers headed up the trail Friday afternoon for the weekend at 40 or so.

Here's a 2 pm view down the North Fork of the San Joaquin, Ritter on the left and Electra/Ansel Adams/Foerster on the right.

We climbed Conness on Saturday. No smoke, really beautiful weather. Drove home to SF today, pretty smokey everywhere in Yosemite.

Perfect long weekend in Miter Basin/Perrin Cyn to tag 5 peaks. No smoke, no bugs, a little breezy with a chill to keep the stink off. Was a nice change from the heat and smoke in Bishop for the past month.

Northern Yosemite was smoke-free and kinda crowded over the weekend. The smoke was mostly down in the valley this morning around Bishop; things weren't great up high, but I wasn't coughing up a lung.

Belated thanks, Deb, for your advice on the fire. As my air ticket had been already bought, I ended up just going on in anyway to Dusy and Palisade basins. Mornings, except for Sunday before Labor Day, were very nice, more or less haze in the afternoon and early evenings, but it blew off enough for great stars every night.

Sunday, unfortunately, was the day I'd hoped to bag some peaks and it was very, very bad. Hiking out of Palisade Basin over Knapsack, the only thing you could see of the crest through the gloom were the white cliffs on North Pal. Atmosphere was irritating my throat badly that day, so I passed on going high. Still a nice few days on my own.

We went to pick up our permit in Bishop the 13th. between 7:45 and 9AM, the smoke socked in hard. The ranger who gave us the permit recommended we wear particle masks. A friend who was at Dusy that night said it was really bad, with smoke and ash. Varies with the wind.

It's a crap shoot. I day-hiked Mt. Baldwin Friday and had good local views all day (8:15 to 6:45)--some haze visible farther south and west, but the Minarets, Ritter and Banner were all visible and readily identifiable, as were Mt. Gabb and the Silver Divide. Driving back to Mammoth at 7 the haze/smoke was thicker. Saturday there was quite a bit of smoke/haze driving through Yosemite, and the eastern San Joaquin Valley was even worse.

At least limited recreational opportunities are all we have to complain about. Lake County is being torched.

Up to Saturday the air was quite nice around Bridgeport but then haze took over again.

Hoover Lakes on Sep 12, 2015.

couldnt see or smell smoke in owens valley last thursday,friday...did Kearsarge Pass on sep17 no smoke...ditto for bristlecone forest on sep18....saturday morning in owens val was clear also...

Haeckel and Wallace yesterday, smoke started to creep in but the low clouds that moved in cleared it up.

Funny Deb, I was in Miter basin same weekend. Great conditions,but as you said a bit cold
Once I drove down to Lone Pine Monday everything north was covered by smoke. Haven't been back since
Owens valley smoke
https://flic.kr/p/y8nqYF

Miter basin
https://flic.kr/p/y8nteH