Creek Fire

Regional discussion and conditions reports for the Golden State. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the California Climbing Partners forum.
User Avatar
sierraman

 
Posts: 219
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:40 am
Thanked: 41 times in 30 posts

Creek Fire

by sierraman » Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:27 am

Pulled into Ottoway Lake Sunday afternoon Aug 23 under relatively clear skies. Set up camp with a planned hike to the summit of Red Peak the next morning. Around midnight I noticed lightning flashes on the horizon. By 2 am we were in the middle of a serious lightning and rain storm. Arising the next morning visibility was poor and there was a strong smell of smoke in the air. Due to the unusually warm temperatures (even at 9,700') the rain of the previous night was completely dried. Fearing a nearby lightning sparked fire, we packed up and retreated to our Base Camp at Lady Lake and then out to the Fernandez trailhead the next day. Soon after the Creek Fire closed the Minarets Road trapping backpackers and the Minarets Pack Station in a cul de sac. Ironically, the day after I left (Aug 18) for this backpacking trip my wife and daughter had to evacuate our home in Vacaville due to fire. In the future I believe I will be scheduling backpacking trips earlier in the season. Even if you aren't threatened with entrapment, I'm tired of dealing with the smoke.

The following user would like to thank sierraman for this post
seano

Return to California

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests