Sierra Buttes in the Smoke
Bassetts, CA - Saturday, 28 July 2018, 1:30pm
As I noted in my previous blog we bailed out of visiting Lake Tahoe today and have come to the Gold Lakes Basin instead. It's an area Hawk and I have enjoyed visiting repeatedly throughout the years. It holds an extra place in our hearts as we got engaged here.
Alas, coming to the Gold Lakes has not let us avoid the smoke. Sure enough, smoke from the disastrous Carr fire burning in Redding 150 miles is blowing far enough east that it's shrouding the views here. Here's a photo today of the Sierra Buttes, a set of volcanic spires reaching to almost 9,000' elevation:
Sierra Buttes shrouded by smoke from at least two major wildfires burning 100+ miles away in California. 28 July 2018.
Here's a picture from the same vista point when we visited a year ago:
Sierra Buttes on our visit 29 July 2017
Wow, what a difference. It's enough to make us question going hiking at all today. ...I figure we're here so we might as well. Plus, maybe the air will be clearer higher up.
Ironically atop the highest spire of the Sierra Buttes is a fire lookout. I wonder what they're doing today. Sitting there, calling in on the radio every 15 minutes, "Too much smoke to see if there's a fire nearby"?
Next entry: The 4x4 trail (almost) to the top!
As I noted in my previous blog we bailed out of visiting Lake Tahoe today and have come to the Gold Lakes Basin instead. It's an area Hawk and I have enjoyed visiting repeatedly throughout the years. It holds an extra place in our hearts as we got engaged here.
Alas, coming to the Gold Lakes has not let us avoid the smoke. Sure enough, smoke from the disastrous Carr fire burning in Redding 150 miles is blowing far enough east that it's shrouding the views here. Here's a photo today of the Sierra Buttes, a set of volcanic spires reaching to almost 9,000' elevation:
Sierra Buttes shrouded by smoke from at least two major wildfires burning 100+ miles away in California. 28 July 2018.
Here's a picture from the same vista point when we visited a year ago:
Sierra Buttes on our visit 29 July 2017
Wow, what a difference. It's enough to make us question going hiking at all today. ...I figure we're here so we might as well. Plus, maybe the air will be clearer higher up.
Ironically atop the highest spire of the Sierra Buttes is a fire lookout. I wonder what they're doing today. Sitting there, calling in on the radio every 15 minutes, "Too much smoke to see if there's a fire nearby"?
Next entry: The 4x4 trail (almost) to the top!