Sierra Vista & Yosemite

Smoke on the Water

August 22, 2015

The Sierras are on fire.

Again.

I didn't take that into account when planning my day Saturday.

Bass Lake, CA

There are dozens of wildfires burning across the state right now, including a big one known as the Rough Fire in King's Canyon.  I tend to think of King's Canyon as being a long ways away, and it is.  It's a long way from my house.  It's not too far away from my target destination on Saturday, well under a hundred miles as the crow flies.

As the smoke drifts.

Redenger Lake, CA

Pongo

  My plan was to drive the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway.  It was a warm day, so Pongo and I would stop to swim when opportunity presented itself and I would take pictures of the sweeping views made available on the drive.  However, it became pretty clear as we ascended up the byway that the smoke was going to put a damper on those big views.

Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, CA

I just wasn't feeling it.  So, after getting fifteen miles or so into the scenic byway I turned around and headed back down to Bass Lake.  Pongo and I had a nice dip in the lake and I decided we'd take the long way home through Yosemite.

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, CA

It was smoky in Yosemite Valley, but not nearly as bad as what I'd been seeing on Sierra Vista.

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, CA

Pongo was excited when we got to Tunnel View.  Yosemite usually means a long walk to him and maybe we'll see some deer.  We did get a little walking in, but not as much as on a normal visit.  We were just taking the scenic drive home on this particular day.  He met a bunch of people while I took pictures, though, and he did very well with them.

Yosemite National Park, CA

I was hoping to take a final swim in Don Pedro Reservoir, but dogs aren't allowed there.  Lame.  It would have been our third swim stop of the day, so it wasn't the end of the world or anything, just a bit disappointing.

Don Pedro Reservoir, CA