Forest Fires: Many California National Forests remain Closed Through October 8 Including Eastern Sierra, White Mountains, Yosemite High Country
Related: air quality, Eastern Sierra, forest fire, health, Inyo National Forest, peak bagging, White Mountains, Yosemite
See my more detailed post from September 16: All California National Forests are Closed, BLM Lands Appear to Remain Open
This is getting just ridiculous: the entire Inyo National Forest (Eastern Sierra, Yosemite, White Mountains) has had its closure order extended through October 8. See the latest California National Forest orders.
I’m getting pissed off—there is nowhere to go in California to photograph during the fall color season. And it’s not like the high altitudes of the White Mountains have much to burn—yet the whole damn thing is just legally off limits.
As shown below... I’m having a very hard time imaging how these sparse trees at 10K to 11.5K feet could burn very long, let alone the barren ground. There is ZERO evidence of a forest fire in this area for hundreds of years—not even tiny bits of charred wood—and I’ve been all over this area and more for 15 years.
First COVID-19 lockdowns (for which no credible scientific evidence has ever been forthcoming, let alone any non-childish risk assessment) and now the excuse of fires to shut down the whole f*ing best part of the state by some unelected bureaucrat over in Sacramento drawing a fat salary and benefits.
So... look like I won’t be able to do my favorite time of year shooting for at least another week at the earliest. Which is why you’re seeing Alpine Creek.
NIKON Z7 + Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S
ENV: Patriarch Grove, altitude 11350 ft / 3459 m, 55°F / 12°C
RAW: Enhance Details, LACA corrected, distortion corrected, USM {8,50,0}
[low-res image for bot]
