Hirz To Delta: Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire

Posted by bubbasuess on September 5, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: , . 12 Comments

Thick smoke blocks the sky near Mount Shasta.

Well, this is dreadful. Just when the Hirz Fire was winding down and it felt like we were turning a corner we now have another nasty conflagration. The Delta Fire exploded just after noon today. The fire has already grown to over 2,000 acres and looks to expand overnight. Firefighters are doing what they can tonight but it will have to wait until tomorrow before the air attack can resume tomorrow. (Update: as of 7:00 AM Thursday, the fire has grown to over 15,000 acres.)

The fire started at the Vollmers/Delta exit on I-5. Inciweb indicates the fire was first reported at 12:51 PM. As it turns out my parents were driving back to Sonoma County from Mount Shasta and passed the fire in what have been just moments after it got a lot bigger. My dad called me at 1:08 PM to tell me what he had seen and that fire crews were already en route to the conflagration. He said the fire was already fully engaged and had plumes of both yellow smoke and black smoke. I would imagine that I-5 was closed down pretty shortly after that. I am really grateful they made it through.

Here is a progression of images of the fire expanding I pulled from the Lakehead Caltrans webcam (updated to include images from Wednesday night and Thursday morning):

As is evident from the webcam, the fire exploded pretty rapidly. Here is what is covered thus far:

This is pure speculation on my part but looking at those maps, I would imagine the firefighting efforts will be focused primarily along the I-5 corridor, trying to protect structures along the freeway and in Lakehead. Efforts are likely to occur to the west as well. It seems to me that they would allow the fire to burn uncontrolled to the east so that it will run into the Hirz Fire line, which would act as a containment line.

Evacuations are in place for both Lakehead and the entire I-5 corridor from the point of the fire all the way north to the Shasta County line, which is just north of Castella. Granting that Castella is a long way from the fire, it is good that they are playing this one safe with the evacuations. Unfortunately, it is also an indication of how serious this fire is.

Here in Mount Shasta, it got really smoky, really fast. Thick, dark smoke moved in with great alacrity, appearing to travel in a northeasterly direction and obscuring Mount Shasta:

Mount Shasta is lost amidst the airborne detritus of the Delta Fire.

From my house, the view of Black Butte was an odd midday spectacle:

An ashen leaf landed on my driveway.

As if the fast-growing fire were not disconcerting enough, ash rained down out of the sky. Most of it was small particulate but some definitely used to be grass. There were even a few leaves and larger pieces of identifiable debris. Though these were not fire hazards at this point, it certainly raises the specter of spot fires closer to the Delta Fire where airborne matter may still have more heat in it. Over all, this gave the afternoon a prevailing sense of dread. Talking to my wife while she was at working, the feeling there was the same, with everyone feeling very ill at ease because of this fire. While I shared the sentiment, I thought it strange that everyone felt this way since the Delta Fire was still much further away than the Hirz Fire had gotten.

Incidentally, I had been stockpiling heat maps from the last phases of the Hirz Fire to illustrate the fire’s final period of intense burning, before it had been captured by containment lines. I had hoped to write a post on the final days of that fire but unfortunately, the crisis had shifted to the much more dangerous Delta Fire. Nonetheless, here is the last major part of the Hirz Fire:

With the containment lines cut in on the north and northwest as well as a natural fire break formed by Squaw Valley Creek, the Hirz Fire has essentially burned into itself and is going to smolder for a while before finally going out. Thank goodness. Now let’s get the Delta Fire whipped. No one go starting any more fires.

 

A Hirz Fire Update (No, There Is Not A New Fire In The Eddies)

Posted by bubbasuess on September 1, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: . 2 Comments

Plumes from the Hirz Fire are visible from Mount Shasta City.

Hard though it may be to believe but it is Labor Day Weekend. Fortunately up here in Mount Shasta we have some gorgeous conditions with blue sky and pleasant temperatures. Of course, just to the south is the Hirz Fire which has grown to a maddeningly large 38,000 acres. With the winds shifting and blowing south, the evidence of the fire’s proximity was revealed today, with large plumes of smoke rising to the south of Mount Bradley and the Castle Crags.

The Hirz Fire seen from Mount Shasta City.

The revelation of the large plumes of smoke brought about a small but misinformed panic on social media. Until today, there has been a thick haze surrounding the Hirz Fire and it has encroached north, often rendering the skies above Dunsmuir opaque. It has at times drifted further north, though the conditions around Mount Shasta have remained much better than they had been over the previous month. Today, however, the winds blew strongly to the south and pushed the excess particulate in the air south. This really exposed the Hirz Fire’s column’s of smoke for the first time. Folks saw these plumes, misjudged their relative position and began posting questions on social media about a fire “on the back side of the Eddies”. Thankfully this proved to be inaccurate and the smoke was indeed being produced by the Hirz Fire.

Worth mentioning was the presence of two fairly distinct plume clusters. The one that appeared further east is the northernmost part of the fire that is actively burning around Tombstone and Yellowjacket Mountains. The plume that seems further west is the active fire along North Salt Creek. These two areas constitute the bulk of the Hirz Fire’s most intensive burn zones.

Looking on the PCTA’s daily conditions map, one can observe the smoke’s path below:

So, thankfully all the billowing smoke is not a new fire and just the still-advancing Hirz Fire. This raises the question regarding what the latest conditions are with this unfortunate conflagration. Nearing 40,000 acres, the fire has now pushed beyond North Salt Creek and is currently burning in the Hazel Creek watershed. Hazel Creek flows into the Sacramento River at the Sims Campground. That means as you drive on I-5, the Hirz Fire is now burning directly east of the freeway as you pass the Sims exit. Its current location can be seen here:

As the map indicates, the fire is approaching both Dunsmuir and McCloud, though neither community is in any danger at this time. This is assertion is supported by the fire lines evident on the map. Note the long pink fingers extending north and west from the upper section of the fire. These are not indicative of wildfires but of back fires and other prevention working being done to establish large fire breaks that will ultimately contain the fire and bring it to heel. Lord willing. A similar line was cut for the Carr Fire and ultimately brought the fire into containment. Observe the map showing this here.

In the gallery below, it is possible to witness the expansion of the fire breaks as they are cut in, as well as the growth of the fire within them. Though the projected date of containment has been moved out by a month, it is still possible to see the Hirz Fire’s endgame taking shape now. Let us all pray the containment lines hold.

Click to enlarge:

 

Glacier Sunrise And Mt. Shasta’s Shadow Crown

Posted by bubbasuess on August 28, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Leave a comment

Light from the rising sun illuminates Mount Shasta’s massive Hotlum Glacier.

Amazingly, after a month of smoke, little sunlight and no shadows, we have had three clear mornings in a row. Perhaps we really have turned a corner on the ordeal that has been the previous month of summer. If the smoke returns in force like it was through the rest of August, the last few days sure have been a welcome respite from the depressing conditions we have endured.

Up early and seeing clear stars and a white moon, I decided to head over toward the sunrise side of Mount Shasta and see how the mountain looks. What really drove me over there was the paucity of snow on the west side and the knowledge that the mountain’s great glaciers still blanket its rocky flanks. The presence of all the ice on the Mount Shasta really changes its appearance. From the west, with only small patches of snow clinging near the summit, the mountain still looks tall and massive but from the north and east, where the four great glaciers reside, the mountain looks tall and massive and distant. It seems to reside in a different world than where we go about our lives. Seeing the magnificent ice sheets light up with the rising sun was a refreshing and encouraging sight.

On the way home I observed that Mount Shasta had developed a great sunrise shadow. The mountain’s crags cut into the sunlight, casting seemingly solid beams that contrasted brightly against that which the sun had not yet graced. I headed over to one of my favorite go-to spots for quick pictures and found that the shadow had settled on top of Mount Shasta, forming what seemed to me to be a sort of shadowy crown. It’s a bit of a dramatic name for it, but Mount Shasta is a dramatic mountain, so in my mind it fits. Just one more morning at the foot of the mountain…

Click to enlarge:

A Gorgeous Day And Blue Sky…Until Evening (And Some Hirz Fire Stuff)

Posted by bubbasuess on August 27, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta, Trinity Divide. Leave a comment

Despite the clear skies, a finger of smoke from the Hirz fire drifts past Mt. Shasta.

While yesterday proved to be a beautiful day, today proved to be even better. The skies were bright blue and the air crisp and comfortable. In truth, it really felt like fall, despite not even having made it to September yet. It was strange, in a way, to observe how the seasons had already started to change while we were living in a land with no shadows. The smoke that has enshrouded the region for a month blocked out almost any indication of summer passing away. It certainly blocked out the sight of all the snow melting off of Mount Shasta. Though the mighty glaciers still ensconce the mountain in ice, the western side has only vestigial patches of snow left. Despite its nakedness, we were all very glad to see Mount Shasta.

The feeling of fall was especially true up at Castle Lake. My wife and I, drawn out by the clear air, moved most of the days schooling for our three kids up to the lake and spent several hours at the lake. The kids were in heaven, crawling around the lakeshore, wading in the water collecting specimens of all sorts of animal life. In general, it was an idyllic morning. The highlight occurred when my wife spotted a creature crawling out of the water and attaching itself to a rock. It turned out to be a dragonfly. The sight of the insect’s emergence from the old exoskeleton was absolutely remarkable. My wife got some really amazing video of the process. Talk about a day at school!

Despite the clear sky, it was evident that the Hirz Fire still burned. Just south of the Mount Shasta area a wall of smoke loomed. It was also visible in the distance east of Mount Shasta as well. It was particularly interesting to see how just a finger of smoke pushed its way up against Mount Shasta while the rest of the mountain remained clear. These conditions actually aligned pretty closely with what was shown on the smoke condition map:

By the time we headed down from Castle Lake, the smoke had almost been blown out from around the mountain. Instead a line of clouds was starting to take shape around the upper reaches of Mount Shasta. These clouds continued to gather strength until later in the day it covered the summit. While I missed seeing the entirety of the mountain, it was great just being able to observe the beauty of the light, fluffy clouds. It is amazing the gratitude one can feel for things as basic as clouds and blue sky after living within the forest’s funeral shroud for a month. School may be here but the summer is not over yet! There is still a lot of time to get outside. At the very least, we’re only halfway through the season when the Old Ski Bowl is open! If anything marred the day, it was the return of the smoke in the evening. It wasn’t too think but I could smell it and the view definitely turned hazy.

All of this raises the question about what is going on with the Hirz Fire. According to the news briefings, the fire lines are being cut in around Tombstone Mountain and along Middle Salt Creek. The map that accompanied the briefing indicate that further lines are being cut in along North Salt Creek. It seems like the fire is not moving with the kind of speed that made the Carr Fire such a monster. It seems as though the lines are holding and hopefully this thing will be in hand soon. Here is what the fire looks like at this time:

Just like with the Carr Fire, the plan is for the lines to get cut in and then let the fire burn itself out. I certainly hope that this will soon be the case. One thing that made todays conditions so interesting was that it was close to what I would have imagined the conditions would have been like if all the other particulate had not been put in the air by all the other fires. I am not sure where all the smoke that has been plaguing us got blown off to but the smoke stew seems to have been flushed out pretty effectively. I sure hope that is a continuing trend.

For what it is worth, here is a progression of what the Hirz Fire has been up to the last couple of days:

 

Hike Mt Shasta And Cub Scout Pack 37 Open House

Posted by bubbasuess on August 26, 2018
Posted in: Boy Scouts, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: . 2 Comments

I don’t often steer the Hike Mt Shasta website into personal stuff, but, as has been demonstrated in the past, I do occasionally post some pictures of what my kids have been up to. Today I am taking that one step further and I want to talk about Cub Scouts.

In a way, this whole website would not be what it is if I had not had my own experiences in Scouts. If anyone has read the “about the author” section of my books, they may have observed that I am quick to credit the Boy Scouts with playing an very important role in the development of my conservation mindset. While my parents and my brother were essential to inspiring a love of the outdoors within me, it was my experiences in the Boy Scouts that really channeled a lot of that into a focused framework of conservation. As a Boy Scout, I earned merit badges like Environmental Science, Forestry, Oceanography, Soil and Water Conservation and others. I was always drawn to these kinds of studies and this gave me a great avenue through which to pursue them.

Of course, the Boy Scouts also had a robust outdoor program and I thrived on numerous hikes, backpacking trips and campouts. It was my first trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico that sparked my love of the American Southwest (and I still maintain if I did not live here in Mount Shasta, I would probably be living somewhere near Taos!). All of these things combined to reinforce what my parents had already given me and to build a more nuanced understanding of nature and our role within it. Since I was a youth, the Boy Scouts have only increased their emphasis on these practices, especially through partnerships with Center For Outdoor Ethics (Leave No Trace) and other organizations. Now, I have even been educated as a Leave No Trace Trainer through Scouts!

This brings me to Cub Scouts. For the last year, My son has been a Cub Scout and he has loved it.  The experiences he has had being outdoors with friends, learning skills and serving the community have been very good for him. He is really looking forward to the next year as a Bear (a rank in Cub Scouts), where more advanced skills like knife handling and wood working are developed. Just as I started my journey as a Cub Scout, now I am excited to watch my son on his own adventure.

The cars aren’t exactly Leave No Trace.

Since I am part of the leadership team in the pack, I work to make sure that there is some Hike Mt Shasta influence on events and the conservation ethic is passed on to the next generation. When we go on hikes or other outdoor activities we try to instill a focus on awareness to how our presence impacts what is around us. Needless to say, this is not done at the expense of fun but in an effort to strike the balance between the two. This is also acted out through service projects. The effort to teach the kids these ideals meshes well with rank advancement in Cub Scouts, since Leave No Trace principles and other conservation concepts are part of the requirements for certain ranks.

This leads me to the point of this whole post. Our local Cub Scout unit, Pack 37, is holding an open house for anyone interested in learning more about Cub Scouts, our pack and all the fun the kids will have over the next year. Pack 37 had a really successful year in the 2017-2018 pack season and we are really excited to build on our momentum and grow as a unit. We are poised to have an even better year this coming season.

If anyone is interested in having their son or grandson son join the pack, I hope you will consider coming to our open house. Here is the pertinent information:

Who:   Any boy in grades K through 5th as of September 2018.

Where:   First Baptist Church, 812 Lassen Lane, Mount Shasta.

When:   Tuesday August 28th, 6:30 to 7:30

I really hope parents reading this will consider getting their kids involved. Hopefully I will see you at the open house!

In closing, I want to include some images of what the Cub Scouts have been up to this past year. This is just a sampling of all the activities they did!

Click to enlarge:

So What Is Going On With The Hirz Fire

Posted by bubbasuess on August 25, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Smoke from the Hirz Fire creeps up towards Mount Shasta.

The Carr Fire is all but out but here we are nearing the end of August and the smoke persists. I think that, overall, we have had more stretches of better conditions over the last week and a half, but the conditions remain generally smoky. What is the reason for this? I believe that, to some degree, the Hirz Fire is to blame for this. However, that fire is not that big. In addition to its output, I think the mass accumulation of smoke from other fires in a variety of locations has basically produced a vast pall of smoke that has enshrouded much of North America. That’s a happy thought. Here is what the smoke map looks like this evening:

Various layers cover different areas but the large dark gray blob seems to be the mass accumulation of crud in the air. It is a giant stew of nasty particulate and it is covering a huge swath of our continent. It almost gives one a claustrophobic feeling, as though there is no way to escape it. What a waste of a summer.

So what is going with the Hirz Fire? There hasn’t been a ton of information, due to the more remote location and lack of immediate human impact that the Carr Fire had. Nonetheless, it is possible to tease out a few details. One I found particularly interesting in the inter-agency press release is that the area currently burning has had no recorded history of fire, other than a few spot fires. This translates to a rich reservoir of detritus lying on the forest floor, all of which makes great fuel for a fire. Add to the excess of fuels the rugged terrain and it makes since that the fire is proving challenging to tame.

Unfortunately, the Hirz Fire has grown to over 24,000 acres. While the Carr Fire torched several areas along the Sacramento Arm of Shasta Lake, a good chunk of the McCloud Arm has been burned by the Hirz Fire. There is some positive things to report though. On the map below the black lines around the fire mark areas were containment is set.

Note the thin line of pink on the northwest side of the fire. That appears to be a fire line in development, where back burning and other precautions are being implemented. This is what was done to contain the Carr Fire. That means that most of the upper portion of Middle Salt Creek will likely end up being overtaken by the flames. The large salients on the fire lines just to the northeast of the fire break could indicate the presence of other fire lines as well. Observe how the fire reaches the top of the ridge and then stops. This would make sense, since the ridgetop is a natural defensive strong point. Furthermore, crews are currently working on cutting in lines near Tombstone Mountain just to the north. This would represent another pocket for the fire to burn out. In this case, the McCloud River would block the fire (hopefully) to the east while the ridgetop fire lines hem it in to the west. Let’s hope it works.

Here is some progress of the fire over the last 24 hours:

Of course, while containing the Hirz Fire is important, we must still contend with the accumulated smoke from all the other fires. At this point, what we need is a good rainstorm (with no lightning, thank you very much!) to sweep over the west and douse the fires and clear the air. Nothing seems to be pending on the forecast, dern it.

Looking Down As The Smoke Rolls In

Posted by bubbasuess on August 21, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 1 Comment

It started off clear at the Old Ski Bowl but grew smokier as the sun set. 

Monday proved to be the nicest day we’ve had in the last month here in Mount Shasta. The sky was blue, the breeze cool and the temperatures weren’t too high. Mostly, however, it was the fact that we had blue sky. There was almost no smoke at all. It was actually a bit jarring to look up and see Mount Eddy, Black Butte and the great blue canopy above it all. Though we had not planned to have another picnic dinner, my wife and I decided to take our kids out and enjoy the beautiful conditions. We initially intended to head over to Castle Lake. However, when we got to Lake Siskiyou, we could see a thick layer of smoke creeping up from the south and engulfing the Castle Lake basin. Lake Siskiyou also looked very busy and we figured Castle Lake would be no different. We turned around and headed up to the Old Ski Bowl, which looked to be as clear of smoke as it had the rest of the day.

When we passed the Everitt Memorial Vista, we stopped and captured some images of the smoke dramatically creeping north, slowly inching toward town. It was a very eerie sight.

We continued up to the Old Ski Bowl and where we were able to see the smoke drift inexorably northward. Soon the Strawberry Valley was once again choked with the nasty stuff. We were grateful to be above it.

However, we were not completely above the smoke. Looking north toward the summit of Mount Shasta, we could see the smoke slowly obscure the mountain’s great crags. It went from clear and beautiful to smoky very quickly:

In spite of the slight haziness that appeared at the Old Ski Bowl, it was obvious that it was far worse in the valley below. We ate our dinner and the kids ran off to climb on rocks. My wife and I enjoyed the setting and were grateful our kids could have these kinds of experiences. Though a few people arrived and left while we were at the bowl, we were generally the only people at the Old Ski Bowl. This shocked me, since we figured a lot of people would have headed up the mountain since the air quality was really good and the weather nice. Shockingly, we essentially had the place to ourselves.

The Carr Fire is essentially contained at this point and is not throwing as much crud into the air anymore. That trend should continue. Now we have the Hirz Fire to contend with. Thankfully it is not nearly as large as the Carr Fire and is not producing the amount of smoke as its massive neighbor has done. We also have some smoke rolling in from other regions. Fortunately I think we are past the worse of the smoke (certainly praying that’s the case) and can get back outside and enjoy all the trails that wind through this region. If nothing else we can keep enjoying the Old Ski Bowl. 

Mount Eddy is the lone mountain still visible through the smoke.

Carr Fire Update: Nothing Left To Burn

Posted by bubbasuess on August 19, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: . 4 Comments

Well….you can sort of see the summit of Mount Eddy through the smoke.

It has almost seemed like a wasted month here in Mount Shasta. The Carr Fire has continued to burn, the Hirz Fire has sprung up right next door to it and grown to over 12,000 acres. Worst of all, the smoke has been think, nasty and nearly ubiquitous. However, the last week has seen a slight weakening of this pattern. There have been short stints of clarity as the winds shifted and drove the smoke out of the valley, if only briefly. Thursday was the brightest spot, as the air quality improved to the point that Mount Shasta was a clearly visible as it normally should be. This seemed like the first time that had happened in a month. However, even that bright moment was fleeting and the pall of smoke encroached once again, shrouding everything around us so that, even from the Abrams Lake overpass, Black Butte could not be seen. Disgusting.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association has a useful tool that puts up a satellite image of the entire PCT each day. This is a great tool for comparing the conditions. Here are the images for August 17th and 18th:

August 17: The smoke covers the Strawberry Valley. Note that the Trinity Alps are clear.

August 18: More smoke covers the entire region. The Strawberry Valley is really socked in.

However, I believe that we are nearing the end of this ordeal. I have continued to follow the progress of the Carr Fire via CalTopo and it has been remarkable watching the fire burn itself out. The most optimistic event in this has been the seeming total success of the fire line that was cut in north of the Carr Fire over a week ago. This line started at Shasta Lake near Lakehead and climbed up Backbone Ridge all the way to Damnation Pass. From there is swept west past the very remote Clear Creek campground and then south along the crest of the Trinity Mountains. Here is how the fire looked little over a week ago:

The firebreak is the thin crescent of fire extending from the top of the Carr Fire all the way to Shasta Lake.

If my calculations are close to correct, that fire break is about 18 miles long. It basically bottles the fire up inside the Clear Creek watershed and forcing the fire down to the edge of Shasta Lake. If the fire break held, the plan was for the fire to consumer everything from the crest of the Trinity Mountains down to the lake, at which point it would essentially burn itself out. As planned, this is exactly what happened. Note the progression of the fire on this series of maps:

It is obvious from this progression that the fire is essentially burning itself out. It has consumed everything all the way down to the shore of Shasta Lake. There is nowhere left for the fire to go and there is nothing left to burn. Now it is just a smoldering mess and we can just wait for the smoke to eventually blow away. Of course, what this map also reveals is the growth of the nearby Hirz Fire. It is now putting out a significant amount of smoke of its own so we still have that to contend with. However, I hope that the knowledge that we are near the end of the Carr Fire is encouraging.

All we are left with then is the charred mountains that hem in the northwest corner of the great Central Valley. In some ways, it brings that area full circle. Much of those hills had been rendered bare by mining operations and other activities at the turn of the century. When the Shasta Dam was built, there was little vegetation on the surrounding mountains. We have returned to similar circumstances and get to watch nature heal all over again. Hopefully the air will be the first thing to clean up and soon.

Note the bare mountains in the distance through the gap in the dam. They are bare once again.

A Spectacular, Smoky Sunset (and some more Carr Fire maps)

Posted by bubbasuess on August 13, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: . 1 Comment

Meager alpenglow illuminates the thick blanket of smoke on Mount Shasta.

The last couple of days had somewhat better air quality in Mount Shasta despite the still-burning Carr Fire as well as the addition of the newly ignited Hirz Fire. Nonetheless, the smoke poured back into the area around the mountain with a vengeance today. In spite of this, my family and I went up to the Old Ski Bowl to have a picnic dinner. No doubt due to the smoke, the entire mountain from Bunny Flat to the end of the road was strangely empty of activity. It made our dinner strangely eerie. While my kids played on the rocks, my wife and I watched the sun set amidst the smoke. Oddly enough, we spotted someone descending past the sun on a parachute. After this, I managed to capture a few images of the smoky but gorgeous sunset. At least some beauty can be found midst the terrible conditions.

Click to enlarge:

Everyone is eager for the smoke to clear out. Hopefully the end is in sight. A quick glance at the Carr Fire incident map from 10 August reveals a well-established fire line hemming in the conflagration’s northern advance.

The long line at the top of the map indicates the fire line that has been established. I imagine that the plan is to let the fire burn up the Clear Creek watershed and then get contained within the lines. Everything below the line will like get consumed by the flames but the fire will have been effectively bottled up. The live map, as of 12:30 AM indicates that this is the case:

Note how the valley below the fire break is filling up but, for the most part, the fire has not advanced past this rallying point. Hopefully the fire line will hold and this will spell the ultimate end of the Carr Fire. Unfortunately, as is evident from the map, the new Hirz Fire has sprung up along the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake. Let’s pray this fire is brought to heel swiftly. Either way, it feels like, at long last, we are nearing the end of this ordeal. Lord willing.

Follow the fire’s progress here.

Looking For Relief From Smoke? Trinity Alps Might Offer A Chance

Posted by bubbasuess on August 11, 2018
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Klamath Mountains, Mount Shasta, Trinity Alps. Leave a comment

Thick smoke surrounds Mount Shasta but gets thinner as one moves west (bottom of image).

Before I write anything else, I want to preface by saying that, at this point, the smoke is so pervasive that it can really show up anywhere. I am not an expert on these matters and I am only offering a suggestion based on empirical observation. I really don’t want anyone to head off and expect clear skies only for them to be smoky. 

That admonition being made, I wanted to point out something I have noticed occurring consistently since the beginning of August. While the smoke in Mount Shasta has been the worst it has been in the 11 years I have lived here, I have observed that the smoke tends to blow northeast from the Carr Fire, flooding into the area and filling the valleys that lie around the foot of Mount Shasta. However, I first noticed on August 2nd, as I flew from Medford to San Francisco, that the Trinity Alps were surprisingly clear of smoke. There was a slight haze over them but, for the most part, they were remarkably free of the thick pall that hung over the Mount Shasta area. In truth, the clear air extended from the Russian Wilderness, just north of the Trinity Alps, all the way down to San Francisco. It seemed as though the air currents pushing in from the coast moved the smoke inland on a regular basis.

This conformed to what I would speculate is a natural flow of area from the coastal mountains to the inland areas. It also fit with what I observed while flying over the Carr Fire. All the smoke on the western edge of the fire was blowing inland:

Though the Trinity Alps were immediately adjacent to this area, they were pretty smoke free due to their westerly position.

This prompted me to start looking at more satellite smoke imagery. What I found (not a scientific search!) showed a consistently eastward flow of the smoke and the Trinity Alps left relatively smoke free. Here are a few of the images I found:

On this image, note the small white crescent immediately above and left of the Carr Fire. That is the granite block that forms Canyon Creek. Note how it and the mountains immediately east (the “Red Trinities”) don’t have much haze over them. Image from August 7th.

This image shows both the Mendocino Fire and the Carr Fire on the left side. While there is a little haze immediately northwest of the Carr Fire, it has noticeably better air quality than the Mount Shasta area. Image from August 3rd.

Here the Carr Fire is near the center. Mount Shasta is also visible. While it is clearer around the mountain, it is still obviously hazy. Also note the two fire burning in southern Oregon. Their smoke seems to trend to the southeast, still missing the Trinity Alps. Image from August 6th.

Unfortunately, as this time lapse shows, the smoke does, at times penetrate into the Trinity Alps region. However, while the smoke is present, it is still thinner than the thick clouds of smoke that seem to have coalesced around Mount Shasta. To those “taking my advice”, consider this image from August 8th fair warning that nowhere is totally impervious to the smoke.

So, if one accepts that there is a reasonable chance of enjoying the Trinity Alps with good air quality, the question then remains where to go? Most of the Trinity Alps is a backpacker’s wilderness. Fortunately for those of us here in Mount Shasta, the northeast corner of the range has the highest concentration of good dayhikes. An additional bonus is that a number of these shorter hikes are reasonably graded and not excessively steep like many of the trails that make the Trinity Alps notorious.

The following trails are all reasonable dayhikes and easily accessed via Parks Creek Pass from Mount Shasta:

Bear Lakes Trail

Tangle Blue Lake Trail

Stoddard Lake Trail

Billys Peak Lookout

The hikes below are accessible near Callahan and are not much more than an hour drive from Mount Shasta via the Gazelle-Callahan Road:

East Boulder Lake Loop

Gulch Lakes Loop

South Fork Lakes Trail

Hidden Lake Trail

Perhaps as a little encouragement, here is a gallery of images from all the aforementioned trails. If you head out to the Trinity Alps, good luck and clear skies!