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A Brief Respite
"Let's go for a drive today," I suggested. It was Saturday morning. The weather turned a couple of days before with light rain showers at our home and cooler temperatures. The local fires were calming with containment growing. At 8 am Saturday the Regional order closing Northern California's National Forests was lifted, enabling the individual Forests to place their own restrictions as necessary due to the extreme fire conditions . Our local Forest opened roads, trails, and day use areas but required no campfires anywhere - even in developed campgrounds - and no dispersed camping - even backpacking in Wilderness areas. Camping was allowed in developed campgrounds. Regional closure of the Southern California Forests remained in effect.
"Let's take stuff for dinner," I added, "So we won't be rushed for time."
"Were taking stuff to spend the night too," the Lady announced. "In case we find we can stay somewhere. At least we'll be ready."
After throwing supplies together, we headed down the west slope of the Sierra Nevada into the Mother Lode. We drove south on California's highway 49 until Sonora and turned east up highway 108 heading for Sonora Pass.
Although we have driven over Sonora Pass many times, it was always east to west. This would be our first trip driving up the west slope, one of our reasons for this quick trip. The smoke was much better but still evident. Our drive was peaceful and uneventful.
With the Forest closure, everything was very quiet, until we pulled into the private Kennedy Meadows Resort. The place was filled to overflowing. So many people were packed in such close quarters. It appeared all the cabins and rooms at the resort were filled. It looked impossible to shoehorn another large RV into the resort's campground. This is not meant to be a slight on the resort at all, but people's actions were a shock to see in the middle of a global pandemic. Large groups were gathered and interacting, most without face coverings or social distancing. We turned around without stopping and quickly retreated from Camp Covid, shocked that so many behave as if there is a designated pee section in the swimming pool.
Note: Credit to Neil deGrasse Tyson for the so appropriate "pee section of the pool comment" I heard him use recently in regard to the spread of coronavirus and those who do not wear face coverings.
Up from the mess at Kennedy Meadows, highway 108 was quiet over Sonora Pass. The clearest air was up high. The twisting turns and high mountain majesty were delightful. In short order, mid afternoon, we were down to Leavitt Meadows along the West Fork Walker River. The elevation here is 7100 feet. We pulled into the small Forest Service campground. It had reopened that morning and was less than half full. We decided to stay and found a secluded site that would do.
The campground is along but above the West Walker, set in an aspen grove.
With the campfire ban we would be free from campfire smoke and the small sites do not accommodate larger RV's and their usual generator noise. So this little campground worked well for one night away, a brief respite.
But we did not hang around the campground. We headed up the trail along the edge of Leavitt Meadows and were alone.
We left the trail and wandered the expanse of the meadows. It was so nice for this break from home and stress from weather and fires. Most remarkable was that the Slink Fire to the immediate north was not producing any smoke spilling over into this area. Smoke from the Creek Fire was putting smoke into the vistas to the south as photos in the morning will show. We climbed back up to the trail and turned back toward camp.
Night is coming early as we enter fall. The air chilled as the sun set. With no roaring campfires, our neighbors would all turn in early with the cold. It would be a quiet night. We still walked in the night as we usually do. It was such a surprise to see a star filled sky again.
We walked up past the pack station. A loud generator kept the lights on. Oakley the dog embarrassed his owner by ignoring every command to stop barking. When you hear a grown man actually begging his dog to please shut up, there is no doubt the dog runs the show. The man was embarrassed. Oakley never shut up. As we turned in the darkness the barking never wavered. Nor did the plaintive, "Please, Oakley, please, Oakley please stop barking."
It was 39° when we woke the next morning. Soon the Lady was out of the camper with our two mugs of Peets Coffee. We retraced our walk of the previous afternoon and returned to Leavitt Meadows. Smoke was drifting in from the Creek Fire to the south.
This was a wonderful place to wander in the early morning.
Breakfast was simple back at the camper - goatmeal, fresh peaches from our trees, and granola. The aspen leaves are just beginning to turn yellow and gold.
We packed up and turned north at Sonora Junction onto 395. We stopped on Monitor Pass and were pleased with how little smoke the Slink Fire was producing. We returned home through Hope Valley. The aspens there are just beginning to turn.
So this is how our idea to "go for a drive" turned out. Yesterday, Saturday the 26th we went for another drive, this time west to east on highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass. The smoke was worse in the Mother Lode foothills but lessened as we climbed in elevation. Saturday was also the opener for rifle deer season. Every turn out was taken, a vehicle parked. Camo with an orange hat was the dress code. We stopped for lunch at the top of Pacific Summit and carried the chairs out to a high granite point overlooking the Mokelumne River. We pointed out so many familiar landmarks - Round Top, The Nipple, Jeff Davis Peak, Reynolds Peak, Markleeville Peak. We were at home.
