Re: Current Fire Activity Update

The Meadow lighting caused fire continues to show the most activity as it smolders and creeps through red fir and lodgepole pine. It is at approximately 19 acres, with smoke haze visible from many prominent park locations, including Yosemite Valley, and Glacier and Washburn Points. Yosemite fire crews hiked into the fire on September 3, to monitor the fire. Other active park wide fires include the Cathedral, Lembert and Mount Starr King lightning caused fires. The Cathedral has grown to approximately 7 acres as is visible in Tuolumne Meadows area.

cathedral area currently? It would put my Echo/Budd/Matthes hike on hold...

Seven acres is very small for a fire that has been burning for more than a month. That's about a city block. I looked for it as I did the day hike around Cathedral Peak (up the JM trail and down the Budd Lake trail, on July 31 and didn't manage to spot the fire. Of course, there was a lot of smoke around that day from much bigger fires elsewhere.

Thanks, so it's small and rather old. Have you been up to the shoulder between Echo and Cockscomb? And how tough is it to traverse from there to Althuski?

Here's a picture from the Young Lakes trail on Monday showing the location of the fire. Looks like it's between the JMT and the Budd Lake route, with the smoke blowing east.

I simply couldn't handle the smoke. It was already quite unbearable for me at the CL trailhead, so decided to go elsewhere. Kudos to all the people who decided to push on with their plans. Apparently, they are immune to the effects. Hopefully they are all okay.

Came up with a imprompt plan to hike in an area north of Tioga Road. Big difference being able to breathe clean air. Could see the fires in TM/Budd and Starr King areas from various viewpoints. By mid-afternoon, the winds blew the smoke north & NW in my direction. Early evening, visibility towards Starr King was really bad, with some orangey skies. Looking at the current photos, conditions have gotten considerably worse yet.

Trying to summit Clouds Rest on Sunday or most likely Monday if the weather holds. Will any of these fires affect visibility from that vantage point?