I use IQAir https://www.iqair.com/usa/california/hayward. I have it set-up for Hayward but you can scroll through the map or search by location. It's updated hourly (about 10 minutes past the hour) and gives complete weather info including graphic air flows in a region.
Thomas
Thanks for the link.
We got hit with heavy smoke yesterday afternoon -- a hay barn fire closer to the coast with all the smoke blowing up-canyon at us. Today, light general haze of smoke everywhere.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
I went for a hike in Yosemite yesterday---blue sky and clean(er) air, however I wasn't down in the murky valley.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
There's enough smoke here in ILL from CA that I have needed my 10 year old inhaler several days
Tin Can
Wow. I just got back from the eastern Sierra. Remarkable how fast smoke conditions daily change. Owens Valley and Mono Basin, and even Bridgeport area were horrible. Smoke was coming over even the highest peaks and passes not only from our big coastal fires, but from an out of control burn south of Mineral King in Golden Trout Wilderness, as well as from a fire below Yosemite to the west, now under control. I had hoped to backpack into Sabrina Basin, but the air quality was miserable, so I drove up into the White Mtns and bristlecone area instead, where the air was perfectly clear, with wonderful cloud formations, but rather windy. Very few people. By the time I headed north on 395 again, the Mammoth Lks and Virginia Lks areas had cleared completely, with some spectacular morning clouds over the Ritter Range. Home at last here on the Bay, a lot of fog is back, which is helping them contain the fire over on Pt Reyes. I'm a bit anxious how some of my favorite trails will look once they reopen the Park, with some of those wonderful old growth firs no doubt gone, but just in a certain portion. Strange as it may seem, a certain amount of veiling smoke does wonderful things for photography, especially color. I made good use of it, but tried my best to breathe as little smoke as possible, especially in terms of where I camped. For those of you who use Sonora Pass quite a bit, they're almost completely done widening and repaving that road; it's remarkably easier to drive, though of course as steep as ever near the top. And John K - your favorite Deli in Lee Vining is still going full throttle.
Dang -- too many good roads already...
The sun is barely shining through clouds and a yellow filter today.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Don't worry, Vaughn. The Leavitt Lk road off of Sonora Pass hasn't been maintained at all, and went from easy 4WD to rather serious at spots. Same as ever around the Pass - lots of weekend campers here n there, almost zero on weekdays. I kinda feel sorry for a FS supervisor who drove all the way down from Shasta because he had a day permit to hike up Mt Whitney, which would have had zero view from the top that day, even if one's burning lungs could handle all the smoke. I played a bit of cat and mouse with Mt Williamson and a telephoto, the in n' out smoke giving an almost impressionist rendering of it, but finally gave up. Hot too. I got more than my fair share of promising shots anyway these past few days. I'm getting eager to see how all the negs turn out, and then the real work begins. A red filter was a "must" most of the time, but I used a light YG too.
Only been on the E Ticket ride up to the top of Half Dome twice. First time a fire was just starting in the next valley over from Little Yosemite -- anyone backpacking up to LY that day had to turn around and go back down to the Valley, and the Dome closed the next day. The other time, general fires restricted views. I certainly would not do it again but regret not experiencing it in the 70s.
I have a handful of 5x7 negatives to print (pt/pd) from recent local trips...a backpack and a bicycle trip. I'll coat the paper late tonight and air dry...print in the morning. Then I will feel better about going out and exposing more negatives.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
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