Smoke sits in Yosemite ValleyCopyright 2008 Lydia Hinshaw
LEE VINING, CA -- We were lucky enough to get two days off together again, and escaped across the mountains, fleeing the smoke that has made breathing hazardous in Yosemite Valley the past three days.
Saturday, careless target-shooters started a fire some 30 miles west of Yosemite, a scenario reminiscent of the Seminole Woods fires of 1998 in Flagler County, near our Florida home.
The resulting inferno has already claimed 12 homes, with another 140 threatened, according to Monday's news reports. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. In the interest of their safety, electricity to Yosemite Valley has been cut off.
Most tourist accommodations in the Valley have generators to provide essential services for paying guests. Employees are another story. We've had no electricity since Saturday afternoon, and find ourselves pining for our little red Honda generator, bought during the '04 hurricane season and resting comfortably in our garage 3,000 miles away.
No electricity means living by flashlight at night, taking cold showers, wearing yesterday's dirty clothes, foregoing the Internet and cleaning out spoiled food from the refrigerators in our communal kitchen.
In the northern portions of the park, where we hiked Monday, the morning and early afternoon were clear, but a pall of smoke had moved in by 4 p.m.
We checked into the same motel where we spend our "weekend" last week, and are making use of its wi-fi system to catch up on e-mails, news and this blog.
It might be a while before you hear from us again.
Saturday, careless target-shooters started a fire some 30 miles west of Yosemite, a scenario reminiscent of the Seminole Woods fires of 1998 in Flagler County, near our Florida home.
The resulting inferno has already claimed 12 homes, with another 140 threatened, according to Monday's news reports. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. In the interest of their safety, electricity to Yosemite Valley has been cut off.
Most tourist accommodations in the Valley have generators to provide essential services for paying guests. Employees are another story. We've had no electricity since Saturday afternoon, and find ourselves pining for our little red Honda generator, bought during the '04 hurricane season and resting comfortably in our garage 3,000 miles away.
No electricity means living by flashlight at night, taking cold showers, wearing yesterday's dirty clothes, foregoing the Internet and cleaning out spoiled food from the refrigerators in our communal kitchen.
In the northern portions of the park, where we hiked Monday, the morning and early afternoon were clear, but a pall of smoke had moved in by 4 p.m.
We checked into the same motel where we spend our "weekend" last week, and are making use of its wi-fi system to catch up on e-mails, news and this blog.
It might be a while before you hear from us again.
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