McGee Creek and the Oak Fire smoke...

[balzaccom]

We just got back from a few days in the Sierra, and it wasn't all roses.  We're recovered from a bout with COVID, more or less, but it turns out that hiking up to 10,000 feet may be more than we were ready for. We made it, but that's about it. It was a struggle. Fire, Rain, Rock slides and we were winded! 

McGee Creek, on the east side of the Sierra near Lake Crowley, lived up to its billing as a beautiful area.  And we dodged the smoke of the Oak Fire thanks to some favorable winds and the fact that they started to make some real progress against the fire. that's the good news. 

But we were struggling on a hike that shouldn't have been that hard.  And I managed to drop a Sawyer bladder full of water, which burst it open. That made for some interesting duct tape solutions before we could filter any water. And the skies opened up and poured on us. That was the first day, which included the longest two miles we've ever hiked. 

Other than that, it was a great trip. We did get some good photos...

If you are interested, a link to the photos, and the whole trip report with the gory details, is here: https://www.backpackthesierra.com/post/shaken-by-a-shake-down

Moderators---remove the final link if it doesn't meet your standards.