wanted to follow up on this with how it went, which was...poorly. I didn't summit, but attempted twice. My original plan was camp in OV until the 3, then move to Portal, stay one night there and do it in two days on the 4th and 5th. Smoke was much worse as I got further south. Camped at Ravine for that night, very quiet. Backpacker TH campground is closed-- looks like a tree fell down. Ravine was fine, except you do have to hike in and out/up and down about 100 feet each time, which gets annoying after the first couple times. Parked without much issue in the overflow lot, the only place I consistently found parking. I do think it was quieter because of the smoke/fire.
On the 4th I started hiking at 8:30 with a 31 pound pack. I was throwing up almost immediately, partially from altitude (??I guess?), partially because I get super nauseous in the mornings and didn't eat right. Pretty much screwed my day there. I couldn't keep anything down including water, so I turned around before the LP Lake junction *sob*. I was also anxious about the fire, a passing hiker said it was getting worse up ahead. I decided to go down to LP, check into my hotel and take a shower. I ate and slept in the Valley and got up at 3 am to head up to try again for a day hike on the 5th. I had similar results, and the smoke was worse. By the 6th, smoke was so bad I couldn't give it another go, which was a good idea because they closed the Forest the day after.
FWIW I can't wait to try again, when there are no impending wildfires, and I would definitely, definitely do it as a day hike. To me, the benefits of not carrying a heavy pack, even the 3 or 6 miles to one of the overnight camps, is worth it. Next time I would really like to not do it alone, as I think a partner would have helped me through some of my difficulties. Looking forward to getting a permit next summer.
Last edited by kkdavis; 09/09/20 09:44 AM.
