We were supposed to hike in the Ritter Range but smoke from a large wildfire in Kings Canyon sent us elsewhere. Stressed out from travel and work, I had sent an email Friday afternoon that I was bailing completely. But when I walked out of work at 6 p.m., I figured that since I was already packed, I might as well head to the mountains. The smoke wasn’t as bad near Tahoe and after discussing a few choices, Sim suggested a fairly obscure backpacking trip down the Palisades Creek Trail to the North Fork of the American River.

It was a short trip. We started late in the afternoon, hiked the seven miles to the North Fork and swam in the outstanding pool at the base of Palisade Falls. After dinner, I read a paper about managing people’s impacts on backcountry trails and hit the sack. This morning we swam a good bit more in the fantastic swimming holes then did a quick hike up and out.

While we’d all been looking forward to our hike outside of Mammoth, this was a nice alternative in the smoky conditions that we had on Saturday. I really enjoyed how much we swam, spending the weekend with friends, and how quick a drive it was.

Everyone has gone back to Sacramento, and I’m typing this up in Truckee. I’m working in South Lake Tahoe this week so I’m going to spend tonight alone, camping along Lake Tahoe and reading a few more papers. It’s time to log off and leave this Truckee coffee shop.