Today was to be the day I would head back into Sequoia to climb the #8 hardest climb in California called Mineral King. However, I went to bed last night to news footage of some of the worst fires in California ever.

Even though there were not any fires where I was going to ride, the smoke from fires North and South was sucking into the San Joaquin Valley and filling it up. Again, it was going to be hot so when I left the hotel it was still dark. I could kind of smell smoke, but drove out to the three rivers area where I would park to begin my ascent. As I approached Lake Kaweah it was clear the air was not. It was beyond the haze I experienced yesterday.

If you can see it that thick, it can’t be good to be inhaling that all day long on a tough climb. I made the decision to abort the mission.

Since I was all packed up, I just started driving South home. This was the last climb on my list for the trip. When I stopped to get gas I took this picture of the sun. As you can see, it barely made it through all the smoke. Very apocalyptic indeed!