Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board fires

I just got off work in Bishop and the sky south looks like a wall of smoke. Does anyone have any updates on what's burning and where? Or a good internet link to info, I can't seem to find anything online and I don't have TV.
Thanks,

This is all I could find online

http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm

The Inyo National Forest web site is updating information here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/conditions/

Also check the Cal Trans web site for updates on highway 395 here: http://www.dot.ca.gov/

Good web site eka, very informative site.

Here is the printout from the caltrans site for 395

US 395
[SAN BERNARDINO & RIVERSIDE CO.'S]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

[EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA]
IS CLOSED FROM THE KERN/INYO CO LINE TO BISHOP (INYO CO) AT 1750 HRS ON
7/7/07 - DUE TO A BRUSH FIRE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

[NORTHERN CALIFORNIA]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

Portions of the community of Independence are now being evacuated. An evacuation shelter has been set up in Lone Pine at Stathem Hall.

I am flying into California tomorrow and a buddy and were going to overnight up to Whitney on the 9th. Are the fires close to Lone Pine and should I assume that Whitney Portal will be closed? Look forward to your reply.
- Marc

Currently there's no problem at Whitney. Check the sites listed above for updates. All the activity so far is to the north of Whitney.

My passes are for the 16th. And I wonder. I have driven Owens Valley with t-storm related fires off in the distance, but not right there in town in Independence. Wow, this is a real wait-and-see thing for me. There is no shortcut through Owens, you are either there or you are not.

From Sparks you might need to take the 95 down and around through Death Valley if you are headed to Whitney. Keep watching for updates on the above web sites. They'll get highway 395 open as soon as they can.

I will be coming from San Deigo and is the portion of 395 closed at this moment. Not sure if Lone Pine is in Kern-Inyo County.

As far as I know you can make it to Lone Pine OK from 395 south. No worries. Right now I'm more worried about men and women yelling at each other in this stupid apartment complex. I do daily duck and covers here. I so hate living in a city.

The Kern-Inyo county line is down near Pearsonville. You'll need to investigate and see if you can come in from Death Valley.

See Driving from the south for several landmarks. As Kurt noted, the Kern county-Inyo county line is at Pearsonville, 58 miles south of downtown Lone Pine. Lone Pine is in Inyo County, and Independence is the county seat.

Death Valley Routes:

SR 136
[EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS ROUTE.

SR 190
[SOUTH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA & SIERRA NEVADA]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

[EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

as of now you cannot but I am sure they will have the road open as soon as possible

Thanks, I live in Sparks now so different set of rules there. Maybe I will have to quit Whitney and try White Mt. instead. I doubt it, but hey, since I've already summited twice, maybe the fun now is not knowing?

Owens Valley shall survive as shall I in one form or another.