Red Flag Day

Red Flag Days here in La La land are when conditions are ripe for a fire - Usually, hot, dry and windy. Other than announcing a really uncomfortable day, it really affects my hike more than anything else.

One of the places I park to enter the upper part of the Arroyo has been designated as a no parking zone on red flag days. If I haven't been paying attention to the news, I have to call our City info line to inquire on red flag status.

This past weekend, while not exceptionally hot, was very windy and it's still very dry here. To my surprise, Fire engines were parked in the upper lot...waiting. What's even more surprising is that just beyond where they've parked... is a moonscape, already burned during the Station Fire.
The wind was so vicious! When I looked out on Mt. Luken's first thing Saturday morning... it was a gray swirling ash covered mountain. I didn't venture out in it until later in the day when the wind had died down. But looking into the Angeles National Forest, you could still see the dust clouds.


And while Lukens was much clearer at this point in the day...look how much grayer this picture is near the mountain tops versus higher in the air.
On windy days, all the smog clears out and the sky is SO blue. It's the kind of day that makes idiots (like me) want to move here.

The other bit of good news??? Remember that ash that covered my patio??? It blew away!