Looking south in Aspen Grove meadow
The drive up the canyon is terrible. The further up I go, the worse the smoke gets. I turn off the heater and close all the vents, but I am soon sneezing uncontrollably. Not a good thing when you're driving!
In an attempt to discover where the fire is burning, I turn my radio to 1160 and listen to KSL talk about the Salt Lake traffic. It soon becomes apparent that the smoke isn't just a local problem; if anything it seems to be thicker in Salt Lake valley than in Utah valley. They report that visibility is very poor in Provo canyon, particularly near Deer Creek dam. But they do not give the location of the fire.
Things start looking better as soon as I turn onto the alpine loop and head for Sundance. The air starts clearing. I stop sneezing. The sky turns from gray to blue. By the time I pass the lodge at Aspen Grove the day is beautiful. There is still a light haze in the air, but it is more a softening of sharp detail than a visible pall of smoke. The toll booth just east of Aspen Grove is closed, so I drive through and pull into the parking lot about a hundred yards beyond. Mine is the only car in the lot.
I look around, take a deep breath, and make my decision. I am here. The day is waiting.
Time to climb.