Badger Creek

[Sugar Pine]

Backpacked up Badger Creek toward Badger Lake 7/1 and 7/2. A couple heading down the trail reported high winds at the lake which was affirmed by another hiker, so we set up camp just past the Post Camp trail. We then day hiked up to the lake and back. It was very windy, cloudy and misting at the lake. The Badger Lake Campground was empty and did offer a bit of shelter from the wind. Our campsite was partly cloudy/sunny and no precipitation.
All the campsites were empty as we hiked up the trail on Wednesday, but we noticed most were occupied when we hiked back in the morning, surprised given it was a weekday.
There were a few downed trees across the trail and quite a bit of brush overgrowing the trail, especially after the first ~3 miles.

[retired jerry]

I was up there a month ago, didn't quite make it to the lake

Someone said the same thing to me, camped at lake, it was very windy

[walrus]

We were up there on the 30th - very windy indeed and ominous sprinkles. Pushed on up to Jean Lake, less wind, even a lingering snowbank.

Lots of blowdown on the lesser-used trails.

[xrp]

I was up there a month ago, didn't quite make it to the lake

Someone said the same thing to me, camped at lake, it was very windy

You shouldn’t have been out a month ago. The virus is still out there.

You probably killed granny.

Stay Safe. Stay Home. For the rest of your life.

[Aimless]

To address your post one statement at a time:

National Forest trailheads were opened over a month ago, on May 29. Maybe you missed it.

The virus is most definitely still out there and no governor's edict or refusal to honor a governor's edict changes that basic fact.

Staying home and using precautions against infection when away from home is indeed the safest course of action. Thanks for reinforcing that message. Many people are not getting it.

Old people are dying at higher rates than the general population, but I don't think this is humorous. My own grandmothers were both fine people, but they both died long ago.

As for "the rest of my life", I am hoping the rest of my life extends past the point when a vaccine is available and this virus is under fairly good control, because there is no guarantee I will live that long during a pandemic that has already killed nearly 130,000 people from mid-March to the Glorious Fourth and is now infecting more people per day than at any previous time in the USA.

Happy July 4th. You stay safe, too.

[retired jerry]

I am sympathetic to governor brown's stay at home order, her actions prevented a lot of infections. We're the 6th best state in per capita deaths and infections...

Driving 100 miles to a wilderness backpack is low risk. About the only thing would be if I got into an accident or got injured. I do carry a sattelite communicator, left itenerary...

[xrp]

As for "the rest of my life", I am hoping the rest of my life extends past the point when a vaccine is available and this virus is under fairly good control, because there is no guarantee I will live that long during a pandemic that has already killed nearly 130,000 people from mid-March to the Glorious Fourth and is now infecting more people per day than at any previous time in the USA.

There are other viruses out there. You must stay home forever.

[retired jerry]

I will wrap my house in bubble wrap and stay inside