We're only talking about 100 miles and 10,000 feet, but my God, the shock I had, going from serenity at Muir Lake to the hell that is Lancaster/Paledale under the plume of the burning of thousands of acres of chaparral.
Here's what I'm calling Muir Beach at the spectacular (and empty) Muir Lake:
And here's Palmdale under the plume…yes, that's the sun that the camera is struggling to capture, in this bizarre and frightening lighting…
Seems like every time I come back to SoCal from vacation, it's on fire…
Kit Stolz 