We are in Fresno staying the night so we can get an early jump into the Sierras tomorrow. This trip was planned back in November of 2016 as family trip before Maddie heads off to college. Little did we know that 2017 would be a record year for rain and snowfall in California. So much so that we went from a 4 year drought to the state dumping water from reservoirs to make room for the snow melt.

We even got a letter from the forest service stating that the bridge over the river at Upper Paradise Valley had been destroyed during the winter storms and they were telling people to think about alternative plans. This along with snow levels still at 8-10 feet above 10,000 feet would have deterred most people. Well that is most people. Amy and I decided to stick with our plan and take a look at the conditions ourselves.  I have been scouring the internet for trail information but there is little out there so we may have to just go and see what it looks like for ourselves.

We have been looking forward to this trip for so long and remain excited to share this with the kids.  We are excited about tomorrow but will make sure we make smart decisions even if this means adjusting plans or changing the trip if conditions aren’t safe.