Into the chapparal section. The trail got much easier to follow from here on in.

The sun popped out at 8am and stuck with me until I reached the summit. (The gnats came out with the sun :( )

New sprouts of chamise amidst the skeletons of the old. Probably only will take a couple years before this is impenetrable again.

The saddle/trail junction. The sign burned, but the rocks at the sign base are still piled. (This pre-fire) The continuation of the Santa Lucia trail didn't look all that appealing.

Spotted a couple of of deer back on the saddle as I was continuing above it. Interesting that the fire blew over the ridge and left the backside untouched.

Now that the fire had thinned the vegetation, the switchbacks above the saddle were visible from below.

There was one slope of chamise that had escaped the blaze.

The trees blocking the view of the lookout tower had burned and it was now clearly visible from the whole front side of the approach trail. (pre-fire)

The border of the burn/no burn zone. Always amazes me that the fire can arbitrarily stop between adjoining fuel plants.