Smoke-free areas in California next week or so?

[Doug Coe]

It’s sure hard to backpack in the Sierra in what used to be prime season—August and September.

Anyone have ideas for where to take a trip in California in the next couple of weeks? Or is everyone just staying home.

[Jerry Adams]

In Northern Oregon, this weekend in the mountains, 4 inches of rain – fire season mostly over, shouldn’t be a lot of smoke after this

Even more rain in Washington

Trinity Alps – 1 inch – that should help suppress fires.  I think they’re closed for the season though because of the River Complex fire.

Mountains above Tahoe – 0.3 inches – that should help but fires will continue putting out smoke?

 

[obx hiker]

Doug there are 3 links or references to AQI sites on the Mammoth Lakes trip thread currently just below this thread.

[Bruce Tolley]

There are many good maps tracking the current fires. For example here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/wildfires-air-quality-tracker.html

Airnow.gov and other sites have smoke forecasts but I find those very unreliable.

The airnow.gov sensors for various regions AFAIK report a 12 hour moving average which often does not match any one local Purple Air sensor which most people set to a 10 minute moving average.

BTW On Amazon you can buy relatively cheap and accurate internal and external AQI sensors manufactured by TempTop. If you want to measure AQI and PM 2.5 at the trailhead, take one with you. The internal sensors will measure AQI outside they just are not weather resistant.

Shasta Trinity is supposed to open Sept 18. Perhaps plan a trip there. Take a N95 mask to the trailhead. And if there is too much smoke, shift to plan B.

I suspect, if the National Forests do not get a lot of rain from the storm system that is coming, some of the closures will be extended.

[DWR D]

A small amount of rain may make more smoke; not less. Dry wood burns cleaner than wet wood. …. just sayin’

[Jerry Adams]

Yeah, but if its cool and rainy it really suppresses the fire.  Probably not enough to make any difference in the Sierra though.

Shasta trinity open sept 18?  Great!  Sometimes I’ll do a trip in October when its rainy and miserable in oregon

[Doug Coe]

Jerry Adams—Yeah, it’ll take a lot of rain to settle the fires in the Sierra.

obx hiker—Thanks. Yes, I have read that thread, and I’ve bookmarked and looked at inciweb and purpleair and other sites. Like in that Mammoth Lakes thread, it’s hard to plan a successful foray into the Sierra with all these fires starting and growing and wind shifting.

Bruce Tolley—Yeah, it comes down to driving a long way, and then having a plan B and C. Sigh. Not what I’m wanting to do.

I’m considering the coast, like Big Sur. Though I’ll have to read up on ticks. Yuck.

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Doug.

Los Padres NF just extended their closure 1 week until 9/22.

[Doug Coe]

Thanks. Good to know.

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