Idaho, Wa. Or. Trip, wild fire question
Sep 4, 2017 09:47:26 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
Plan for lots of smoke and haze most everywhere. Telephoto shots will be the worst unless you figure out how to make the best out of the haze. Sunsets are gonna be great.
Sep 4, 2017 09:49:11 #
Thanks for all the input everyone, I'm starting to get pretty fired up, sounds lik we will have to just check things out as we go.
Sep 4, 2017 09:54:15 #
Never mind advice to go to coast. Take a look at this map of wildfires: http://wildfiretoday.com/2017/09/03/wildfire-smoke-affects-northwestern-and-central-united-states/
There is medium to heavy smoke and at least light smoke all the way from northern California up to Canada, with light smoke going all the way east to West Virginia. Worst is in the area of eastern MT and WY and the western Dakotas, plus down near Medford OR. Eugene OR has the worst air pollution in years because of smoke funneling up the Willamette River Valley north. Might be a good time for Colorado instead.
There is medium to heavy smoke and at least light smoke all the way from northern California up to Canada, with light smoke going all the way east to West Virginia. Worst is in the area of eastern MT and WY and the western Dakotas, plus down near Medford OR. Eugene OR has the worst air pollution in years because of smoke funneling up the Willamette River Valley north. Might be a good time for Colorado instead.
Sep 4, 2017 09:54:39 #
Bear2
Loc: Southeast,, MI
BassmanBruce wrote:
My wife and I plan to leave Mi. Tues morning for a... (show quote)
Can not offer any current insight re smoke, BUT my wife and I drove to Glacier earlier this year from Michigan, and it is spectacular. You might want to include it. We have done Yellowstone, Yosemite, Cascade, + now Glacier and it is tops.
Duane
Sep 4, 2017 10:04:26 #
With numerous wildfires in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, we also have a northerly flow which is pushing the smoke south. Sunrise here was reddish brown and the air quality (and its effect on photography) is pretty bad. NWS has issued smoke alerts for the area, all the way down to Utah.
Sep 4, 2017 10:06:01 #
BlueMorel wrote:
Since you're going up the coast, make sure and stop at Cape Perpetua south of Newport, Oregon. Lots of accessible tidal pools and waves crashing on shore. Our favorite spot to go. We usually stay in Newport or Yachats while we're there.
Sep 4, 2017 10:11:18 #
Smoke is horrible here in Central Oregon along with a lot of the rest of Oregon because of 13 fires. Washington is not too bad unless more smoke from Canada comes down. Idaho has fires in the Panhandle area and Montana is on fire. They have several fires in California including Yosemite. Smoke makes it very hard to get a clear, clean shot and if you shoot big landscapes, next to impossible. Hopefully, by then the smoke and fires will be much less. Good luck and I hope for the best!
Sep 4, 2017 10:14:48 #
My original advice was to stay away--and that's still good. Breathing the air is not good for you; visibility for driving can be poor-- and visitors just complicate the lives of people who have to use the roads for more important reasons than getting a "great" photo of the sun obscured by smoke. There's no other way to describe it than selfish. If I come off rude, so be it....
Sep 4, 2017 10:42:58 #
Fires are mostly in Eastern Oregon & Washington, with more in British Columbia so, depending on the winds some days good and some bad, this is the perspective around Puget Sound. I would think your idea of Yosemite then to the Northern California coast and follow the coast up Oregon would be your best bet. Some of the most beautiful coastlines are Northern Cal and Oregon all the way up, you could do day trips from the coast inland to find waterfalls and whatever else you want to photograph and you could do wineries in both Calif, Oregon, and Washington, lots of photo ops there as well. From the Oregon coast you could run up the Gorge into Eastern Oregon & Washington, supposed to get some moisture this coming weekend, so that should clear skies a bit and slow any fires. Hope this helps a bit.
Here is something that might help your decision:
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/surrounded-by-fires-in-oregon-cle-elum-evacuations-underway-air-quality-plummets/?utm_source=The+Seattle+Times&utm_campaign=0fcceb0285-Morning_Brief_09_04_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5beb38b61e-0fcceb0285-122380285
Here is something that might help your decision:
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/surrounded-by-fires-in-oregon-cle-elum-evacuations-underway-air-quality-plummets/?utm_source=The+Seattle+Times&utm_campaign=0fcceb0285-Morning_Brief_09_04_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5beb38b61e-0fcceb0285-122380285
Sep 4, 2017 10:51:05 #
I live in North Idsho. The smoke is ever present, due to fires throughout Northern CA, Oregon, WA, Canada, and Montana, which is experiencing its worst fire year since 1910. The air quality is extremely bad, both from a health standpoint and visually. Some days are better than others,as the winds change. But, in general, until we get rain, visibility is terrible. However, the landscape hasn't disappeared, it just looks different, providing different than usual photo opportunities. Sort of like "the Great Smokies of the West!"
Sep 4, 2017 11:08:22 #
Here in the Reno area we have had smoke filled skies off and on for the last two months. Currently we have a fire burning near Topaz Lake which is giving us quite a bit if smoke. I don't know what it is like further south toward Yosemite. It's pretty much a crap shoot.
We had record snow falls in the Sierra and many areas still have snow, so the photo ops can be unique for this time of year. Good luck with your trip planning!
We had record snow falls in the Sierra and many areas still have snow, so the photo ops can be unique for this time of year. Good luck with your trip planning!
Sep 4, 2017 11:56:35 #
We have been traveling in Washington, Oregon and northern California coast and central for the last month. With all the smoke around, the photo ops have been pretty poor for the most part. There are a few days when things improve. Chuck
Sep 4, 2017 12:08:37 #
BassmanBruce wrote:
Thanks everyone.
I think a reschedule is out of the question so current plan is Reno then Pacific coast and flexibility. .
I think a reschedule is out of the question so current plan is Reno then Pacific coast and flexibility. .
Our entire state is on fire from the coast to Idaho and from northern California into Washington. Not a good time to travel Oregon unless you think you want fire pictures filled with smoke. When you come be sure and buy the good masks for smoke. There are over 3000 fires burning now.
Sep 4, 2017 12:12:07 #
My stepson is a firefighter on the lines, and there are always problems around the fires. Whatever the weather conditions, please remember that the fires are a real problem with evacuations, and fire fighters/equipment moving in and out, so avoid the fire areas.
Sep 4, 2017 12:18:50 #
My stepson is a firefighter on the fire lines and has spoken with me about the photographers who want to get photos of the fires, and how they cause all kinds of problems besides the possibility of becoming a statistic; so stay away from the fires. The idea of taking US 50 across is a good one. US 60 is know as the lonliest highway as there are long stretches of no towns/no services, and great scenics, head the signs that say no services next 150 miles, and fuel up, get water and food. have a great trip.
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