BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

Roger that, and we Will make the trip!

le boecere

I just took a look at the sun in the West and it's a bright orange dot. (North Central Puget Sound)

zdncer Loc: Vancouver, WA

Normally that would be an incredible trip but right now it is nothing but soup out there. We live in Vancouver Washington and work in Portland Oregon we left Friday for San Francisco to get out of the heat landed in heat smog and smoke. Left PDX (Portland Airport to great views down the gorge flew in today to soup. All the way home in the air could hardly see the ground due to all of the fires then came into PDX and could see nothing. I could smell the smoke even in the airplane. I have been in my house since getting home around 2ish and my eyes are burning. Be safe. Carry lots of food and water, maybe even extra oil and coolant as well as always gas up when you can. The traffic is a mess and you never know how long your delays will be due to visibility, road closures, and accidents. Enjoy what you can and don't worry about the rest. Hopefully it is a site we won't see again but the early mornings with the smoke lying low with the trees above is quite stunning in the mountains and the sunrises and sets are quite spectacular. Might bring rags or towels for face and clean windshields. And please stay out of the way and pull over for emergency vehicles.

fantom Loc: Colorado

We live near Denver and people are looking at the sun with naked eyes. The smoke has come this far south. The foothills are less than two miles from us and we cannot see them at all, usually they dominate the view.

hiker60 Loc: Northern Idaho

At this time, 9/5, air quality in northern Idaho, western MT is absolutely awful. The level of air quality is so bad that schools have curtailed all outdoor activities (Some may even cancel classes per email from local district office.). Winds seem to be fanning the fires and hampering fire efforts. But, as noted earlier, as fire fighters get a better handle on fires the level of air quality should improve toward the end of the week.

zdncer Loc: Vancouver, WA

Fire in gorge has spread 12 miles in 9 hours and the embers have crossed to the Washington side of the river and started another fire in skamania county. 84 closed from Troutdale to hood river.
Ash all over cars this morning in Vancouver Washington

TheDman Loc: USA

I was in Portland for 5 days in early August and never once saw Mt. Hood.

OhD Loc: West Richland, WA

It's pretty thick and dreary in Eastern WA right now. Monitor https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/49/ for detailed fire information, and the NOAA weather site http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-121.24904611816403&lat=46.6511402377277#.Wa7Alch96Uk (a detail at White Pass WA, but you can zoom out and relocate).

Here's yesterday's sunrise from West Richland. I'd stay on the coast but be aware that road fire closures out there can leave you with few if any alternatives. Keep plenty of supplies and water in the car.

papa Loc: Rio Dell, CA

NorCal coastal report. I am in Rio Dell, Ca 23 miles south of Eureka. Air quality is the worst I've ever seen. For the last week air is stagnate and the mountain ridge one mile away is so faint it's hard to make out. Good luck finding clear scenes, friend.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

last three days in No. Utah, S. E. Idaho, Tetons, Montana and smoke is heavy. Tuff to get anything in the ways of images. Glad that is not what I was after.

Good luck!

J. R.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

last three days in No. Utah, S. E. Idaho, Tetons/Wyoming, Montana and smoke is heavy. Tuff to get anything in the ways of images. Glad that is not what I was after.

Good luck!

J. R.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

Folks thank you Very Much for all the UHH help!
All advise listened to, trip is scratched. We will try again ata later date.
Thanks again.

russchristopher

To BassmanBruce: Thanks for having the foresight to ask this question about travelling in the western states. I hope this blog has helped to forewarn other people who might have been thinking about a trip to these fire devastated areas where their visit might be harmful to them and a burden to those locals who must focus on survival.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Lots of smoke here in NE WA!!

btbg

I know that this response is a little late, but there is some good news.

Thursday and Friday the weather in Central Oregon was so bad that all outdoor high school sports including practice were either cancelled or moved to other locations.

By Monday the weather was much better and it is likely to stay more clear as the forecast calls for cooler than normal temperatures.

I84 up the gorge was still closed today, but it looks like it will open soon, and conditions are currently the best they have been since the day of the eclipse.

There are several new fires from a thunderstorm Thursday night, however most of them were caught immediately and the small amount of rain that came with the storm took a lot of ash out of the air. With the cooler temperatures it is unlikely that those fires will become a major problem.