Smoke for Storytelling

Plus, Drowned Canyons Return, a Walk in the Redwoods, 'Narrows' Your Eyes, Air Filter Roundup, and More

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Western summer weather conditions finally made it to the East Coast last week when smoke from wildfires in Canada drifted down into the northeast. Airborne particulate levels spiked into the “Code Maroon” category of Air Quality Index danger (the highest, for anyone who might not be familiar with the AQI’s “green, yellow, orange, red, purple, maroon” color scale).

The scenery was shocking—and East Coast media was forced to reckon with this more frequently occurring climate event at their own windows for the first time. The Washington Post said humanity was entering “a new age of fire.” The New York Times Daily podcast said “there’s no escaping smoke.” The New York Post took this time to “blame Canada” for not setting enough controlled burns and said, with a presumably straight face, “there’s zero evidence climate change sparked any of the more than 400 fires raging across Canada’s forests.”

Smoke in Manhattan // Seth Werning / AP via London Financial Times

Aside here: yes, controlled burns are an important part of forest management, and yes, we are making up for a very, very long time when we thought stopping ALL fires was the right way to manage forests … but this drastically oversimplifies the issue and ignores lots of other factors like heat domes, megadroughts, and even simple fire liability policies. Saying these fires are unrelated to climate change is kind of like blaming the couch you tripped over for your broken toe and not your untreated Avian Bone Syndrome.

I remember getting my first taste of smoky skies when I moved to Los Angeles in 2003, and a series of fires in Southern California in October blanketed our mid-city neighborhood in ash. In the 20 years I’ve lived on the West Coast, I have both gotten used to fires as a more regular occurrence and noted their increased frequency and intensity. At this point, I can almost trace my own personal history here with fires.

Wildfire smoke above Southern California in 2003

I remember fires in Malibu that destroyed homes in 2007. I remember fires in Griffith Park that threatened the Hollywood Sign and fires in the San Gabriels that shut down a National Forest for years. I remember learning the term “pyrocumulonimbus cloud,” and then seeing them in person. I flew over a fire in the Columbia River Gorge sparked by a firecracker. And I was backpacking west of Lake Tahoe in 2020, where fires shaded the sunsets and reduced visibility on the 5 freeway to near zero on the drive back to Portland, which later hit an AQI of 516 for a few days.  

But I also remember returning to places that were previously burned and noting all the recovering (and mostly native) plant-life, and I remember learning to not take the current state of landscapes for granted … and to not get so attached to the way things were that I couldn’t enjoy these places in the state that they are.

This might be different for people on the East Coast right now, who are in most cases very far from where these fires are burning and probably don’t have a strong connection to those charred landscapes. But I do hope that having this shock can inspire some positive policy changes and not just become backdrops for memes. Even if some of them are very good.

• RELATED: There’s No Escape from Wildfire Smoke via the New York Times’ David Wallace-Wells Newsletter.

The Big Story

Something to talk about

Visit Drowned Canyons

Hikers walk into the Cathedral in the Desert, which was previously under 100 feet of water // Alex Hager / KUNC

If you’re a fan of Western landscapes—and if you’re reading this newsletter I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess you are—you may want to plan a trip to Lake Powell soon. Not for the houseboating, as water levels are at historic lows, but rather to explore some of the recently revealed (and recovering) areas of Glen Canyon, which was flooded to create the reservoir starting in 1963.

Grist followed some documentarians and reporters into Glen Canyon to visit spectacular landmarks that were previously under hundreds of feet of water, and the photos and writing is wonderful. The piece notes that melting snow will likely put some of these side canyons back underwater soon, but odds are these places will be accessible on foot again sometime in the future.

Modern Hiking

Good stuff from the Modern Hiker site

Get to the Redwoods

On the Observation Desk loop // Melissa Ozbek

One of my personal hiking hurdles from now living in a more densely forested environment is learning how to deal with woodsy hikes that don’t have that rewarding vista from a prominent peak. One place where you can get a good dose of forest bathing AND a clear viewpoint (weather permitting) is at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where Melissa Ozbek takes us on a 5 mile loop trail that peaks out at an observation deck. Learn all about the park’s fascinating history (and its ties to Father’s Day if you’re looking for a holiday appropriate trip for pops).

Your Parks

Your Places

Watch the Narrows

The Narrows in Zion National Park // Scott Turner

If you’re looking for big-time enthusiasts, Reddit is the place to go. And in the Zion National Park subreddit, one park-watcher has been keeping a close eye on the water flow of the North Fork Virgin River, which flows through the park’s popular Narrows hike. The park closes access to the Narrows when the flow is above 150 cubic feet per second, and it appears that the water levels are finally flirting with that flow—even with a bump from a recent rainstorm.

Keep an eye on the flow levels at the USGS monitoring site. But also keep in mind that a flow that level will still make this route very challenging to hike. The park suggests waiting for a flow under 70 CFS for hikers. And also, be sure to contact the park itself for questions before you set out!

via Reddit.

• RELATED: Our trail guide to hiking the Narrows by Scott Turner.

Return to the Giant Forest

Sunlight in the Giant Forest // Scott Turner

The Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park has re-opened after being hit by a severe series of winter storms earlier this year that damaged roads and infrastructure. The Giant Forest is welcoming hikers again, although those storms did do quite a number on the roads, so you’ll have to head in from Kings Canyon National Park via the Big Stump Entrance Station on Highway 180. The Generals Highway between the foothill areas near Three Rivers and the Giant Forest is still under construction and is scheduled to be re-open in July.

Anyone making the trip around should expect some delays, as the road repairs are temporary.

You’ll want to check with the park for updates, closures, and shuttle schedules before you venture out, too.

Tech Talk

Gadgets, Technology, and Hype

Fun With Filters

Making your own air filter is surprisingly easy // YouTube

Since I talked a bit about wildfire smoke up at the top of the newsletter, now might be a good time to start looking for a decent air filter. Wirecutter has their solid roundup of filters for purchase here, and if even you consider yourself “not very handy,” this video on how to build your own DIY air filter at home is incredibly simple. Here’s hoping you don’t have to use either, but better to have and not need, right?

One More Thing

Oh yeah, before I go …

Until next time, happy trails,