[pct-l] Smokiness in Nothern Cal and Ashland/Medford

[ALAN ARTMAN]

Phil Baily and Carolyn Clark:
 
Last Sunday I went down to Mt. Shasta planning to start NOBO at Dunsmuir on Tuesday.  By Tuesday, the Milne fire near Etna had made the Mt. Shasta area pretty smoky, so to avoid that and also the Etna roadwalk around the closure, my friend drove me to Seiad Valley Tuesday, but just halfway there (on Hwy. 96 along the Klamath River, north of Etna), the smoke was so bad we turned around and went back to Mt. Shasta.  
 
So, this morning to Plan B, where I hopped a bus to Medford, then will catch the RVTD bus to Ashland tomorrow morning, pick up my Ashland resupply, and get back on the Trail at Ashland.  In Ashland and in Medford, there is smoke, but not bad at all.  That may change by tomorrow (THursday), but for now, NOBO from Ashland is a go.
 
The Mt. Shasta paper (www.mtshastanews.com) reported that the air quality index Monday and Tuesday was a very UNhealthy 169 out of a maximum 300 score, with lots of particulate in the air.  I'd recommend checking out this article. 
 
Regards, and Good Luck!
Alan