Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Why I Left Jackson Hole Early This Summer

TETON WEBCAM UPDATES

DANGEROUS AIR QUALITY FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS, RESPIRATORY AND HEART CONDITIONS

IT'S ONE OF THE WORST FIRE AND SMOKE YEARS SINCE 1988 and the Great Yellowstone fires which I lived through for months. Fires have proliferated all over the West.

For the past 10 years,  the spread of the Pine Beetle blight has caused more standing dead timber and with drought conditions for many years, there have been more and more forest fires with lethal, long-term smoky conditions. I simply did not want to put my respiratory system through another round this year. God, I hated to leave JH early, but every time I talk with friends they say it's really bad. And today's webcam--above---pic bears this out.

Smoky conditions will continue to prevail until the snow falls sometimes in September.

Meanwhile, I've loved being in East Tennessee this past week where it's actually cooler than Jackson during the day, though more humid.  The summer heat spell has ended and it's a joy to be back where Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina come together in the mountains while the smoke of the West  grinds on. My lungs thank me and my skin relishes the humidity.


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