Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Well I thought I would ride down to Randle, and try taking a pic of Mt Adams since that is where the 2,200 acres wildfire is at.  Normally, coming into Randle there is a beautiful view of Mt Adams.  And I have taken it's picture before from alongside the road coming into town. 

Just to the left of the distant ridge in the background is where Mt Adams usually can be seen.
Instead of seeing the mountain about 40 miles away, you can barely see the ridges only 3 miles away.

There are 4,000 ft and higher hills covered in that smoke.

The smoke is covering the mountains completely.

You can't see the hills surrounding Randle due to the thick smoke.

So you can imagine how surprised I was, to not only NOT see Mt Adams.  But to barely see the ridges only about 3 miles away, just amazes me.  

I have a friend who is leading a ride through the mountains on Saturday.  She is hoping it'll just be a bit hazy.  But I know the area she will be taking everyone, and it is right through the heart of the area the smoke is filling.  There is probably a good 50 mile stretch of road weaving through those hills...(you know, the ones all shrouded in the smoke in these pics.)...I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to ride through 50 miles of smoke down narrow, twisting, and rough mountain roads.   But hey, that's just me.  And by Saturday they might have actually gotten some containment by then, or the winds might have shifted.  Either way, I don't think I'll be riding up that way to hook up with them.  If it weren't for the wildfire and all it's smoke...I would in a heartbeat.

Catch ya on the road sometime...