Run for Clean Air
When people asked how my summer was last fall, I drew a blank. Like most seasons, the time went really fast, but I somehow didn’t get out on the mountain adventures I’d hoped to, and I kept looking forward to fall. Summer has historically been my favorite season, so what happened? Why didn’t I get out to my favorite alpine spots? Then, like a lightbulb, I remembered the smoke. Memories flashed through my head: going to the top of Goat peak to look at the fire across the way, feeling better about it, until the winds picked up that night leaving me sleepless and endlessly checking the weather cam near my office checking for sparks. With the house closed up I’d wake with a startle, wondering if there was a new fire, or if the one northeast of our place also blew up. The low-grade stress of living with fire is exhausting, even as I’m perfectly aware that I chose to live in a place where fires occur and an overwhelming amount of resources are used to keep my community safe.
As fire season lengthens each year, we’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s not if there’s a fire, but how long will the air quality inhibit us from doing anything outside. We develop new daily routines like checking the Purple Air monitors around the valley to see if there’s somewhere that won’t affect our lungs to exercise, play, get the kids outside, or simply take a deep breath. We don't have to check what the numbers mean anymore, as we’ve internalized them to know what 175 feels like, just as we know that 95 degrees feels hot.
Behind the scenes, Clean Air Methow works year-round to educate and put programs in place to help us become more smoke-ready. They host the Clean Air Ambassadors so we have the purple air monitors, distributed over 2100 air purifiers in the last few years, and simultaneously work to improve winter air quality as well. To help their efforts, we’re hosting a Run for Clean Air at the Loup. Our favorite community mountain will be the stage to run (we use that term generously) up to the top, then back down as many times as you want as a team or on your own. We’ll have snacks, music, and other libations, and hope you’ll join us before smoke season to have fun and raise money for a great cause.
