Wildfire Smoke / Air Quality - Selway Zone

[Landiswood]

Heading into the Selway zone on Thursday. The plan has been to hunt up around 8000 feet. We were in there on a scouting trip mid / late August and there was smoke affecting visibility then. Looking at a handful of sources it appears that the smoke has thickened and air quality has deteriorated even more. Anyone been in the area that wouldn't mind providing some real time feedback? Given all of the fires, I assume visibility will remain impaired, but I'm more interested in whether the air quality is so poor that it is making it difficult to be physically active enough to hunt effectively. It also looks like the low pressure system rolling in on Friday may provide some relief. Any thoughts on that would be much appreciated too.

 

[MThuntr]

I'm hunting unit 250 in the West fork Bitterroot in Montana. Left Saturday morning as the smoke was gaining traction again. Visibility went from miles on Friday to a 1/2 mile or less real quick that morning and has only gotten worse. I thought there was a fire in the valley it was so thick and yes it was bothersome to my lungs even though I'd been breathing that crap since August 1. Granted this is east of where you are headed.

FYI I'm told guys flying into the backcountry are grounded due to visibility

 

[Randle]

Visine and recola cough drops are your friend in Idaho right now. Ibuprofen for the headache.

 

[hobbes]

It's thick in MT today. I'm over closer to Helena sitting on the side of a mountain breathing it in. It looks like heavy cloud cover. Swirling winds and smoke. Elk must not like it......not a peep today. I doubt that's why I've not heard a peep, but got to blame it on something.

 

[coohio1854]

Heading into the Selway on Friday. Hope that system pushes this stuff out a little. We’re in Bozeman right now and it’s unbelievably thick.


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[rclouse79]

Following. Going into the McCall zone this weekend, smoke be damned, as it is the last opportunity I will get this archery season. I figure it can’t be worse than the cumulative lung damage from a semester of going to the bars in college. Right?

 

[Landiswood]

Good color. I appreciate the info. Fingers crossed the system helps out the situation.

@coohio1854 hope to not see you in there
@rclouse79 basically where my head is at too. Avoiding lung cancer is high on my priority list. But not higher than elk season.​

 

[jtrugby]

Fingers crossed

 

[Cold Front]

I've got asthma and had to leave after only being out in Idaho for one day. Here is the website that I use for air quality, it's
pretty damn accurate. Good luck.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/fairfield/83327/air-quality-index/332608