Spoiler alert: we didn't go. Turns out that when the air quality scale runs out of numbers you really just want to stay inside. Luckily we already had a box fan here and I just happened to be at Home Depot when they were unboxing some filters so that was a break for the air inside the house.

I found out some terrible news yesterday. But first, some back story. Every year for the past five years* I've done Killer Fang bike ride** - https://visitestacada.com/cascading-rivers-ride/ - which starts in Estacada, OR and goes all the way to Detroit, OR on a very winding road through some truly beautiful scenery. Every year has been something different, whether it's heat, rain, and even snow last year. Froze my ass off going over the hill at that elevation. Anyway, this year it was cancelled because of the pandemic, though they were open to "maybe if the world is in a better place we can do something informally" four months ago; sadly that didn't come to pass because, well, you're aware of covid and rural responses to it.

Even more sad now though is that Detroit is basically gone and Estacada isn't faring much better. I am heartbroken by this. The event is a small one so it's very homey. You are given lunch at the halfway point on both days and meal tickets for dinner and breakfast so you get to know everyone involved. I saw a video someone posted and it was just her driving through Detroit and saying the names of the people who lived in the house she was driving by and telling/showing them it was gone. It was heartbreaking. I have several coworkers who live in the Estacada area and I haven't seen them online since last week, I can only hope that they are safely evacuated at this point.

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/20...dfires/616344/

I should be able to see downtown Portland from my office window, I cannot even see the buildings on the other end of the campus.




*Three years ago - almost exactly - it was canceled because of another time that the state of Oregon was on fire.

**that map is only one way - from Detroit to Estacada - and that is a much easier ride as you're mostly going downhill.