Fire Watch

A week after returning from Switzerland, I was off again -- this time to the family property in Shugart Flats near Plain, Washington in the North Cascades -- to winterize Owl Farm and observe phase two of the tree house construction project directed by longtime buddy Kelly Tjaden, his wife, Lupe Marroquin and friends.

Unfortunately, a number of forest fires had broken out on the eastern slope of the Cascades, and thick smoke permeated the entire Wenatchee Valley during my time at Owl Farm.  We were virtually surrounded -- to the north, south, east and west -- by forest fires caused by August lightning storms. The strikes had ignited the forest fuels drying for over 100 days in the hot summer sun.

Progress nonetheless proceeded on the tree house despite the lingering smoke, and I escaped over Blewett Pass two hours before they closed U.S. 97 as the Table Mountain fire (above) continued to grow. Fires would ultimately cancel the popular Salmon Festival in Leavenworth due to air quality concerns. When the rains finally arrived, Chelan County residents breathed a collective sigh of relief.