I'm picking up on the earlier post-- in hopes of getting more feedback on this situation. We're due to begin our Rockies vacation on Sept 3rd, but if the smoke (from the Washington fires) is significant, we'll need to cancel as my husband has copd (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Even aside from the bronchial/lung problem, I can't imagine wanting to visit those splendid places if they're more or less smoke-choked. (A planned burn on Bow Valley Parkway-- near Baker's Creek-- on Sept 5 also, I read.) I'll be grateful if folks who've been in Banff, Yoho, Jasper in the last week or so would report their findings on this score; we need to know what to do. Thanks awfully much.

I just drove through the mountains this past Saturday returning from the west coast and I did not notice any smoke at all. It was clear and sunny the entire way.

Thanks for your reply, cruiser: good to hear. I guess much depends on the weather aloft, mainly the wind situation. I just spoke with the concierge at the Rimrock hotel in Banff, and they admitted that, alas, on a number of recent days it was pretty hazy, so that one couldn't see the mountains very well; even said one could smell smoke in the air. So we're still conflicted abt what to do. A real disappointment!

We were in the Crowsnest on the w/e and although there was some haze, it was very little and air quality was fine.

There is some information on the burn on this site (you have to scroll down a bit) and it is planned for sometime between labour day and halloween.
http://www.rocky-peak.com/blog/

We are in the Okanagan Valley and are getting the smoke from the Washington Tripod fire which has been burning for a month or more. The thing is that some days it is so smokey and the air is full of ash. Then we have days that are perfectly clear. It just depends on the winds so there is no predicting ahead of time unfortunately. We are much closer to the fires here so it wouldn't be nearly as bad there. The Environment Canada weather page is able to let us know at couple of days ahead if it is going to be particulary bad.
This past weekend was excellent because the wind and jet stream had shifted but yesterday we were covered in ash again. As I said though we are in Oliver just north of the border so it is much worse here. My husband has had to give up walking our dog because the ash and smell are so bad at times.

I think the worst that they are getting in the rockies is haze and a slight smell of smoke on the bad days.

Here is the website for the Washington fire - http://www.inciweb.org/incident/341/

You can see we are in for it for a long time to come.

No smoke in the foothills of the Rockies near Jasper

Thanks to all responders. Will be interested to continue to hear as much as possible abt this.

Poss,
I'm assuming that you're still going. We are and we arrive on the 5th September.

I'm wondering if it;s too late to see if anyone wants to get together (Fodor's GTG) during Sept. There seem to be a lot of us going at that time. We are there until the 18th and would enjoy meeting any Fodorites for lunch or a glass of wine, etc.

If anyone is interested, either post on here, or email me at [email protected]. We are meeting one email buddy for lunch close to Calgary (slowtrav GTG) but not until the 17 Sept.

Carol

We're going on the 9th of Sept, and may be interested in meeting others if schedules/itineraries coincide. We will be in Banff nights of 9/9 & 9/10; then staying in Lake Louise (Paradise L & B) nights of 9/11-9/13; Jasper (Patricia Lake) nights of 9/14 & 9/15; then Canmore 9/16 & 9/17; flying out of Calgary 1:00 flight on 9/18. Do any of those dates sync up with anyone interested?
On the note of the burn, if any of you going on 9/5 or near there get to internet access before 9/9, could you please post any info about the effect of the burn? From the website, it looks like 3 burns scheduled to start around 9/5 are in areas we plan to visit, so would love to know any effects in any of those 3 burn areas - Kootenay, Bow Valley, and one in the western part of Yoho (I think). The burn isn't going to change our travel plans, but understanding the effects will certainly set expectations!
Hope everyone going soon has a terrific time, even if we can't catch up! I hope that poss and husband can still enjoy the views and air - good luck with that! We may all pass each other and never know it!

newretire,
just a quick note - but we WILL be in Canmore on the 16th & 17th and flying home on the 18th too. That's the only place we match up

Please email me at [email protected] and we'll see if we can find a place to meet in Canmore.