Smoke On the North Shore

When I escaped the extreme heat warning in Iowa yesterday for the relatively cool upper-70s on the North Shore of Lake Superior, I never expected to be greeted by an air pollution health alert caused by a fire further north in Ontario:

Smoke From A Distant Fire

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 10:23 a.m. CDT

Caption: Wildfire smoke

DULUTH, MN (KDAL) - The smell of smoke in the Twin Ports and across much of northeastern Minnesota Tuesday morning can be traced to wildfires in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air pollution health alert due to the elevated particles in the air through early afternoon. Groups sensitive to that type of pollution might want to postpone or reduce vigorous outdoor activity. The health alert includes most of northeast Minnesota including Duluth, International Falls and Grand Portage. A wind shift and potential showers later today is expected to clear out the smoke and improve the air quality.

As I shuffled through the ice-age cobble rocks lining Sugarloaf Cove this morning, I noticed the haze spoiling the chance for scenic photos, but thought it was caused by the relative warmth of the air (75 degrees at 11 a.m.) over the still, cool water. Driving east to Grand Marais, though, I heard on the weather of the pollution alert and thought maybe I should rethink my afternoon bike ride. But a moderate hike following one of the many streams and rivers up to an overlook of Superior probably would be OK. Just not as scenic. But I’ll take the scenic stealing smoke over the sweltering excessive heat that those south of here are suffering.