Oregon to Oklahoma next week

[chasmrider]

hi all, I am riding from Oregon to Oklahoma leaving 5/1. plan on staying near Boise the first night, then camping on the banks of the Colorado near Moab 5/2. I was hoping to ride through northern NM, but that route appears to be on fire, and cold. so now I am looking at leaving Moab, down to Gallup, then further south to the 60 then east. maybe a stop in Pie town, then on toward Texas. hoping to find a good place to camp in SE New Mexico. my destination is between Lawton and OKC. looking at camping west of Roswell at Cave campground. looks like the Mcbride fire is 95% contained. if anyone along that route has any thoughts, or info I would love to hear them. thanks in advance

 

[susan-nc]

hi all, I am riding from Oregon to Oklahoma leaving 5/1. plan on staying near Boise the first night, then camping on the banks of the Colorado near Moab 5/2. I was hoping to ride through northern NM, but that route appears to be on fire, and cold. so now I am looking at leaving Moab, down to Gallup, then further south to the 60 then east. maybe a stop in Pie town, then on toward Texas. hoping to find a good place to camp in SE New Mexico. my destination is between Lawton and OKC. looking at camping west of Roswell at Cave campground. looks like the Mcbride fire is 95% contained. if anyone along that route has any thoughts, or info I would love to hear them. thanks in advance

Pie Town is always a good stop!

 

[lee]

I used this site two years ago to keep track of some fires in Colorado and Wyoming.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

 

[chasmrider]

thanks Lee, waiting for the garage to warm up, so I can adjust my valves. just checked the weather along my route, leaving Boise looks like it will be a little cool, maybe leaving Moab the next morning too. after that temps look good, fires along my route are under control, for now. final bike prep, load up, and I will, as Tom Waits once said " be taking off on a joy ride to a magical place"

 

[kbowman]

Weather and smoke info

The weather.gov National Weather Service webpage is useful for getting current weather and smoke info as well as forecasts. When there is wildfire smoke, that shows up as an air quality alert. Click anywhere on the map to get details for that NWS forecast region. Then click on the particular hazard to see the details.

Below is a screen shot of the current map. At the current time it is very dry and windy in New Mexico and west Texas. Click in northeastern New Mexico for an example. There are also severe thunderstorms occurring in NE NM and the TX panhandle currently. Here is the current air quality alert:

Air Quality Alert Message
Relayed by National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
232 PM MDT Wed Apr 27 2022

...AIR QUALITY ALERT...

The following message is transmitted at the request of the New Mexico
Departments of Health and Environment.

* WHAT...Smoke from several large wildfires burning over northern New
Mexico will be transported to the north and northeast through early
Wednesday afternoon. Reduced visibilities may be encountered along
the I-25 corridor between Las Vegas and Springer, as well as New
Mexico State Road 518.

* WHERE...Smoke will continue spreading across much of Mora County.
Some areas that will see smoke impacts include Mora, Sapello,
Watrous, Wagon Mound, Ocate and La Cueva.

* WHEN...This afternoon through early Thursday afternoon.

Ken

 

[kbowman]

The fires in NE New Mexico blew up today under high winds. The smoke plumes are quite impressive on satellite and radar.

Ken

 

[chasmrider]

thanks Ken, nice pictures. looks like my southern route is clear of smoke, for now. leaving Sunday, it wouldn't be an adventure if the outcome was certain.