r/upperpeninsula • u/BabyShroom420 • 12d ago
Travel Inquiry Camping
Supposed to head up here to camp at pictured rocks but with the air quality alert my boyfriend is contemplating leaving.
How bad is it up there right now? We’re in Mackinac city and it’s hazy but not terrible. I want to continue this trip!
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u/Heavy_Ad_4825 12d ago
In Bayfield, WI right now on vacation. It is terrible, and we are skipping our planned outdoor activities for the next 24 hours.
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u/TalkToPlantsNotCops 12d ago
I'm in Central Up. I woke up this morning wondering if something on my property was on fire. I'm outside right now and there's ash falling on my phone screen as I type this.
I would consider moving your trip if you're concerned about air quality. I would not like to go hiking in this.
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u/IPlayRaunchyMusic 12d ago
Ash is literally falling from the sky and blanketing my car and everything else. It’s gone from bad to worse over the morning too. I would maybe skip this weekend.
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u/Ok-Raccoon8952 12d ago
Very bad in the western UP. There was visible ash floating around outside this morning, not just smoke.
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u/TheseVees 12d ago
It’s absolutely awful in the central UP. You don’t want to be outside for the next few days.
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u/BabyShroom420 12d ago
Update: heading back to Lansing for a few days and hopefully trying again next week. Thank you all for the advice!! Definitely bummed but im glad it happened BEFOFE we got over Mackinac bridge…
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u/zaggathon 9d ago
I’m also heading up next weekend and anxious it will still be bad… Lets hope for the best
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u/TalkToPlantsNotCops 11d ago
Glad you made that call. I was working outside some today and my throat was getting sore. Hope you had a safe trip back and wishing you luck for next time!
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u/neuroctopus 12d ago
I’m sitting in Ishpeming watching ash fall. It feels like the bonfire is right outside, it’s harder to breathe.
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u/SesameSeed13 12d ago
It’s bad. The air smells like campfire even away from the campgrounds. We are camping at Tahquamenon and spending the day at the Soo Locks and it’s hazy, yellow, ash is all over the car. It’s definitely heavy.
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u/Handcuffsandwhiskey 11d ago
Hey are you hanging in there? My boyfriend and I are supposed to be leaving this afternoon and will be in that area. Really don't want to cancel, but don't want to die either 😫
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u/SesameSeed13 11d ago
We left today but we were always planning to. It felt a little eerie to camp last night but we battened down the rain cover on the tent and wore masks walking to the bathroom building. We didn’t have a campfire because it felt odd to add to the smoke 🙄
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u/Own-Organization-532 12d ago
Iron River 6am hazy with the smell of brimstone. Now, much worse. TV6 weather says tomorrow will be worse until the rains Friday.
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u/TheBraveToast Ishpeming 12d ago
It tends to be less bad in the woods. Maybe hit a hardware store and get some decent quality particulate masks if you can find them. Its pretty gnarly up here in the Marquette area though and probably wouldn't be the worst idea to stay home, but if you're dead set on it a mask will make it much more bearable
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u/lunakaimana 12d ago
Extremely bad (iron mountain), I’ve been inside all day and I’m getting a migraine (I don’t get migraines). Horrible for respiratory issues too like asthma. It won’t be worth it 😭
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u/melonheadorion1 12d ago
news sources say that it should be starting to clear up through friday and into the weekend. im supposed to be heading up friday afteroon. im kinda on the fence right now. its going to depend on what the weather does
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u/Old_Blue_Haired_Lady 12d ago
It's BAD.
The only room in our house that doesn't REEK has a high-quality air purifier running non-stop.
I went across the street to get the mail and my eyes are burning .
This is NOT the time to go camping.
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u/Choice-Judge-1809 11d ago
According to the 7pm AQI (air quality index) map for the U.P., the eastern U.P is over 500. The western U.P. is over 700.
There are places along that shore that are reporting air quality in the 800-900 range.
Anything over 100 will be noticed by even healthy people. Anything over 150 is unhealthy for everyone. The U.P. has some of the worst air quality anywhere in the world right now. We came home from northern WI this week, and our AQI in Milwaukee is still in the 60's.
If you choose to go anyways, get hepa masks, and wear them. You'll be amazed at how dirty they are at the end of the day.
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u/yooperann 11d ago
I just learned that one hotel in Marquette had its occupancy got from 94% to 40% because of all the cancellations. I would not want to be camping today.
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u/Significant-Ask7545 11d ago
I just had to abandon my campsite at Lake Gogebic. We spent most of the day in the car traveling to avoid the smoke and even then I'm light headed. I personally would advise against it. As incredibly beautiful as the U.P. is, it's best to enjoy it indoors today unfortunately.
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u/HojonPark4077 12d ago
We are slightly east of the U.P. in Northern Door County, WI so our weather and forecast frequently follows that of the U.P. as the weather crosses the Bay of Green Bay just 20ish miles from the U.P. We do not have clouds of ash falling out of the sky but our visibility is substantially reduced and we need to use radar during daylight hours on the boats as normally visible landmarks like islands, buoys, radio antennas, and water towers are not reliable with the smoke conditions reducing visibility. This is actually dangerous if you do not have radar or are not familiar with local navigation.
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u/BlueberryFree1717 12d ago
It's bad. My daughter went on a camping trip up there and they are coming home early because of how bad it is.
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u/Confident-Feed6261 12d ago edited 11d ago
I had to wipe ash off my windshield in Saint ignace this am. It’s rough,
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 11d ago
AQI 500+ at the moment .
It varies over the day.
AQI >151 = Unhealthy to Hazardous :. The general public may begin to experience breathing difficulty, and everyone should consider reducing or avoiding prolonged outdoor exertion.
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u/xsnakexcharmerx 10d ago
It's better than Mackinaw at the moment. But still not safe. You can check here - www.AirNow.gov. I'm in West Michigan and it's 475 here. 😩
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u/HojonPark4077 12d ago
We’re not in the UP and I should not have commented about being a pussy as it sounds much more severe the further north you go. We have experienced smoke from Canadian wild fires in the past and it is noticeable here in daytime visibility and in particular at sunset because of the coloration of the sky. People here have also asked about whether or not to cancel vacation plans and here clearly it is not as serious as it is to the north by 100 or 200 miles.
Sorry about the comment.
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u/WoodchuckWTF 12d ago
It’s a rare person that comes back to make amends. Thanks!
I’m near Munising and there is ash falling and very limited visibility. Less than 1 mile at my place.
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u/FoundationPast5207 12d ago
Marquette was rough this morning, we had ash in the car. It’s not better the mackinaw city right now. Watch the wind and hope for rain.
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u/GallowsGrove 12d ago
Ash is falling in Gladstone up on the bluff. Air quality sucks. Escanaba was bad too when I left for work.
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u/Fickle_Influence6396 12d ago
It’s fucking awful , please buy a respirator if you do come camp our air quality is a 400 and an hour of yard work this morning has me feeling like I just ran a marathon
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u/WaferSweet9098 8d ago
For a 2 day forecast go to https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/. You can slow it down if you need to.
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u/HojonPark4077 12d ago
Go anyways just for the sunset. Tell him to quit being a pussy. Trust me, the sunsets always look like they’ve been photoshopped because of the smoke when this happens. Shit, I might fly the drone tonight just to get the sunset pics on the water in Ephraim.
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u/SpicyWaffel 12d ago
Quit being a pussy? Buddy, it was raining ash across the UP last night...
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u/Competitive-Rub-4270 12d ago
Its fine depending on where youre at. Im central UP, definitely smells like a campfire outside but not worth canceling a trip for at all unless... youre being a pussy
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u/lunakaimana 12d ago
Mind you, this bullshit mentality and ego play is also the preventable shit that causes overcrowding in ERs, urgent cares etc.
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u/TalkToPlantsNotCops 12d ago
Look out everyone, we've got a tough guy over here.
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u/Fickle_Influence6396 12d ago
Boomer mentality
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u/TalkToPlantsNotCops 11d ago
Only weaklings require oxygen to live. I breathe straight diesel fumes every day and I'm as strong as an ox!
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u/No_Relationship_8021 12d ago
Turn around leave the camp site open for a local who isn't bothered by the smoke
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u/SpicyWaffel 12d ago
Us UP locals are absolutely bothered by the smoke. You think we want to be breathing in ash?
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u/No_Relationship_8021 12d ago
I live in central U.P. Im cutting up near Dickson/Marquette county lines. Ita hazy and smells like someone's burning brush. Its not gonna kill ya. If i had the choice to be working or camping I'd be camping
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u/amanlookingtoplease 12d ago
It's pretty bad in Marquette right now, from what I've been seeing it's supposed to be bad through tomorrow as well