During a July 2017 multi-day river trip on the Lower Deschutes River, around the Olive Grove Camp, a thick haze started rolling in. That was day two. By the time we reached the takeout on day three, the crew was choking on particulate matter. This was pre-COVID and we opted to wear then-rare masks. On the evening drive back home, wildfires were raging Mad-Max style along the highway. Although it made for a pretty sunset, the cost is not reflective of the beauty. Among the casualties: Thousands of acres of forests, weeks of no play for outdoor recreationalists and no revenues for any guiding or outdoor-based businesses.