THEEDITOR’SNOTE Sipping a pint along the Russian River gave the editor some time for reflection about everything Californians have gone through during these terrible wildfires. (CHRIS COCOLES)
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UERNEVILLE–I spent a working getaway in Northern California as summer turned to fall, and throughout my stay the state’s wildfires were always at the forefront of my experience. From my family’s weekend stay and fishing outing in the Sierra around Arnold and the melancholy I experienced reading the headlines about blazes in former fishing spots (page 35); to the terrifying blood-orange skies around the Bay Area due to smoke and haze from other fires; I’ve been consumed with grief for those affected throughout California. When I spent a couple days with my great friend Norv at his family’s second home in Bodega Bay, the unhealthy air quality issues that we all experienced had vastly improved. But as Norv and I took a ride to the Russian River to have lunch and I reminisced about past trips to this quiet corner of Sonoma County, he reminded me of a sobering reality that the fires are omnipresent. After a beautiful ride along the river on Highway 116, we eventually reached Guerneville, the riverside town my dad and I frequented with his car club in the old days. But Norv pointed to so many “Thank You, Firefighters” signs in town, as just weeks before Guerneville was under evacuation orders when the Walbridge Fire threatened the community. Though around 160 homes were destroyed, the carnage could have been worse. After stopping for lunch at nearby Stumptown Brewing Company and enjoying a Riverview pint and sandwich on the socially distanced patio, it struck me how many Californians have been in peril from these terrible wildfires – on top of a pandemic and all the hatred and ignorance tearing apart the country in this most contentious and abnormal election year. It hasn’t been easy; it has been tragic; it’s not over yet. But what else can we do but keep plugging away? Guerneville residents can attest to that. -Chris Cocoles
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calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2020 California Sportsman
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