Gratitude and Action: Life During Fire Season
The 2020 fire season has shaken many across the Western United States. For some, it rattled us to our core, trapping us in our homes or forcing us to evacuate. For others, it has rekindled a drive to go out and take action. Most kids, as resilient as ever, just keep peddling and finding smiles in routines that are anything but routine.
Here are stories and reflections captured in the fire season that has already burned more than five million acres. We were inspired to do this post after coming across the first photo — one that powerfully captures the essence of 2020. A world on fire, both literally and figuratively, and a kid on his bike finding a reason to smile because he pedaled to the top of “The Big Hill” for the first time.
Cabin Works Owner, Phillip Martin
“Asher and I do a bike ride after dinner most days. I have hundreds of pictures of my kids in that same spot in front of our house. That day it had a massive plume with the sunset color starting at the top.”—Phillip Martin out for a ride with his son Asher as the Troublesome fire picked up momentum on October 21, fueled by hundreds of thousands of acres of dead beetle kill trees.
Cabin Works will match up to $2500 of donations made to our local Grand County Wildfire Emergency Fund in Cabin Works name. You can donate here and 100% of funds go directly supporting the needs of Grand County residents who have been evacuated, displaced, or have lost their homes during the Grand County Wildfires.
Home base: Granby, CO
Snowboarding Icon and Founder of Protect our Winters, Jeremy Jones
“Proud Dad moment watching my daughter drop into this wave.
Zoom school and smoke dodging have put us on the coast a lot this fall. Feel very fortunate to have the flexibility to pick up and go. Thoughts are with everyone in Colorado! Hoping our fire season is slowing down in California. Some snow or rain sure would help. #prayforsnow“
Home base: Truckee, CA
Follow Jeremy @jeremyjones and read our Prokit feature and podcast.
Ultrarunner, YiOu Wang
“Fresh(ish) Air. Friends. Freedom of Movement. Things I will never ever take for granted again. Hold on to what you love, keep fighting for what you believe in, and all will be alright.”
Home base: Marin County, CA
Follow YiOu @yiouwang; our full interview and podcast with YiOu.
Runner and Sports Medicine Doctor, Dr. Emily Kraus
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – RBG ✨
“I had the good fortune of smiling and floating through clean, costal air and beautiful, public trails this weekend. The words of RBG and moments like these help me face the realities of the world with renewed strength, grit, and a little more hope.”
Home base: Bay Area, CA
Follow Emily @ekraus, and read our Prokit feature, or Emily’s interview with @anneguzman on bone health and RED-s.
Adventure Cyclist and Gravel Pro, Sarah Sturm
“Winter is just around the corner, so we’d better keep walking up mountains with bikes on our backs. It’s scary just how dry the back country is right now, and after watching so many friends get displaced because of fires in both California and Colorado, it’s a very real fear. What action can we take? #VOTE for one, and do your research. Elect local representatives who believe in science! This is a small step in the right direction, save the places we love!”
Home base: Durango, CO.
Follow Sarah @sarahzsturm and listen to our podcast with Sarah.
Pro Triathlete, Chelsea Sodaro
“My face when the AQI is 2!! Yes… TWO!!!! 🙌🏻 Grateful for the opportunity to play outside in this beautiful clean air. Even more grateful for all of the firefighters working so freaking hard to protect the West Coast, especially my #1 @steve.sodaro ❤️”
Home base: Marin County, CA.
Follow Chelsea @chelseasodaro and explore her kit.
Runner, Coach, and Epidemiologist, Dr. Megan Roche
“Wildfire sunsets telling us to vote.”
Home base: Boulder, CO
Follow Megan @meganroche; our feature and podcast with Megan and her husband, @davidroche.
Mountain Bike Pro, Kate Courtney
“My heart breaks thinking about rides like these in the Santa Cruz mountains earlier this year. Sending love to all of the families being impacted and gratitude to the fire fighters working hard to keep our open spaces and communities safe 💔🌿🚲”
Home base: Bay Area, CA
Follow Kate @katecourtney; our podcast and feature.
Prokit Co-Founder, David Swain
“September 9th felt like the apocalypse in Northern California. We woke up to complete darkness when the sun had been up for hours. I put my headlamp and mask on to go explore the trails at 11am and these unfiltered photos are what I saw. Meanwhile the kids home schooled in the dark on Zoom – just another day in 2020.”
Home base: Marin County, CA
Eldridge Grade on the northeast side of Mt. Tam 
Looking south towards Mt. Tam
Follow David @swain and listen to his podcast, The Common Threads.
