Here are some cool products to help plan high country trips while at least trying to minimize exposure to smoke. Combining these with 700mb maps and using the various webcams, you should be able to dial in the best air quality for your mountain wandering pleasure! Or at the very least, change big plans to a less smokey the bear time if conditions are nasty.

Derived from MODIS imagery, here are active fire maps:
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/activefiremaps.php?op=maps&rCode=cgb

Example:


Satellite imagery of smoke advection:
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/imagery.php?op=fire&fireID=ca-south-000

Southern Cali example:


Shameless plug for DRI CANSAC-CEFA products
Air quality model output:
http://www.cefa.dri.edu/COFF/AirQuality.php?forecast=2011072812&model=wrf

example for Yosemite:


2,6,18km WRF domains from CANSAC-CEFA
http://www.cefa.dri.edu/COFF/cansac_output.php?model=wrf

Here's why the Eastside is smoky!!! And you should now know where the fires are at!

Great links! Thanks.