that has happened in the world over the past 10-20 years.
The ongoing destruction in southern California as well as the recent tragedies in places as different as Maui and Jasper really saddens me.
And from a selfish perspective as an avid backpacker, its made it so that there's no reliably good time to hike anymore. There's basically snow & ice season, dangerous creek crossing season, bug (mosquito) season, and fire & smoke season. The latter used to not be so much of a thing when I first really got into backpacking in the 1990s. Not anymore. Now, as someone who still prefers to hike in late summer, I'm constantly checking the US Fire & Smoke Map in the days and weeks leading up to my trip and having to consider alternative routes or flat out cancellation. Moreover, large burn scar areas are becoming increasingly prevalent, thereby reducing the aesthetically enjoyable places to visit.