In a special bonus episode of our recreation X wildfire series sponsored by Protect Our Winters, we spoke with professional skier Cody Townsend about what it's like to live in North Lake Tahoe as the threat of wildfire (or smoke) in that area seems to increase exponentially every fire season, as well as what kind of advocacy work he suggests for listeners who don't know where to get started in the climate or advocacy space.

And we know what you might be thinking right now: A professional skier? On a wildfire podcast?

You betcha, and for good reason—Cody hasn't just been an outspoken advocate for better climate policy and the politicians that support them, but has also experienced the community impacts of wildfire first hand, whether through air quality, forest and trail closures, figuring out what to put his family's go-bags or otherwise living with the near constant threat of wildfire and smoke. His experiences likely mirror those of many folks in California and beyond, and are particularly pertinent now as the Mosquito Fire continues to burn intensely—blanketing much of the Tahoe and Reno areas in dense smoke.