Title: September 10, 2017 - Park Ridge Lookout
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals
Hike Info:
Type: Lookout
Description:
Last night, I asked Wendy about coming up to Park Ridge the night before. She said yes. So today I went for a walk, worked on my desk. Then we went out to dinner at Huckleberry’s/ Food was ok, but service was slow. The idea was if I could leave by about 1:30, I could go for a hike, Hitchcock’s Meadow-a short hike, still a hike. But we got back from lunch at 2:00 pm and would leave at the earliest 2:30. No good for my hike. So I stayed around Fresno till 4pm.
I was aiming for 5:30pm to be at the Panorama Pt gate. But I did need to get gas. A line slowed me down a bit. Then got behind a slow car. So I got to the gate a little after 6pm. Having been warned that it is awkward to meet a car on the road, I waited inside the gate. When I unlocked the gate, I noticed that the series of locks were not set right. With the fear of Wendy in mind, I took a before picture for her. A few minutes later Carol came down the road-the same Carol as on our other two Park Ridge hikes in July and August. We talked for a few minutes and then I locked the gate and drove in. Got into Park Ridge about 6:40pm.
That is when I found the problem of the trip. The milk bottle had gotten unsealed, spreading milk on the bottom of the truck. Cleanup time. Talked with Kathy and Wendy, electronically. There was a single thunder roll about 7:30pm. That got me ready in case more was to come in my direction. Then had a conversation with my mother. Neat to show the sunset to her. Finally talked with Sherri before going to bed, just after a good moon rose.
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September 10, 2017
For the last hour I woke up off and on as I watch a pink line in the eastern sky grow. Finally at 0600 got up. The lookout yesterday said she could not see the Western Divide. This morning it is grand. Of course later on the smoke may come back and then it will be the same yuk stuff. Or maybe some clouds will come in. But until that time, I will enjoy the sight with my breakfast-granola, without the milk. (Can I cry over my spilt milk?) Walked a little ways just to stretch my legs for the start of the day. Now it is time to take the weather.
At 0925 I go in service with both Sequoia NF and Ash Mountain Fire. One of the differences which you need to get used to being at Park Ridge is the additional amount of radio traffic and the slightly different vocabulary used. Such as with Ash Mountain, we also hear much of the National Park traffic for SEKI. Bathroom needs plumber? Yep. Road construction holding traffic? Yep. Bear breaks vehicle window? Yep-and don’t forget the bear jams!. Disturbance at a campground? Yep. So there is a lot more non-fire traffic here than at Delilah. The trick is filter out, rather than get involved with the drama-as fun as some of it is.
But in my world it is scanning for smoke, listening to the radio, taking notes on staffing and weather which are my bread and butter duties. In between all of this, I make sure I remember the area: which hump is Burnt Point (this is actually an easy one to identify, but some bearings I was using did not agree with other bearings, so was wondering which is correct and why the difference), where is the Hogback and the like? Around 1230 I have my sandwich for lunch.
And then the visitors start rolling in. The first couple is from Connecticut. We talked about a wide assortment of things including bark beetles, how far can we see and where is all the smoke coming from. Then they leave after about 20-25 minutes. Another man has come up and is looking at the brown haze over the Central Valley. He makes a comment about the smog. I reply not only that but there is smoke mixed in. He says, “Gary!” Turns out it is John, a co-worker of mine and a teacher of one of my children-now a college dean. John, Brenda and his son, as well as his friends have hiked up to Park Ridge. Last time I saw them was at the Christmas Tree Lane walk. It was good talking with him and catching up on. I, of course, do the fire lookout tour guide stuff. But it is even more fun talking with people whom I know.
After they leave, I realize I have not done the things I should be doing up here, like take the weather. As I have been talking with the lookout visitors, I do scan the area to make sure there is no obvious smokes. Then another couple comes up and we talk about. They mention they have been to all three lookouts: Buck Rock, Delilah and Park Ridge. I am impressed! Buck Rock everybody goes there. Park Ridge is a hiker magnet. But Delilah? You have to be purposeful to go there. Steve and Kathy and I click right off-so it is another case of, well maybe not ignoring my duties, but at least delaying them. They live down close to the Kings River in the valley.
The evening is coming fast and it seems like most of the day has been spent talking. I get a few more scans in and then it is house cleaning time. I get about half the windows cleaned up and am about to mop. A couple more visitors come by. Then scan some more and mop the floor. Time to go on home. But first, go out of service with both SEKI and Sequoia NF.
Now for the big question of the day. Sherri had mentioned going to Snowline Lodge to eat sometime. So I decided to check it out. When I stopped, I asked if it was too late to grab something to eat. They indicated, it was not a restaurant. But then they looked at my Buck Rock volunteer shirt and this was the key to a conversation. People around here are appreciative of those connected with fire fighting since the Rough Fire went right behind them a couple of years ago. Asked if I wanted a cup of coffee? Not know. But they also invited if we wanted to stop in sometime on the way up, coffee would be ready for us. So I stopped at Bear Mountain Pizza and then headed home.
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