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| Morning Moon at 0554 |
Description:
This is my last day at Delilah. Four days is a long time to be away from family and home. I do not know how the “real” lookouts do it for five days straight. Some of it is a mindset I think-they know that they will be up here for that long. Maybe it is my age getting to me, but I suspect it will take a couple of days to recover my energy. By the way, the term “real” lookout is not meant to smear us volunteers. But those who do this professionally are up here longer. The lay of the land is second nature to them. The use of the radio is more relaxed. It is a job for them while an enjoyment for me. When it becomes a grind, that is when I will need to re-examine why I am up here.
I do wake up before six and watch the sun come up in the east. Another good one, maybe not as good as Sundays, but still good. I feel just worn out this morning. So when I go down for my morning pit stop, I just do a lap around the lookout-about a fifth of a mile, if I am being lenient with myself. When I get back up in the tower, I read, then eat some. Also I pack up as I will be leaving today. I figure anything I get done now says the earlier I can leave tonight.
At 0929 I go into service with
both Porterville and Sierra. With Sierra I note that there is no
smoke visible from the Trimmer
Fire.
That is a hopeful sign that they got things under control. I am
expecting a couple of techs from both Sierra and Sequoia National
Forests sometime today to fix the issue.
No Smoke from Trimmer Fire
AT 1030, I see a Forest Service truck drive up. It is Alan, the tech from Sequoia. He opens up the electronics room and starts working on the issue with the tone for Sierra. And actually, it is an issue with our tone 1 for Sequoia as well. It is just we talk direct to Porterville without a repeater. After a little while, I let down a load of stuff and then tell Porterville and Sierra I am out of the tower for 30 minutes-turns out for an hour.
I talk with Alan about some of the issues, getting some information. Jeff from Sierra comes up I think Alan now is more interested in talking shop with a fellow tech, than updating my understanding. I hang around for a while, to see if I can glean anything. He is replacing the power controller. But when it becomes evident that probably that is about what I will glean, I climb the stairs back up the tower. I tell everybody that I am back in the tower. I do not think anybody missed me. Well, that is except Sierra did their lookout check in, but they knew I was out of the tower, so they did not call Delilah. Alan and Jeff leave without any farewell.
Around 1240, I hear some chatter between Buck Rock and Park Ridge about can you see that smoke on Big Baldy. Affirmative. I start looking, but nothing is visible. Seems like the story of this time at Delilah. They figure out the coordinates, both the azimuths and legal. Buck Rock calls up Porterville and issues a smoke report. Park Ridge has already called up SEKI with a smoke report and they are responding.
The issue on this fire is not so much trying to find it. It is right on the trail. Also it seems like from the radio conversation, it is being handled. Initially I am hearing the fire is 50’x50’. They have brought in aircraft and laid down a barrier to the fire’s spread. The personnel are arriving to get rid of the remains of the fire. The real question is, where is this fire? On SEKI land or on Forest? If on Forest, they can lay down retardant. On Park land, they have to use more natural means. I hear one radio call going something like this Porterville: Can you tell us where the fire is? IC: I have sent the coordinates. Porterville: We cannot tell if the fire is on Forest or Park land, you will have to make the call. Talking about punting. Eventually it is decided it is in the Park.
In the meantime, I am hearing Patrol 33 saying she is escorting four hikers back to their cars. Then should she bring back the investigator’s kit. Evidently the fire started as a campfire and got away. Interesting times there.
Juvenile Turkey Vulture
Wendy text’s me some
pictures of the fire. There is a ridge between me and the smoke.
Isn’t that the story of the smokes I am seeing. She then asks if I
am having fun yet? I told her No
fun until a couple of minutes ago.
That raises her interest. She wants to know what I am seeing. But I
have the hook with the bait and tell her, will
let you know in a few minutes. Nothing critical, only interesting.
While the other lookouts are having a blast with the fire, a squadron
of turkey vultures are performing acrobatics about a half mile away
to the east. They are swooping along on the air currents and then
they move in closer going to my north. I catch one of them passing
right by and it stops on a tree about 60 yards away. They continue on
to the west and I lose them. Fun stuff.
I cannot say that I am completely without my own smokes. Just nothing which I can report or get credit for. Our westerly boundary is the Kern-Friant Canal. There are two smokes well beyond that. So all which I can do is watch.
At 1501, I hear the tone out that all suppression, detection, prevention units are on until 2000. I mull this over awhile and decide that I will stay until 1900 or 1930. The shadows start to hide things then anyway. I talk this over with Buck Rock and she is in agreement, even encouraging me to leave at 1800 if I want to. Also we talk about the radio situation in the electronics room. The basic question is, can we have communications when this room is closed up, if we need to evacuate there.
Sounds like another
opportunity to take a load down. So out of the tower I go again. The
basic answer is I can transmit, but the static is pretty bad on
receiving anything. Guess it is something we will need to work on.
Evening View of Delilah as I Leave
I have my final beerock
dinner. At 1750, I go out of service with Sierra. I start sanitizing
the cab with IPA on surfaces or wiping down sensitive equipment. Also
cleaning the floor and just getting ready to leave. This takes
awhile. I go out of service at 1906. And lock everything up while
taking the rest of my belongings down.
It has been a busy four days. Glad I was up there. I wish Sherri could have made it as well. But there is always the next time. I make it back home by 2100, tired and ready for a shower and bed.
Trail Lesson: If you are wrong, do not be afraid to correct. Also do be open to reconsidering your position.
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| Quail |
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| Delilah Fawn |
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| Juvenile Turkey Vulture |
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| Juvenile Turkey Vulture |
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| Juvenile Turkey Vultures |
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| Hawk on my way out |
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