May 30, 2022 - Delilah Lookout

 

 Title: May 30, 2022 - Delilah Lookout

Hike Info : Description :   Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

It is a different morning this morning. I woke up at 0500 to a cloudless sky, brightening up with some hints of pinks and purples. I tucked my head back in the bag and slept a bit more, finally getting up around 0615. The sun has risen and there is not a cloud in the sky. A glorious morning. I can see into Yosemite, I think, Red Mountain just barely peeks its top over a ridge in the distance, at least it has the right azimuth.

I get up and start preparing for this evenings’ departure. But then I hear the thumping of motors-four trucks without least 10 people, probably more, unload from the cars. This is at 0645, a bit too early for visitors. I tell them that Delilah will be open in a couple of hours. They linger around and talk with each other, but by 0700 they have left. This gives me an opportunity to lug stuff down to my truck for my get away this evening..

Possibly Red Mountain in Yosemite, over 50 miles away

And then before I know it, it is 0800, time for going in service this Memorial Day. I radio both Porterville and Sierra to know my presence-Porterville’s response was a bit staticy. Shortly afterwards Buck Rock goes in service as well-she has a harder time hearing Porterville’s response than I did. After discussing the situation, she will give them a call and see what they can do. (Later Porterville sounds fine.) I then have my granola breakfast while looking for smoke. One of the first places which I did look for a smoke was where the Park Fire was yesterday. It is clear.

Back to the normal routine. of scanning. But this morning, I am also cleaning windows. This is not out of the normal event, just a routine task for when you are living in a room which is predominately walled with glass. Besides, it is a lot easier to see. Just one of the less “glamorous” tasks for being a fire lookout. Of course, I can make even the easiest task hard. One of the paper towels slipped behind the refrig. It took a bit of doing to get it out.

 Today is just about as cool as yesterday, but the air is calm and the moisture level is down. So even though it is 50^o I am in a T-shirt unlike yesterday. As noon is approaching, I may be putting back on a long-sleeved shirt. The breeze is kicking back up again.

 

Kaiser Peak, beyond Huntington Lake

Things are going along without incident. Patrol 33 radio’s in a smoke in Redwood Canyon. But I do not hear anything else on it all afternoon. Buck Rock does check in with me to see if I can spot it. That is a negative as there is the end of Park Ridge which blocks our view. Looking at the coordinates, it sounds like it is to the south of Buena Vista Peak. My guess is that it will be left to burn as most of the area was hit by the KNP Complex fire last year.

Patrol 33 is being pretty active as she keeps finding trees and stuff in the road which is cleared away. The rest of the afternoon is just taking care to keep scanning. Around 1700 I start to clean the cab area so I can vacate it. Then 1800 rolls around and I go out of service.

It has been a pretty good time alone up in the lookout. I cannot say I have had any profound thoughts. Just a time away. By 1830 I had my truck packed, keys put away and taking off. When I pass by Sierra Highlands Camp, I look over to see if my Canadian friend is in sight-no. And I continue on. Along the way, I see a small animal hopping along. Not a rabbit, but some sort of cat. I was not quick enough to take a picture or identify it. That was the excitement for the drive home. I got back at 2000, tired and glad to be home.

 Animals

 
Flowers and Plants

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 29, 2022 - Delilah Lookout

 

Another view of yesterday's rock

Title: May 29, 2022 - Delilah Lookout
Hike Info : Description :  Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

I woke up around 0515 with the first hints of sun coming over the Middle Fork of the Kings. When I turned over, part of the sleeping bag fell away and I decided that it is a cold, cruel world out there and maybe I would be more comfortable snuggled up in my bag. Looking at the RAWS station, it says it is 47^o. This gives me a chance just to lay and watch the sun filter through the clouds. I am not being completely useless, I also see if there was any lightning yesterday-none.

Clouds invading my space

By the time 0630 rolled around I was ready to get up. Well, maybe I am. The neck is a bit stiff. After making a pit stop, I went on a short walk down to the saddle. Delilah’s crowning jewels are in blossom-Common Media’s, elderberry’s, Mariposa Lily’s and its cousins. Even a fawn made an appearance. A splendid walk. I get back up in the tower, huffing and puffing more than I did yesterday with my 35 pound pack. Still got up there by 0740. Now to get ready for my 12 hour day.

Delilah went into service at 0800, the start of a new day. Clouds around the fringes, with one large, non-threatening cloud coming straight towards Delilah from Pine Ridge. I have my breakfast, brush my teeth and put up the flag. I am doing my 15 minute scans as well-of course the eyes are constantly looking around, even with other activities.

Clouds over Park Ridge

I get a scan in around 0935 and then a cloud wraps its arms around Delilah on three sides. I let Porterville know. I can still see across the Kings into Sierra NF. But not for long. Around 1000 I let Sierra know that there was little or nor visibility. Between Porterville giving a weather update-seems strange since I am in the middle of my own weather phenomenon-and Sierra doing a lookout check-in, I was able to lay down for a bit. Felt good. Maybe the clouds were God’s way of giving me a few minutes to rejuvenate.

 

 

Buck Rock went into service around 1110, but was uncertain if she heard back from Porterville. So we talked and also let her know about our need of AA batteries and water. Then Patrol 33 called and I relayed a message to Buck Rock about a replacement part she is bringing up. Always good to talk with P33. She is someone who is always so warm and affirming.

Park Fire smoke

The rest of the early afternoon was more or less normal stuff. Taking the weather scanning, writing a bit on the blog, and refreshing myself on the places around Delilah. Just a normal afternoon. That is until a little after 1500 when I hear Sierra tone out an event, a fire. But where? Does it even concern me? Sierra started to give location information: Trimmer Springs Road. Wait! I just checked that 5 minutes ago. And Pine Flat Road. I looked over there too, but I will admit not extensively. But even now, there is no sign of smoke. Looking at a topo map, the ridge above the ground is at least 1000’ above the floor where the roads are. By this time Sierra is calling out resources and 5 minutes has passed. And now I am seeing a bit of discoloration in the area-I would not have noticed that without looking closely and comparing it to what I saw before. A minute later, there was a genuine smoke rising over the ridge. I call that in with an azimuth and a description of the smoke. Both Sierra and CalFire are already rolling, but it is good to have somewhat reliable eyes on it. Over the next hour, I watched the smoke grow and heard on the radio resources attacking the fire. And then the smoke started to diminish.

    

Markings on the window for training

Even with all of this excitement, I perform my duties and go on looking for other smokes-and not finding any of them. A while later while I was updating the logs, I had a guest who is a Canadian from Singapore. He is interested in the area and what the lookout does. He must have been since he stayed an hour or so. Don’t worry dear reader, I was looking around for more smokes. 

 

 

And then life returned to normal when he left. I get back into my routine. Around 1800, I had my dinner-homemade spaghetti, brought from Fresno. Filling and tasted good, even if I made it myself. Then at 1830, my family has a Sunday Zoom meeting. I took off WiFi from my phone and went onto mobile data. Worked out well. Fun showing the family my habitat in the sky. They also seemed to enjoy it as well. I also did my scans, maybe not as religiously during the last hour. But I had been on the job for 11 hours already.

By the time we finished the Zoom call, it was 2000 and time to go out of service. There are a few things I need down stairs, such as bring up water for tomorrow. Then I came back up.Sherri and I talked for another hour before I went to bed. A good day.

 

 

Animals

A flower child deer

Dotted Blue

 
Flowers and Plants

Common Madea

Wild Hynecth

May 28, 2022-Delilah

Title: May 28, 2022 - Delilah
Hike Info : Description :   Background : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

Today is the first day for 2022 when I will be in a fire lookout. I will be going up a bit late and staying the next couple of nights. Should be a good and cool visit. When I get up, I do my lightning queries-there is none. Then I go for a walk, followed by breakfast. There is a letter to be finished before I go and a couple of bills to be looked at-guess that is what I will be doing Tuesday. Then I load the truck for my trip. I also get stuff ready for our city street pickup in a week or so.

Big Baldy from Delilah

By the time 11:30 rolls around, I take a shower and have my lunch-all of this sort of normal activity. Then at 1205, I am off. Traffic is not too bad for a Memorial Day weekend. I get to Delilah at 1340 and into the cab before 1400.

I am able to haul enough up to last until 2000. Brent will be doing a refresh with me-to make sure I am OK in the tower without hand holding after being out of the cab for 9 months-that is a long time for an old man to remember things.

One thing we did is to “spot” a fire behind Patterson Bluffs

Where is this rock?

. I put it on top of Poison Ridge. We worked with that and then went through the process of reporting it. I did mostly satisfactory. But then Brent did what he really wanted me to do, work through where Poison Ridge is and a large rock at the end of that ridge. After walking through it, looking closely at the contour lines, I realized at that spot on top of that rock, we could not see Poison Ridge. So what are we seeing? Pretty much in line with the “smoke” is on an unnamed ridge where Cabin Meadow resides. On the topo map, there is a large area showing no vegetation below the meadow, unlike on Poison Ridge. That is the conclusion Brent had come up with as well and he wanted to verify this with someone else. (Lori had also come up with the same conclusion before me.) Lesson, our lookout Visual Books are a good tool, but they are not perfect.

 

North Fork of the Kings

 

Brent and I talked a bit more about the various aspects of lookout life. Such as concise communications, as well as making sure the communications are accurate and do not go beyond what is known. Sort of common sense, but over time bad habits can creep in. So it is good to review of what my practices should be.

Towards evening, Brent goes home and I settle down into lookout life. Scans and recording radio communications. At 1800, I eat spaghetti for dinner. I still have a couple more hours of being in-service. Three vehicles come around the loop. Some of the people are yelling-not upset, but a form of communication between vehicles. I see them stopping, but not getting out. So I am wondering what they are doing? Eventually they leave, to my relief. I was not looking to having them as neighbors tonight, even if they were down the road.

Sunset on Park Ridge

 

When I do go out of service at 2000, there is still light. So I get down to the outhouse. Then I am able to get everything I need onto the pulley system. Yeah! I do not need to make a second trip. It is cool and windy, so I am glad to get back into the cab, closing everything up. Sherri and I talk for a bit. Then I read a bit longer before turning in.

 

 

Background

Visual Books. These are books which gave been put together over the years by experienced fire lookout people from each lookout’s perspective. They contain a pictures taken from the lookout. Each picture has about 30-50^o. On the picture, prominent points are labeled. Also by each picture is a page showing the points, azimuth, distance, legal location and other useful information. The purpose is to help the fire lookout determine what is being looked at.

Extra Photo's

Patterson Bluffs across the Kings River

Bear Mountain in Tulure County from Delilah

Big Baldy and Redwood Mountain-see the right half? Burnt during KNP Complex fire last year

Shooting the sun with the Fire Finder