Gary-Summer: September 1, 2024 - Park Ridge Lookout

Sunday, September 1, 2024

September 1, 2024 - Park Ridge Lookout

Title: September 1, 2024 - Park Ridge Lookout

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

I both woke up early and was slow getting up. The early part is that I woke up well before 0500. The slow part is I did not get moving until 0600. But really, there is not much reason to get moving too early. It is not like I am going to go for a walk with an AQI of 170 and climbing. But I think that AQI is more than up here as it is taken in Wilsonia and we are a thousand feet up from there. We get our day together and have breakfast before going into service this morning.

It is another extended day, so we go into service at 0800. With the smoke, there is not much to see. When we went in service, we went in with an optimistic three miles of visibility. Things do not get much better. But we do what we are paid to do and continue to try to pierce through the smoke looking for smoke. (We get paid in sunsets, in case you are wondering about our wages.)

We have four visitors from San Diego who braved the smoke. They were interested in how the lookout functions. They indicated they wanted to come back when there was better visibility.

Then back to doing our scans for whatever that is worth as we still cannot see more than 3-5 miles. But we do our scans anyway. And the rest of our morning goes on normally.

Somebody let the Coffee Pot overheat

Then as noon was closing in, two women came up: one from Fremont and her friend from Vancouver. We do our normal song and dance talking about what they are seeing around them, the CoffeePot Fire smoke which is hampering the view, where the General Grant Tree is, the effects of the KNP Fire three years ago and the recent prescribed burn which they just walked along. They are interested and I might say even fascinated. The Vancouver lady asks me about how we get our volunteers and I talk about that. Also about the training we go through where we learn how to use the fire finder, read a map, use the radio and take the weather. Take the weather? Wait, did we take the weather this morning? No! Wonder what Wendy will say when she finds out?

One of the things about being conscious about doing our scans is that you see things. Isn’t that why we are lookouts is to see things. While not seeing smoke, well at least not seeing smoke which is not part of the CoffeePot Fire. But what we do see are birds. Not just any birds, but some hawks which seem to be doing a sky dance. When they disappear, we go back and finish our scan, only to have them reappear and resume their dancing. Not sure what kind of hawks they are, maybe a Cooper Hawk. Whoever they are, they are certainly mesmerizing.

Earlier today one of the visitors asked me don’t we get bored just staring out onto the forest? Not with entertainment like those hawks. Plus there is the CoffeePot Fire, which when we can see that far, captures our attention. First with the clouds of smoke billowing out from it and then at night, we see the fire-red glow from its destruction. Of course, being able to observe it requires some clearing of the smoke we have been enveloped in. Today as the afternoon has progressed, the smoke has lifted and we can see more and more.

Dancing Hawk

Also not bored as with a couple of fires one down in Cedar Grove which causes some excitement with the Park. It is by the Visitor Center there and seems pretty small. Staff there have it contained, but Engine 42 goes down there to check it out. The other fire, actually two separate ones, are in CalFire territory down in the Dunlap area. There is too much smoke for us to see, but we are able to figure out where it is, in case it becomes visible. Delilah’s lookout is a second year person. I refreshed him last June. So I give him a call and we talk through the fire and where it is and why it is not visible to him.

At 1750, we went out of service with Ash Mountain Fire. But we stayed on for another two hours with Porterville. Sherri fixes the lasagna and bread for dinner. Nothing else exciting happens, which is a good thing. As the sun goes down, the shadows deepen. Instead of smoke obscuring the landscape, darkness does. Finally at 2000, we went out of service with Porterville.

Sherri has a new phone which should take night photos better. She has seen some really interesting shots and wants to attempt using her phone for her own photos. When it gets dark enough, we descend to the ground, shut off lights and enjoy a bit of star gazing. Night sky photography is something which takes a while to figure out. But Sherri gets some photos for initial satisfaction. Also we play with various effects. My attempts do not come out at all. By 2130, we are safely back in the tower, all tucked away in our sleeping bags, ready for our last night here.