August 12, 2026 - Delilah

 

 

 Title: August 12, 2026 - Delilah

Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

When I woke up this morning, there were clouds to the west and north. When I did my lightning report.I was shocked to see all of the strikes over Jesse Morrow Mtn, Tivy, and around Trimmer-I did not hear a thing. These places are between 12-15 miles away from me. I was thinking about the discussion about how secure is the lookout if it is struck? I made sure I had my lightning stool ready and all of the things I would need during a thunderstorm. Still there is a bit of apprehension. By the way, the shock mentioned above was figuratively, not literally.

Clouds over Jesse Morrow Mtn and Tivy

 

I tracked what these clouds were doing and did not see them moving closer, so I relaxed a bit, but not much. When I looked a bit further on where the strikes were, I saw a string up highway 99 from Visaila to Kingsburg, going over to Reedley and then to the areas already noted. When I turn on the radio, I hear patrols trying to track down if there were strikes in the northern part of the Sierra National Forest.

 

I do not have time to do too much more than have breakfast, wash up, take down the stuff I do not need today, as I will be going home tonight. I get enough walk time to walk for a couple of minutes, before heading back up into the cab. When I get up there, I take the weather and get ready. The weather still looks the same as it did when I got up.

A few minutes before 0930, both Park Ridge and Delilah go in-service. Then it goes on to the normal routine of listening to the radio, doing scans and practicing locations. I am also keeping an eye on where the clouds are, which leads to lightning. So far nothing to be concerned about. I hear Porterville reporting the weather and staffing. Then at 1100, I responded to Sierra’s lookout check in.

Richard and I talk some more about lightning and what the plan is. I am still comfortable with the lightning stool/ So I will stay in the tower for the rest of the day.

About noon, I am doing my scan, when I see some discoloration through the haze beyond Sacate Ridge. What am I seeing? I looked at it for a while. Then I see some of the whiteness in the area rising. I look a minute more to confirm, then radio in what I see. The azimuth is at 338 with an approximate distance of 12 miles. I cannot see the base as it is beyond Sacate. I confirm it is in the direction of Haslett Basin-I cannot see into the basin. Sierra radios me back after a while to confirm what I saw and the azimuth. I also talked with Judy who will come in after me about what she will be coming into.

The slight discoloration in the center behind Sacate

 

Same photo filtered so you can see more of the discoloration

 

Sierra is throwing the whole army at this, including an air attack and a tanker. Several units are sent as well. Battalion Chief 42 radio’s me about 20 minutes later and asks what I am seeing now. The haze has cleared, and the column which I was seeing before has almost completely disappeared. Both air attack and unit 430 say they cannot see any smoke. The units and the air are called off. One of the units, Fresno4, is left to observe. After two hours, they still do not see any smoke, so they are relieved and allowed to do their other duties. I will go into my speculation in the Background.

Same shot half an hour afterwards

 

After this, I talked with Wendy, our lookout wise woman,both me calling in the smoke and about lightning or as I said to her, I needed a sanity check. But before I talked about that, I recapped my smoke report and the outcome. She notes that it looks like I went through the proper procedures. Which I think I did, still it sits with me wrong to radio in a bad smoke call. Wendy says not to beat myself up.

Air Attack

As far as the lightning is concerned, we talked over what the notes said as well as the inspection. I also went over what I was thinking that we have been OK for so many years, at least 20 years of staffing this lookout. With the lightning stool, there is the added protection. So I feel comfortable. She thought that my reasoning made sense. So until someone says something different, that is what I will be doing. She asked me to send her the notes and the signs. I sent it to her and to Greg.

The rest of the day, is uneventful. The normal stuff. I was hoping that I would not be faced with another situation where it was a call which would look questionable later. But there is nothing even close. I did talk with Buck Rock about the status of our hours. We are off of extended hours.

Greg calls and we discuss the inspection. There is no change of plans on my part. Greg will be talking with those in charge of our area about direction and meaning of the report. This sounds like it will be taken seriously and may not have resolution for a little while. Later on there is a directive which said, if there is lightning in the area, get out of the tower.

Hume Lake Region District will not be on extended houses, but Sierra will. What this means is that I will be leaving at 1800. After the 1600 Sierra checkin, I start cleaning up so I will leave the cab presentable for Judy. Yesterday and today I cleaned the windows. I also heat up my hamburger dinner. By 1800, I went out of service with both Sierra and Porteville. By the time I lock up, get down the stairs and put everything in its place, it is 1820. I am able to get home a few minutes after 2000. The first order of business is to take a shower-which feels so good. Then talk with Sherri for awhile

Background

A few days later, after getting home, I was processing my photos from today. I noticed that I had taken a picture of Sacate Ridge about 40 minutes before the rising white stuff which I thought was smoke. The image shows a very dark area right where I saw my smoke. It looked like a very intense spot of rain. My hypothesis is that what I was seeing and reporting was left over from this downpour. That the white going up may have been due to an updraft pushing up some of the leftover mist. I think there may be other plausible explanations. I really hope it is not that Gary is fading as a useful lookout.Below are the images I took of the area before and after what I saw:

Picture where the discoloration was 40 minutes before

Discoloration as I saw it

Lightly filtered from above

Heavily Filtered

Same area about half an hour later

 

 Extra Photo's

Afternoon clouds to the east

Outhouse view

Virga to the southeast

Morning cloud over Dude Ridge

Morning skies

 

 

 

 

August 11, 2026 - Delilah

 

Title: August 11, 2026 - Delilah
Hike Info : Description

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

I woke up and it was still pretty dark with only a sliver of light above the tops of the mountains in the east. It is a 0520. But even though I am awake, I do not get up. I just look out the windows. And what do I see? To the west, I see bats swarming outside of the windows. I am glad I closed that window. To the east, there are also bats, but not nearly as many. Once they calmed down, I got up. I had checked to see if there had been lightning in the area and there was none

My feet touched the floor around 6:20. I read a bit and then have my breakfast. Then I get up-it was warm yesterday and I am a bit smelly. To live with myself, I wash up, lookout style, a spit bath. By the time this is done, I go down the stairs and get some water for the day. I had time to go for a short walk before heading back up.

Pine Ridge

At 0900 I start with my lookout duty at Delilah. Things like setting up my logs and taking the weather. At 0930 I went in service with Portville, along with Park Ridge Lookout. I think Buck Rock went in earlier. Then it is into the routine of scanning and listening to the radio. At 1000 the weather and staffing was broadcast. I did not get the weather. Since Porterville does two readings, I was able to catch the staffing on the second go around.

The mornings at Delilah are warm. Today it is hot. Since nobody is around, I take off my shirt and enjoy a bit of cooling on my skin. I still sweat though.

Lookout!

Sometimes on the radio, you hear something which is out of place from reporting the normal patrol location changes. On R5, our chatty channel, I hear what sounds like a researcher and her assistant. Not sure what they are looking for. But apparently she spooked some cattle and thought she was going to be trampled. It can be a bit intimidating being around those big animals. From the radio, it does not sound like her partner is bothered.

PG&E Tower

At 1100, I responded to the Sierra Lookout Check-in. Then it continues on the normal day. A feature of Delilah is that after 1100, a breeze comes up and cools down the lookout. I put back on my shirt.

I have my lunch. After that, I did the weather. If I am at home, I would have an hour rest period. But up here, I just lay down, turn up the radio and set a 15 minute timer for my two short times of relaxation. Then it is back to full time looking for smoke.

 

 

Goat Saddle

It is a normal afternoon. The 1600 indices and weather from Porterville is noted. I responded to Sierra’s afternoon lookout check in. About 1730 I had a dinner of quesadillas. Then continue looking for smoke, at least on the Sequoia side. On Sierra, I go out of service at 1800. Because of the heat, we are on extended hours so I go until the shadows make finding anything feasible. At 2000, I went out of service with Porterville.

 

 

 

Then it is time to get the cab ready for bedtime. I go down to the ground to take a few things I will not need tomorrow to the car and bring up some more water. At 2030, Sherri and I talk about the events of the day. By the time 2130 hits, I am ready to turn in. After reading, I close by eyes about 2215

August 10, 2026 - Delilah

  

Title: August 10, 2026 - Delilah
Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

I did the lightning report last night so that I could get an earlier start this morning. I got up around 0530. I must have not been as ready as I thought I was as it was almost 0700 before I left. The sky looked like there was some possibility of rain or lightning activity. But there is a beautiful rising of the sun.

 

Inspection tag

I made it to Delilah about 0830. I got my first load ready to take to the cab, including a full backpack. As I started to climb the stairs, I got the first reason to pause. There is a tag which says that the tower has been inspected by the FAA and has been found wanting. This was in two areas. First the inspection noted there was some rust and corrosion on the tower. But the more serious deficiency was that the grounding system for the tower was inadequate. This last was accompanied by a sign warning people not to go up into the tower because of the risk of an electrical lethal shock in case of lightning.

Even though it gives me pause, I decided to go up into the tower and find out if there are any notes in our logs. I do make another trip down to bring up the rest of my supplies, as well as opening up the cab and letting some cooler air in.

There are notes in the log which indicate a few more things. The issue with the grounding sounds like they wanted a ground on each of the four posts. There are also missing bolts as well. As I ponder this, I think that with our lightning stools, I should be able to stay safe during a thunderstorm. So I will stay.

 

 

At 0929 I go into service. Over the weekend there was a fire near Converse Basin. Park Ridge got the first report on this, Turns out it was caused by an unattended fire. The fire is pretty much taken care of at 3-4 acres and in what is called patrol status, meaning that the Incident Commander thinks it is substantially out, but it periodically needs checking on. The hoses are still on the ground in case they are needed.

Richard, one of the Delilah leads, calls me. This is a courteous call to make sure everything is OK. I tell him about the inspection-he has not heard about it. So I text him the tag and Lori’s notes. Later on he calls me and we discuss staying there, particularly during a storm. I tell him my thoughts with the lightning stool. While he reiterates about getting out if there is lightning in the area, he is OK with my rational of staying in the cab on the stool.

I realized that the weather and staffing was not broadcast, so I went on R5 to ask Buck Rock who the Duty Officer is-it is a Battalion 11. He is from out of the district. 

 

 

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. I do the scans and listen to the radio and do the tasks of a lookout. At 1800, I go out of service with Sierra. I have a hamburger dinner-Steven had fixed some for me and I just fried one. Tasted pretty good. The Hume Lake Ranger District is on extended hours. I continued to scan for smoke as the shadows deepen. At 2000 I went out of service.

After going down to lookout and take care of things, I get back up around 2030. Sherri calls me and we talk for about an hour or more. After talking, I take a few star shots-not shooting stars-and then go to bed.

July 1, 2026 - Delilah

Title: July 1, 2026 - Delilah
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

It was a warmer night last night. Even the floor was not cold when I got up at 0510. I checked for any lightning and found none. In the process, I realized that how I was interpreting EGP was incorrect. I need to investigate more. But I think that even when I specify a map set, it is not using it to what I specify rather what is on the screen. That explains that when I pull data, I get outside of the parameters that I specified

I have a leisurely granola breakfast and then go out for a walk. I go further than I have on my last several walks and had more of an incline. Does this mean I am getting into better shape? Probably, but neither does it mean I will be going out tomorrow with a full backpack going up a good slope for 10 miles. It is an improvement and I am glad for improvements.

I got back into the cab about 0830. While the walk was good, the trip up the stairs left me pretty tired for 15 minutes. By 0900 I was doing a scan, then took the weather and went into service at 0930, along with Park Ridge Lookout.

Not much went on in the morning. I continued to do the scans and stuff. Buck Rock did not hear who the duty officer was during the 1000 staffing report and asked Park Ridge who also did not hear. I had recorded the staffing and played it back, so I could hear who the duty was-BC31. When Buck Rock asked me, I could tell her.

On the day when I am leaving, I have my dinner at lunch time. Today it is a repeat of Monday: enchilada and Stagg chili beans. By the time I ate and washed up everything, it was a little past 1300. So I took the weather. The relative humidity is still high compared to how we usually are around here. Then another scan and time for a 15 minute rest time.

 

 

Goat Saddle area

A few more scans. I had just finished one of these scans at 1400 when I heard CalFire, FKU, say that there was a wildland fire called the Guide Fire. I could not decipher the location, but it sounded like it was local. I started scanning, but did not see any smoke. This is not unusual as Pine Ridge blocks about 80 degrees of the area to the south of Delilah. Then Porterville calls it out and the smoke starts to rise up over a branch of Pine Ridge called Dude Ridge. I am able to confirm the smoke. In about seven minutes, that puff was gone, before I could get a good picture.

The area I saw the Guide Fire smoke, mostly dissipated 

The rest of the afternoon is normal stuff. Well sort of. At 1525, while I was doing my scan, I saw something big fly across my binoculars field of vision. There are two hawks gliding around, flying the air currents. Then one of them sees something and makes a beeline into the trees below the tower. I never saw it again. But it was fast. Then the second dives into another set of trees to the west. I lost them then. I guess that is the end of the saw. When I looked up the birds in my John Muir Law’s book, I was wondering if it was an eagle of some type.

At 1600, I responded to Sierra’s lookout check in. There are four of us: Buck Rock, Delilah, Miami and Signal. A little while later Mt Tom went into service. It has been awhile since I heard his voice. I have never met the man, but it is good to have him back.

Sometimes during the afternoon, I heard a report of smoke from Miami Lookout. I have a special interest in Miami. We have hiked up to it several times, but it has never been open. I think starting last year it was being staffed. The lookout was reporting a smoke a half a mile from his lookout. A short time later, he gives a legal location, which puts it at Metcalf Gap. I think that is pretty close to the road we walked up to get to the lookout. If I was him, I would not be very comfortable. Sierra and MMU get right on it and nobody sounds panicked.

As the time of 1800 approaches, I get my stuff together and then clean up the lookout. Of course, I am doing my scans. But the last few scans I may not have been as diligent as earlier in the day. I go out of service with Porterville and Sierra. Then take my stuff down, while locking up. As I am about to climb into the car, I find I still have the lookout keys around my neck. I now had to go back and put them away. Then it is time to drive home. I arrived a few minutes before 2000. That shower felt good.

Extra Photo's

Morning view from the outhouse

The early hummer gets the sugar water

Early morning view of the crest of the Sierra. Split Mtn is part of this view

June 9, 2026 - Park Ridge Trail

 

Title: June 9, 2026 - Park Ridge Trail
Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Panoramic Point

Trail:  Park Ridge Trail and Service Road

Destination: Park Ridge Lookout

Distance: 5.48 miles

Start Time: 10:12

End Time:    2:40

Travel Time: 4:28  (1.23 mph)

Moving Time: 2:46   (1.98 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,111 '

Descent: 918‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,696'

Minimum Elevation: 7,206'

GPS Tracks

Description:

When I was at Park Ridge Lookout last week I left behind some stuff in the refrigerator. The food I did not care about, but the container and it turns out my insulin as well was left behind. A normal human bean would have turned around when they discovered this and drove the 20 minutes back to the lookout. But then I think, this sounds like a perfect excuse for a hike. That leads us to today.

I got up at 6:00 and did the lightning stuff-there was none in the California skies yesterday. Since this is a day hike, I was able to get mostly prepared last night. I had wanted to leave someplace between 8:15 and 8:30. We came close, having to return to get my keys to the car, we left at 8:40, The we is Steven and Rachel. I am driving and we make it to Panoramic Point parking area a few minutes after 10.

We started hiking about 10:15 and went to the original Panoramic Point. Always a good view, particularly of what is north of the Kings. I start pointing out the various places which we see from Delilah. After ten or fifteen minutes we start on the Park Ridge Trail. This will take us around and on the spine of some of the ridge. The last time I walked this trail, I pooped out about ⅔rds of the way to the lookout. We will see what we will do today.

The trail rolls along the ridge. Both up and down. I admit, when we climbed up some of the slopes, I did so rather slowly. But I made it up each one, in good order, without feeling like I was not going to make it. We did stop in some places-sometimes to breathe after all we are above 7,000’. But mostly because a view came in which I wanted to enjoy and share.

We made it to the saddle about 11:30 and had lunch there. Sherri and I have found these logs to be restful and they did not disappoint. This spot is about 60% of the way to the lookout. When I did this before, I already knew that it was time to turn back. While not chipper, I think I have enough in me to make it all the way to the lookout and back to the car.

The next part had a prescribed burn, I think two seasons ago. From the saddle, it looks like it is going to be gruesome. But soon, we rise out and above that and see that most of our trail does not go through the burn and the burn only looks bad in places. Once we hit the top of the ridge, I am able to walk pretty good, that is until the next rise. But I know that we will descend soon to the service road and a short rise to the lookout.

We had seen people returning from the lookout and they were pretty jazzed about what they saw and heard up there. It is always good to hear that a fellow lookout has conveyed their love of being up in the tower to other people. Later on when I asked George about it, he said that they just kept asking questions. I know the feeling as I had a family do that to me as well.

We get up to Park Ridge Lookout. We go up and George welcomes us. This is the first time Rachel has been up in a lookout and I think the second time for Steven. They talk with George and he explains the various aspects of being up here. We also talked about the water situation. He has found mineral deposits in the water supply at the lowest place. Indicates either the tank has rust or the water coming in contains sediments. I retrieve my stuff and after 50 minutes we are on our way back.

We had taken the trail in, but decided to take the service road back. After all, we would see a different set of scenery this way. The service road is about the same length as the trail and close to the same elevation gain, but a bit more gentle. I show Steven and Rachel where I saw the bear last week-definitely gone and now sign of him. There is Log Corral Meadow which I just love walking by. We briefly stop for a rest break and I an energy bar at the saddle before continuing on. Today is not dreadfully hot, so the sunny part of the trail is not bad. We are able to peer down into Wilsonia and see some of the cabins.

We got back to the car around 2:40. Rachel, who was a bit concerned about the road, offered to drive and I accepted. We got back home by 4:15. I am tired and glad she drove. The shower did feel good.