Hike Info:
Type: Lookout
Description:
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| Bovine version of an evil eye |
I awoke at 0500 and went back and forth to sleep before
giving up and getting up at 0540. Normal morning routine of getting
ready for lookout-truck packed, making sure we have last minute
stuff… Finally around 0725 we leave Fresno and make our way up to
Delilah.
Definitely a less exciting drive in than my trip last
month. Saw one cow by the road and three in the Sequoia
Highlands camp. That one cow
definitely has an attitude problem and gives us the evil eye as we
pass by. Also several quail scampered along the way. The elderberries
are starting to come out, along with a few holly berries-at least
they looked like them. Just after Sequoia Highland Camp, we come
across a pickup off to the side of the road and dutifully take pictured
of it.
We arrive around 0910. And then we start getting
ourselves set up at the lookout-unlocking doors, climbing up the
stairs, checking water levels and stuff. By the time I get into the
cab, it is 0920. So I take our weather-79 degrees with no wind. Sort
of explains why the cab is close to 90 degrees in the interior. So I
get the fan going to get it cleared out. And now our day really
begins.
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| Looking East |
0920 - I take the weather. 79 degrees, 26% relative
humidity, no wind, and pretty bad visibility-about 5 miles, or an
area of 78 square miles. Usually we have 20 miles of visibility or
having to look at around 1250 square miles. Our scans will be a lot
faster today. As a note: a lot of the area we cannot see because it
is hidden behind ridges and mountains.
0926 - Buck
Rock goes into service with both
Porterville (PV) and Sierra National Forest (SNF)
0928 - Park
Ridge goes into service as well
with PV, and we presume SEKI.
0929 - We call up Buck Rock to make sure there is no
restrictions on what channels we can use. Such as last time I was up
here, the Ferguson Fire took over SNF’s command channel 4. We just
do not want to be walking over anything like that. No channel
restrictions.
0931 - Delilah, us, go inservice with both PV and SNF
0940 - Time for our first scan of the day. I have
talked about what a scan is elsewhere, but basically, we look over
all which we can see. We are trying to see signs of smoke. The
examination is both with the naked eye, gazing over the territory.
But also with binoculars, particularly on parts which are a ways
away. When we have good visibility, a scan can take up to 15
minutes, Today, we are pretty much done in five. We try to do about
3-4 scans an hour. Sometimes we even succeed in doing this.
1000 - PV gives the weather and staffing. Radio is a
bit muffled. But we have gotten both through an Internet connection.
1018 - Buck Rock calls and asks if we heard the
staffing. He wants to know who the duty officer is-BC31.
1100 - SNF does the lookout check-in. So far no trouble
communicating on the handheld this year. Yippee!
1237 - H520 out of Trimmer Springs is heading to the
Donnell
fire around Sonora Pass with 7
souls on board
-
Several of our folks going in service to patrol areas
around the Hume Lake Ranger District.
1343 - There was a message on the radio saying that an
aircraft-I do not think I got the ID correct is available with seven
jumpers. Turns out it is J52. When I first heard this term I my
warped mind goes to a plane with folks going to commit suicide. I
know better-these are elite firefighters who will jump into rugged
terrain which you cannot get to on foot or vehicle.
1557 - P33 calls in an incident of an unattended
campfire. How can people be that way when there is so much burning
in California now?
1600 - SNF does the afternoon lookout check in
1705 - Kathy calls to check in on us and make sure we
are doing good. Little visibility throughout the day. She thinks
that tomorrow will be better. Talked about maps and stuff, as well
as where to find the spare insulators if we need them.
1755 - SNF with evening staffing where we and Buck Rock
go out of service
1759 - We go out of service, along with Park Ridge and
Buck Rock, with PV
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| Delilah Doe and Fawns |
So ends our day. Nothing exciting. Well, we have been
visited by Delilah Doe and her two new fawns. Also Sherri saw a
couple raptors soaring at least a half mile away. After consulting
with some friends on Facebook, we decide it is a juvenile Golden
Eagle.
We settle down for a few minutes, then have our dinner
of garlic chicken, along with spinach and cheese ravioli. We sort of
lounge around and read. I am reading The
Accidental President for our OSHER group at
the end of the month.
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| Sunset |
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| Catwalk Sleeper |
Sunset is not very spectacular. Smoke is too dense lower
down. I test out could I sleep on the catwalk? If tomorrow night is
at all clear, I will try sleeping out there to see the Pleiades
meteor shower. I talk with my brother for awhile and then go off to
bed, inside the cab, hoping that tomorrow will bring a bit better
visibility.
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| One of Delilah's fawns |
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| Delilah Doe and her two fawns |
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| Bear and Bald Mountains of Fresno |
Animals
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| Juvenile Golden Eagle |
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| Delilah Doe and a fawn |
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