November 3, 2020 - Delilah Lookout

 

Title: November 3, 2020 - Delilah Lookout
Hike Info : Description

Trail head: Delilah Lookout

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

Last week, Micheal asked, at our Tuesday evening meeting, about how being in a lookout was for meditation. The question caught me a bit off guard, not because it was a bad question, nor because I do not meditate, but I had not thought of this as a subject.

It has been the type of year where there has not been a whole bunch to set my mind away from the things of the earth. First, there are all of the external events such as the pandemic, the concerns of the minorities living in a white society, and of course our President. But those things which being isolated in a lookout should cause me to seek beyond myself towards the Infinite. It should be easier to look at things external to my situation: the greatness of God, the majesty of Creation, and the times of solitude-particularly this year with no visitors allowed in the lookouts. But have I?

Autumn Colors

Typically we are in the lookout between 0930 and 1800. Usually we aim to be there by 0900 to do some housekeeping chores. Being in a lookout is not just sitting, looking for smoke on the horizon, even though there is much of that. We are pretty much always looking out our windows to see if there is something amiss. Every fifteen minutes we make a point of detail a consistent search. On top of that, we have the radio traffic to listen to. Most is not directed towards us-good. But occasionally we do need to respond to something. And then there is the normal housekeeping stuff-keeping of our logs, washing windows, cleaning up, …

So is there time to ponder life’s imponderables? I suppose that depends on what type of a person I am. Do I need to have every niche of my life filled? Or do I leave room to let my mind wonder? Do I need resolution to all things? Or am I content to allow there to be mystery? In a lookout, it should be easy to obey the Psalmist injunction: Be still, and know that I am God.

Micheal’s question reminded me of a reason why I enjoy being in a lookout. I get to return service to the outdoors, in most years, I can provide visitors education on the area, fires and lookouts, but there is the major piece of Being Still. Letting my heart know God. I think times like in a lookout or out backpacking allow me to carve out a place so that I am receptive to the God who wants to be known.

It is hard to be still from the description above. But there are times to be still. Such as at night when the stars shine down on me, calling me beyond myself. Asking why is there beauty up there? Or when I look down on a couple of yearling deer, spying on them unbeknownst to them. Those are the times when my heart should take over from my head and lead me beyond myself. My voice goes out and says Oh Lord, How Majestic is your Name and all of your works!

The Smiling Face which Greeted Me

Now that I have let that out of my system, today is a short day. Sherri could not make the trip. There is someone coming to our house tomorrow. So I came up alone. I got to Delilah a little before 0900. You would think getting here early would allow me to take my time. But no. The pulley system which lifts our supplies was tangled up. So before I knew it, it was 0915 and I still had most of my stuff below. I take the weather and go into service with a low RH of 14%. Buck Rock must have gone in service earlier because I never heard her. I get the weather and staffing off of a couple web sites. So at the 1000 Porterville weather and staffing, I slip out and get the rest of my supplies for today and tomorrow. I make it back just as Porterville ends.

Sierra has changed their times. Instead of an 1100 checking, it is 1015. I just about got caught “sleeping”. And then I settle down into the routine of being a lookout. It has been noted in the tower notes, we have been having some low-voltages. But the solar panels are putting out today and I let Greg know. He calls me up and we chat a bit.

Smoke to the west-visibility, 5 miles

Then Mich calls me up and we talk about the electronics room documentation I had put out to the repository. I will be looking at things she and Brent talked about. During lunch, Sherri and I talked about getting a heater for our backyard so that we can have a socially distanced Christmas with Andrea, Lawrence, Rachel and Edress, and maybe even David. And then back to the routine.

 

The rest of the day went along that way. The skies started getting more smokey after lunch. And they continued to get worse until about 1530 I only had about 4 miles of visibility. But because of the lack of sunlight, I went out of service around 1615.

Looking Northeast towards Spanish Mtn

I sort of mess around a bit. Sherri and I talk a bit more. She needed to get dinner ready and I have to get mine going as well. It is getting dark so I need to get it ready soon. The oven’s on and I put the beerock Sherri put together last night to be heated. As I looked out the window, to the south, I see lights on the road. I watch them coming towards the lookout. They come and park right underneath the tower. Four people got out and milled around. I tried to engage in them but they pretty much ignored me. While not terribly concerned, I do let Buck Rock know about the situation. About 15 minutes later, I think they decide this is not a fun place, with an old man leering down at them.

 

 

Looking towards McKenzie Ridge

A little while later I see a couple of vehicles down at Goat Saddle on Davis Road. Interesting watching. Then realize that my beerock has been in the oven for a bit longer than necessary. It still tastes pretty good. I go out and enjoy looking at the stars.

As an after dinner treat, a blood red moon rises. While I know what makes it so red, I can still be in awe. Which gets me back to my opening sermon. I think you can get a sense of the physics or biology or whatever science can explain a phenomenon. But there is something deeper, something which when you think,, or if you prefer, meditate on something, you realize that there is something there beyond the explanation. Maybe that is what time at a lookout will give you. The question is, will I take it?