Gary-Summer: May 26, 2021 - Park Ridge Lookout

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

May 26, 2021 - Park Ridge Lookout

Title: May 26, 2021 - Park Ridge Lookout
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

Shell Mountain, Poop-Out Pass, and Mt Silliman

Yipee! I am going to a lookout for the first time this season! Not only that, but I will be the opening voice at Park Ridge. For the past 17 years, Wendy has been that voice, but she has graciously allowed me to slip in before she comes in three days from now. I hope I do not screw it up-my radio talking is not the best.

North, Including Finger Rock and Mt Hoffman

But first I need to get up there. I got up a bit before my alarm, about 5;45. I checked to see if there was any lightning yesterday in our area-Nope. So I get ready, eat my breakfast and leave by 7:15. When I get to the Kings Canyon entrance, they treat me like royalty-they wave me through-might be the plaque on the side of the car. I stopped at the visitor center and let them know that Park Ridge lookout will be staffed. and then on up to Panorama Point. Then turn off, unlock the gate and head down the service road to the lookout.

Clouds starting to build up in early afternoon

It is a good sight to see. While I snowshoed up the Azalea Trail to it last March, it is a special feeling entering as a lookout. I will go in-service, but I am hoping to spend the day getting back acquainted with the area, being able to identify points, handle the radio coherently and just do the duties of a good lookout. Below is a log of what I did, to give you an idea. And then there are some comments at the end.

Time	From	To	Desc
05:45			Got up
07:15			Left Fresno
08:25			Stopped at Grant Grove Visitor Center-Bathroom. Also talked with Rangers to say PRLO would be staffed and explain what visitors could do.
08:58			Arrived at PRLO
09:00			Open LO. Turn on radios, get logbooks out, unload what I brought up. Got sign put up about masking
09:10			No water from faucet.
09:15			Found that there was a coupling split.
09:19			Took Weather
09:29	PRLO	AMF	In Service for the 2021 season
09:31	DEL	PTV	In Service
09:32	PRLO	PTV	In Service for the 2021 season
09:32	PRLO	Wendy	Let Wendy know we are in-service
09:41	PRLO	BC1, Wendy	Letting them know we have a split coupling from water tank.
09:50	BC1	PRLO	What size- Looks like 1” from my measurement.
10:01	PRLO	Wendy	Rain Gauge-no top; WiFi does not have internet connection
10:06	P32	PTV	In Service to Dunlap
10:06			Beginning First Scan. You would think I would have been able to do this before now
10:14			Radio traffic has been interesting on the Kern RD. Somebody has gone over an embankment.
10:19			Heard a boom or car door slam. Nobody around and no vehicle. Did something happen on the General’s Highway-it is right below PRLO
10:33			Finished second scan
10:34			This is a WOW day. Can see so much. Finger Rock and Mt Hoffman are very visible. I think Kaiser Peak is also. (Probably Tamarack Mtn)
10:40	BC1	PRLO	Confirming size and galvanized. Measured again.
10:51			Starting third scan
10:56	PTV		Weather and Staffing. I am really rusty on this.
11:12			Finished third scan.
11:34			Start fourth scan
11:38	Greg G	PRLO	Called about various things, including refresh training
11:54			Hawk gliding by-another WOW time. So close, and so quick
11:59	P32	PTV	Inservice to Buck Rock
12:01			Finished Fourth Scan
12:09	P31	PTV	In service to Delilah
12:31			Start fifth scan-never finished
12:35			First visitors of the season-young men from Missouri
12:45			Trail Crew-came up Azalea Trail. Four people. Came up the catwalk
13:20			Visitors-one from Boston, other from Huntington Beach
13:35			Took Weather
13:00			Start of sixth scan
13:08			Finished sixth scan
13:09			Lunch
13:18			Finished lunch
13:40			Start seventh scan
13:48			Finished seventh scan
13:55	AMF		Indices
13:59	E32	PTV	At Buck Rock LO
14:05			Fire: Mountain Incident, near Formosa Pt and Hart Road. Outside of our area
14:08			Finally got a chance to start working through orientation points.Mitchel Peak-spot on. Burnt Point, once I got the right point, it was correct
14:12			Started eighth scan
14:17			H552 responding to Mountain Fire
14:47			Finished eighth scan
14:40			Started ninth scan
14:20			Finished ninth scan
14:22	Wendy		Wendy called to check in
14:44			Buildings at 285o . Looks like it could be the north side of Sequoia Lake-I do not think I have seen Sequoia Lake or these buildings before-no lake, just buildings.
15:00	BC1		BC1 came by. It was the wrong size fitting. He will be by Friday.
15:05			BC1 spotted a smoke on the Valley floor.
13:06	PRLO	Wendy	Let Wendy know about the pipe situation, and why I am not part of the maintenance crew. Also that BC1 found a smoke.
15:29	Wendy	PRLO	Identifies it as a CalFire smoke, at Reed and Central
15:11			Starting scan number ten
15:23			Finish tenth scan
15:39			Back to Orientation points. Tulare’s Bear Mtn-this one is so subjective to figure out where the high point is But got Tucker and Fresno Bear. Nelson, I got the wrong hump, then found the right one.
15:44			Start Eleventh Scan
16:00			Visitors from Minnesota
16:00	PTV		Indices and Weather
16:15	PRLO	BR	Asked if BR was having visitors-no. My Minnesota visitors were staying at Big Meadows
16:29			Starting twelfth scan
16:42			Finish twelfth scan
16:49		AMF	Some person was stopped and cited for operating a drone in the Park
17:14	P32	PTV	Back in quarters-Pinehurst
17:20			Start cleaning and sanitizing cab
17:52	Ch1	AMF	15 minutes from Grant Grove
17:55	CH1	AMF	Out of Service
17:56	PRLO	AMF	Out of Service
17:56	Wendy	PRLO	Wishing me safe travels home. My response is that it has been a WOW day!
17:59	PRLO	PTV	Out of Service
18:11	BC1	PRLO	OK with what happened on the coupling sizing
18:26	Gary	Wendy	Realized flag is still up. Letting Wendy know.

The Hershey Kiss before North Guard and Brewer

Obviously, I did not do what I thought I was going to get done today. But it was good being able to interact with visitors, unlike last year where we had to shake our heads and say we were not able to accommodate them, up in the tower. I was able to

Fire in the Valley-not our area to report

Also on the good side, I found a leak in our water supply. On the day we came back from Weaver Lake, it got really cold. Evidently, it cracked a coupling. On the downside, I cannot measure or tell the size of a coupling if my life depended on it. Battalion Chief 1 went to Home Depot, picked up a coupling. When we came to Park Ridge, it was the wrong size. BC1 was very gracious to me I felt. I found out later that the tank was pretty much empty. As I told Wendy, there is a reason why I am not part of the maintenance team for the lookouts.

Cloud over Big Baldy

Another impression was just how clear the air was in the morning. It seemed like I could see forever! To one of the visitors I pointed out the tops of the Coastal Range. In another view, I thought I was seeing Kaiser Peak-it was not, just a mountain right beside it called Tamarack Mountain.. Then in the afternoon, the clouds built up and were magnificent.

So glad I was able to go up there on this day. It makes me want to go up in a lookout soon. Maybe next time I will be able to spend more time studying and practicing.