May 18, 2023 -Delilah Lookout

 Title: May 18, 2023 -Delilah Lookout
Hike Info : Description

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

I will be opening Delilah for the season today.

Delilah, my home for two days

And I will be the only one up there. But I will not be alone. Both Greg and Wendy were there as I bounced issues off of them. It is great to have such a support team.

But first, I need to get up. That a do at 0550. This should give me enough time to have breakfast, get the remains of stuff packed and be on my way. I had gotten most of my stuff ready to go last night, so this morning is making sure I did not forget anything.

 

 

 

 

Delilah with Mt Nelson

 

I leave my house at 0705. Traffic is not bad and I make it to the Hume Lake Ranger District’s office a little before 0800. Wendy is there waiting for me. I am being the mule to take stuff up to Delilah. Things like a handheld radio and weather instruments. She also gives me stuff for others to pick up.at the lookout. Before I left, Wendy introduces me to the new information officer for the HLRD, Farrah. And then I am on my way for two days. 

 

 

 

Source of the leak

Not much traffic on the way in. Even though when I turned off on Millwood, a whole line of pickups followed me up to McKenzie Heliport. I am assuming they are part of the team working on the Davis Road. Most of the Delilah dirt road has been graded and is even better than last year. But then there are places which had have some pretty heavy runoff which I had to pick my way through. I past by Sequoia Highlands, not seeing anybody there. When I got to the Delilah Springs Road junction, there is a black car parked there with nobody in it, but the back is open. I noticed that the car is from Louisiana.

Looking up the Middle Fork of the Kings

I make to Delilah a few minutes before 0900. I retrieve the keys and start gathering my stuff to take up. And then there is the black car parked close by. A woman is driving it and has two kids.. I ask her to give me about ten minutes to get set up, which she is more than willing to.

 

 

 

I get Delilah open and now try to go in-service with Porterville. We have a new radio set up, but on the first cut, it was not working. At least I do not get any response. I eventually get it set up the old way and go in-service with Porterville. I tried to do the same with Sierra-also no response. But I now have the first visitors for 2023. Turns out her husband will be a firefighter on a strike team out here. She is doing a tour of the Western states. This is the first lookout she has gone to which is open-just barely. We talk and she is happy she came up here. She is the Louisiana car I saw earlier.

Mt Nelson to the north of Delilah

 

 

End of Park Ridge

When they leave, I am back to trying things and getting situated. Eventually I change tones for Sierra and get them to respond. I think I heard that one of their repeaters(a piece of equipment which relays radio signals) is out. So I switch tones and voila! I can reach Sierra and go in-service.

 

 

 

 

 

Rancheria Falls

But in-between all of that, a couple from Visalia come up. They are interested as they have not come here before. But I think they are really more interested in going down Davis Road. But when that did not work out, my new friend Farrah directed them up here.

 At 1101, Sierra did a lookout check in and staffing. Let me say, it was a pretty lonely feeling when the only lookout called was Delilah. On the other hand, I was pretty prominent. A bit later I heard three beeps-that means a fire is being announced. I do not recognize the name and so do not follow up very closely until I hear the fire is projected to go to 500 acres and go down to the Kings. Wait! A fire that big I should be able to see the smoke from here. I frantically scan, and still no smoke. I follow the Kings past Pine Flat-Nada! I give. So I phone Sierra’s dispatch and asked for a location of the fire. What fire? I hear aircraft being called in on R5. I can feel the dispatcher breaking into a smile. He gently lets me know that a group is doing a practice over in Blue Canyon. I should have known as it would be unusual for them to use R5 as a Tactical channel.

Little speck of the Kings River

And then relative quietness for awhile. I settle down and have my lunch, take scans, and listen to the radio (think Nancy Griffith). I then notice that my phone is not charging on the electrical outlet by the bed. And then the same at the other outlet. But the radio works, so does the inside light, but the outside light does not. Now what! Also I get some alerts that there is lightning activity in the Buck Rock territory. There is enough clouds over there that there should be. I get into a conversation with Greg who directs me to an inverter. It was off. When I flip it on, the outlets come on magically.

Clouds over Park Ridge

 

 

Delilah

But I have missed both the afternoon weather-no loss, the indices-some loss, and the Sierra lookout check in-disappointing. But on the last item, there are two reasons. First, I was on the phone with Greg resolving some issues. Second, the handheld radio’s battery had gone dead, so I did not hear it. Still, usually I check things like that before 1600. I call Sierra and check in with them, a bit late.

I am still fiddling around with the radio and using channels. I do a radio check on Group 4, Channel 4, Tone 12. Porterville hears me, but has low volume. The theory is that our output volume control also controls the mic’s volume control. But that does not seem to make any difference.

Pine Ridge, and Delilah Mountain

I hear that Tone 2-Buck Rock’s repeater-is back online. Now I wonder how they got into Buck Rock to put in new batteries? Buck Rock last I heard had 8’ of snow on the ground? (I did find out on Friday what happened.) That just leaves my repeater down.

At 1718 I hear Sierra going through their status before their dispatch goes out of service. When I say I will be in-service until 1800, they note their dispatch goes out of service at 1730. So I tell them go ahead and take me out of service then.

 

 

 

 

Sunset over Pine Flat

Greg and I have another discussion about the radio, but come to no conclusion. But it is heartening that at least Porterville is hearing us on the proper channel. I go out of service at 1754-a few minutes early.

I am beat. It has been a full day. I make myself a quesadilla. Simple and filling. A bit later I remember to take down the flag. Usually I go for an evening walk. But tonight, I just feel like getting my sleeping bag, go to the outhouse and resting up in the cab. I lock myself in for the night and read for a bit. Sherri and talk. But I am starting to fall asleep, as I enjoy the stars.