September 1, 2025, Labor Day - Park Ridge Lookout

 

 

 

 

Title: September 1, 2025, Labor Day - Park Ridge Lookout

Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

 

Description:

Today is my last day at Park Ridge Lookout, and it is Labor Day. I wake up at 0500 after getting a good night's sleep. I then realize there is something missing: no taste of smoke in my mouth. And as the light starts to grow, I realize how clear the air is. This looks like it might be a pretty good day.

Still no lightning so nothing to report. I get the stuff I will not need today and take it down to the car. After my usual granola breakfast, I go in service at 0731; 1 along with my partner lookouts: Delilah and Buck Rock. Shortly after going in service, there is a call to Chief 1 about a Sequoia which has smoke coming out of the top. The Park will check it out. The original call came in through the 911 center in Tulare County. So there is some ambiguity which the fire group needs to figure out. As more information comes in, the location gets known. One of the docents has eyes on it and stays around to make sure that people stay a safe distance away. The fire is now called the Hazelwood since it is off of the Hazelwood Trail.

Various units, such as Cobra4, Yosemite 33, Engine 42 and Patrol 32 go around to the various fires and check the status of them. Part of this status check is to make sure the fires remain inside the containment lines and to identify and tend to any hot spots within those lines. The usual calling out is that there were no hot spots and no smoke within the lines or the original burn. When the unit is content that the fire is no more, they will have it in patrol status for a couple of days. Then they declare it is out.

The Hazelwood fire inspires me, or is it that I am just bored-t don’t think so-to check the images from my past lighting reports. I did find one which looks like a strike was close to the Hazelwood fire. So I send it off to Chief 1. While I am at it, I send off an image of the lightning strikes where the Kettle fire is to Mich at Buck Rock. I get back the equivalent of an “attaboy” from Chief 1. Then Mich said that was an inspiration to look at a fire she spotted. She found a strike close by.

Close to 1000 there is unusual radio traffic. One of the Park units tried to make a stop and the vehicle ran off. That brought in law enforcement and the Park held traffic on the channel for about 10 minutes while the incident played out. You heard them bringing various other units to corner the vehicle as well as an ambulance just in case.

Around 1120 I got two visitors from Sweden, who were interested in aspects of the lookout. One of them asked a question about how the Parks are being affected by the funding cuts and downsizing. In one way of asking this question, it can be for information and a desire to understand. In another way, it can be provocative. As a volunteer under the Park, I do not need to let my personal opinion guide my answers, rather give responses which align with how the agency I am volunteering under sees fit. In this case, I told them I did not have an appropriate response and they should talk with the Park personnel-this is probably a bit more eloquent than what I actually said, but in line with it.

Smoke from Garnet Fire

Then it is back to regular stuff. Mark, my relief who is coming in tonight, calls me and wonders if I have a particular time that I want him here. I told him that anytime before 1800 is a bonus for me. He thinks he will get in between 1630 and 1700. At 1530, I started to clean up the place. With only myself, it is not too bad. Some crumbs on the floor and counter tops to be wiped off. I realize that with all of the smoke outside, I have not been out to clean the windows. So I do the outside, but do not have time for the inside.

Yosemite 33

About 1715 Mark came in. I have already lugged down my stuff, so it is only a bag or two which I need to take down. By the time he gets situated it is about 1740. Yipee, I get to leave 20 minutes early. That feels good. When I get to the Panoramic Point Road, I see several cars coming up. I am always on the lookout for them, so there is no problem.

I had decided to eat my sandwich at Big Stump. I stop and before I can get out my sandwich, I am asked several questions. First, do I know where John Muir Lodge is? Yes I do. Take a left here, a left at the Wye, then a right at the Visitor Center and follow the road around. Another couple asks the question, where does the Big Stump Trail start. I walk them over a few feet and point out the path. They are wondering how long it is? 1.6 miles. Then another car pulls up and asks where the restaurant is. I give them the information as well. Finally able to eat my sandwich. It does feel good to be knowledgeable and helpful. As I am coming into Fresno, I notice there is a fire truck right in front me: Yosemite 33. I have been hearing them all weekend. Seems like a fitting farewell to my time at the lookout. I make it back home by 1945.

Extra Photo'

Pyrocumulus from Garnet Fire

Morning view to east=Mitchell Peak is towards the center left

Morning view to southeast

Animals

 

Usually I do not take squirrel shots as they are so common and a nuisance. This one happened to be exceptionally cute.

August 31, 2025 - Park Ridge Lookout

 

 Title: August 31, 2025 - Park Ridge Lookout

Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

 

 

 

 Description:

The Masked Lookout

I woke up at 0500 with the skies still dark. In the middle of the night, I noticed I was tasting smoke, so I put on my mask. By the time the light showed enough, there was significant gray from smoke around me. At 0515 I interrogated the lightning database and saw that there was no activity in any of my areas. Looks like there may be possibilities starting Tuesday-I guess I get only smoke, no fun. By 0545 I am out of bed and puttering around. Today is much more relaxed than yesterday morning. I guess I am feeling more rested. I have my granola breakfast, wash up, go downstairs and now I am ready to meet the new day.

I did have time to have my quiet time before going in service. I looked at 1 Corinthians 11. There are several things which seem so old fashion in there about husbands and wives. But Paul also talks about how both were made for each other. It is a good thing to remember that it is a symbiotic relationship, not hierarchical.

 

Smoke down at Grant Grove

 At 0731 I go inservice.I notice that many of the Forest units are on their way to Big Meadows and Buck Rock.Our annual Labor Day weekend event is happening there and the Forest likes to show their support. It is a fun time for all. That is one of the reasons why I volunteer for Labor Day weekends, it gives others a chance to participate and I being the stick in the mud that I am, get to be productive.

Garnet Smoke

By the time I went into service, the smoke had dissipated to a great extent. I am starting to see areas which I need to look over. And this is a good thing. Also the smoke smell has left. Actually by this evening, almost all areas are clear, except to the west, and of course right at the fire.

I am doing my scans when I look over in the direction of the Garnet and I see one of the Erickson tankers. It is flying west down the Kings from behind the area I cannot see. These planes are enough to have a lookout just stop and watch their activity. I watched as a second one emerged from the same area. I think they are trying to protect an area from going over the Kings.

About an hour later, I hear a jet to the south, and there is another Erickson tanker flying north over Buck Rock. But this one did not look like the others-it has more red. But when I get on FlightAware, it says it is another Erickson plane. There must be some really strong concern about what is happening to this fire.

Tanker

 

I fall into a rhythm of scanning, then reading or working on a spreadsheet trying to match fires with lightning strikes. I heard Buck Rock trying to get a hold of Delilah, but there is no answer. I talk with Buck Rock, but he says that Delilah had gone in service this morning. Around noon, Delilah radios me and we talk.. He is getting some visibility. Buck Rock also chimes in and tells Delilah if things get too bad, to go on home. He does stay till the end of his shift.

Air Traffic over Garnet Fire

While I am talking to Delilah, I have visitors-the first time Park Ridge has had visitors in four days. This is a couple from Minnesota. As they leave, another set of visitors comes up. It turns out this is a group of about 20 people from Los Angeles. When it rains it pours.

I have lunch, then do a scan. I notice that there are some people down at the picnic table who are eating. I invite them up. They are four men who are from the Bay Area who are of Indian origin. They listen and are interested in all that I have to say. It helps to have the Garnet Fire as a backdrop to my rambling. They even want to have a picture with me.

When the men leave, four young females who are staying in Fresno, but are from LA come up. Another time to talk. One of the ladies looks like she is dehydrated. I give her one of my bottles of water. I have enough for my needs through tomorrow.

Most of the rest of the afternoon is spent doing lookout things. There were no more visitors. I did sneak in a 5 minute nap. There are reports from the various units which indicate that the fires in the area which I am concerned about are being well taken care of. Some are being called out, others are continuing being in patrol status. Except for the Garnet Fire which continues to be the dominant visual to the north, things are pretty calm around me.

Lots of smoke

 

While the Garnet Fire is the main show, there were 38 other fires from the storms last week. The area is from Kaiser Peak in the north down to the southern border of Sequoia National Park. Most of these we do not have any special concern about as they are well out of my viewing area. Both Eshom and TUU-Look were discovered by Park Ridge. There is another which is on Big Baldy which E42 checks up on-I would think we would have found this one too. Also there are the Fox and Stony fires which are behind Big Baldy’s ridge. The Big fire is in the Big Meadow area and also is warranting attention. Then there is one which we know where it is on Verplank Ridge, but really do not have a visual. We hear Cobra 4 and Yosemite 33 checking up on this a lot. This might be of bigger concern than the rest. All of these we hear about, except for the Look fire which belongs to CalFire.

How Park Ridge Lookout sees the Garnet Fire

Well that is except for the other types of traffic on the radio. There are medical, traffic stops, missing people and leaky pipes. It is enough to keep my ears busy. But it may be from more of a morbid curiosity than involvement by me. In those cases it is better to make sure I keep out of the way than anything else.

Garnet Fire Pyrocumulus

 

I also keep an eye on the Garnet Fire. Not because I can contribute, even though if I did notice something terribly out of place, I would say something. But with my frontal view and all of the smoke, I could not tell too much. Delilah would have a much better view than I would. I just am in awe of the immenseness of the fire. Even this fire is not that large by large fire standards-about 18,000 acres. A 100,000 acre fire I could only imagine-the last three in this general area where this fire is. (By the time I post this entry it is over 30,000 acres).

Today, the Buck Rock Foundation has their annual Labor Day weekend event at Buck Rock. Buck Rock is staffed with volunteers until later on in the day when Mich comes in. When she does, she tries to get a hold of Delilah to see how the lookout over there is doing-it is the closest lookout to the fire and has been enveloped in the smoke. But there is no answer. A bit later, I hear him on the Park’s General Use channel. I let Buck Rock know and she contacts Delilah to straighten out the situation.

Fire and Glow from Garnet Fire

I wedged in my dinner which is just my leftover from Friday. It is filling enough.

Later on I hear Porterville talking with Buck Rock about a smoke being reported at about 21 degrees from her. She spots it at 19 degrees, but across the River in the Park. They do not know if this smoke is an issue or not. This sounds familiar and I look up a few things and let Buck Rock know that it is the Kettle fire which got reported last week. I also give her the coordinates.

The shadows deepen, but I continue to do my scans until I go out of service at 1930 along with Delilah and Buck Rock. After going out of service, I go downstairs, bringing down things which I will not need. It is a bit late for a walk, so I go back up. After getting ready for bed, I talk with Sherri for about an hour and then get to sleep at 2200.

Extra Photo's

Clear view looking southeast towards Silliman

Evening glow on clouds over the Garnet Fire

Mountains outlines against evening sky

August 30, 2025 - Park Ridge Lookout

 

Title: August 30, 2025 - Park Ridge Lookout
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons 

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

 

Description:

That seemed like a short night's sleep. First my CGM went off this morning saying I had a low. I did not. Then woke up at 0530 with it starting to get light. As long as I was awake, I checked to see if there was lightning yesterday-as expected, there was none.Shortly afterwards, I got up and went down stairs. Last night I spotted some of our stools on a rock, so I retrieved them. The spot would have made a nice area to just sit and meditate at.

When I got back in the cab, it was 0700. Time for my breakfast of granola. I cleaned up and Park Ridge Lookout went in service at 0730 with both Porterville and the Park. I had low visibility, about 3-4 miles.

I should say another aspect of last night. When I went to sleep, I started smelling smoke. When I woke up at 0230, there definitely was smoke in the cab-the doors and windows were closed.Then at 0530, I was greeted with a layer of gray outside of my window. At this point visibility was about a mile. By the time I go in service, there has been some lifting of the smoke. 

 Then it is the normal stuff going on. I was up here about three weeks ago for a day. But before that, It was the Fourth of July weekend. I feel like I have not really gotten into the rhythm yet of being in the lookout.

Around 0920, E42 came up with the toilet pumping truck. Our outhouse is getting serviced! Yea! Actually, it was not too bad, but could get a lot worse. E42 also checks the water and then they are off. I will be hearing their ID called all weekend as they check out various fires. Then it is back to the routine. There are some reports on the fires in Sequoia and the Park. But they are just monitoring these, rather than fighting them.

Stock photo of plane above

One of the benefits of working at Park Ridge Lookout is that there usually is at least one incident throughout the day which is worth pausing and hearing. Today’s incident was at the restaurant at Grant Grove. Apparently someone was being disruptive there and smoking pot inside of the restaurant. Law enforcement was asked to intervene when the person would not cease smoking. The draw back?.I usually do hear the resolution of an issue. So it left to my vivid imagination to guess what happened. Of course, there was the normal stuff like medical emergencies, missing persons, and a bear deciding it owned the road-refusing to budge even if hazed.

Flag unfurled

In the 13 Summers I have been a fire lookout, I have never felt that this was a place to meditate or contemplate. Maybe because you really only get 15 minute chunks of time, with many interruptions from the radio or visitors-even though the last three days I have been up here there has been no visitors. I wonder how the lookout writers of the last century were able to do their writing?

Dinner

But I have found that I can do a bit of thinking of more prosaic things. Such as how for the last year I really have not done much physical outdoors, except some up in the lookout towers. We did a camping trip in January and in February, and went to Atlanta and Ireland, as well as an overnight backpack trip in May. The only one which really pushed me was the backpack trip. I am realizing that I am losing my conditioning. That really brings the question to mind, can I get back into condition to really enjoy myself in the mountains? Do I have the will power to do it? The mental will to do it? That is what having a few months will do to you.

Not all the time is taken up with these kinds of thoughts. As I was doing a scan around 1640, I saw a low flying tanker going north to the east of me. It may have passed over Buck Rock. I did not have my phone so no pictures of that plane. But looking it up under Flight Aware I saw that it was a contractor plane from Erickson. My guess is that it is going to the Garnet Fire. I grab my phone and resume my scan. A couple of minutes later a second tanker from Erickson came flying by, a bit higher and a bit further east. Just Wow!.

 

Evening sun with smoke plume

Flag before going to bed

Then the rest of the afternoon was sort of normal, except this is extended hours, until 1930-a long, 12 hour day. At times I am wondering if I am getting a bit too old for these kinds of hours. I did make dinner-a two egg omelet. Simple and easy and quick. I think I will add this to my lookout menu.

I talked with my relief, who will be coming in on Monday evening. Sounds like I might be let go an hour or two early. That sounds good to me. 

I go out of service a few minutes before 1930, right after Buck Rock does. I clean up a bit, go downstairs and get a few things, then forgot to lock up and so I make a second trip down. By the time I rattle Sherri's cage about our evening talk, it is 2015. Sherri and I talked until 2130. Then I read until 2200 and get to sleep then.

Trail Lesson: Those who say that age is just a number are in the lower number range.

July 4, 2025 = Park Ridge Lookout

 

Title: July 4, 2025 - Park Ridge Lookout

Hike Info : Description :  Menu 

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

 

Description:

Chuck's Flag

Maybe I learned my lesson from yesterday. I got up a few minutes earlier. But that was futile as there was no lightning to report. I am glad of that. I got up and started packing as today is my last day in the tower. I get about a third of my stuff down. At least that is a start. Wendy had asked for a new US flag to be put up. Her late husband had wanted that to occur each 4th of July and I am happy to be the one this year to carry on that tradition. I wanted to get a picture of it at sunrise with the wind unfurling it. But the wind did not cooperate. Later it unfurls.

I am able to go for a short walk, maybe a third of a mile. But this feels good. Then back to the tower where I have my breakfast. At 0800 I went into service with both Porterville and Ash Mountain Fire. About 30 minutes later I realize I have not heard either Buck Rock or Delilah go into service. I phoned over and had a conversation with Jeff. Both have gone into service. Maybe they got lost in the static. Or maybe I need to clear ear wax out of my ears. Then it is off the normal duties of a lookout.

 

Early Morning light

 

Bluebird sky days are a joy to a lookout. When you have haze, it is tough to make out anything and your eyes strain to discern objects. The white of the smoke blends in with the dinginess of the air. But today is a day which I can see almost forever. I can see the foothills of the Coastal Range plainly along with its tops. I suspect if I was at Delilah, I might be able to see into Yosemite. A day to love being up here.

On this kind of weekend you get to hear interesting stuff. At the Crystal Springs Campground a cooler and trash can was impounded. I am assuming that foodstuff was not put away and people were not around. Sounds like a bear hazard to me. Or then there are maybe too many people in a place at one time. The Wolverton Road was closed to traffic due to both congestion and too many people parking alongside the road. Just heard that Lodgepole road is closed as well, except for those going into the campground.

Then this morning as I was doing a scan, I noticed a marmot eyeballing my car. It seemed hesitant to approach it. Yesterday someone asked about marmots and I talked about how cars over in Mineral King had to take preventative measures. So I watched him pretty closely. When he goes under my car, I hurry down the stairs to scare him off. But he emerges from the other side and eyeballs me, like he should be the one who is concerned about me. He runs off to some rocks and I resume my lookout activities.

Coastal Range

 

Wendy called me up and told me that my relief is expected to be here around 1700 or 1800. He will call me up. Also talked about some wildlife Buck Rock saw this morning. Things could get interesting if this sighting is verified.

My Favorite Marmot

Fuzzy's Bench

Now I am hearing a woodpecker tapping out his staccato beat on a tree. Another joy of being up here is seeing and hearing the sounds and sights of nature. I wonder what the woodpecker is going to hide and will he remember where he has hidden it?

Lunch, or dinner, is the remains of a couple enchiladas which Sherri made for lookout. I cleaned up the dishes in preparation for leaving this afternoon. This is just the start of cleaning up the cab, not that I had created a huge mess or anything. Still crumbs fall and things get spread out.

 

 

Yesterday there was a fire near Marvin Pass. Yesterday when I looked on WildCAD I saw it as the Gammon Fire. Usually fires are named after some landmark around it. But there was nothing in the area we saw with Gammon nor could I find it on GNIS. Today I was hearing the Incident Commander Trainee calling himself the Gannon IC Trainee-with two N’s. I looked on WildCAD and it said Gannon. There is a Gannon Creek there. When I looked on GNIS, it had been named in 2000. Most of our maps are pretty old, so it is no surprise that we could not find why it was called the Gannon fire.

The last two hours of a shift, particularly on leaving day, are the longest. I am expecting that call saying when my relief is coming. And as that is not coming, the time is even longer. Still there is only 7,200 seconds to count. During that time I get the fire indices, clean the floor and countertops and pack the last of my stuff.

This has been an unexpected day. It is the Fourth of July. I was expecting a ton of visitors. Instead, there was not a single one. At 1800, I go out of service, and start back. I meet my relief on the road. We exchange greetings and I relay some information to him. And then we are both on our way. A short way further I realize there were a couple more things to tell him and leave a voicemail. It is an uneventful drive back home, arriving shortly before 2000.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Granola	Enchilada	Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich	Ritz Cracker, Granola, Jelly Belly