September 6, 2026 - Delilah

 

Title: September 6, 2026 - Delilah

Hike Info : Description : Animals 

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

I slept well last night and woke up a few minutes before 0600. I tried to see if there was any lightning to report, but the Wildfire Enterprise Geospatial Portal (EGP) seems to be having an issue and I could not sign in and interrogate their lightning database.

While there was still darkness, I saw a couple of vehicles’ lights on Davis Road. One just about going over Goat Saddle; the other getting close to the Delilah Road. I do not think I would want to travel that road in the dark. But then again, at least I would know someone is coming up the road.

I dilly-dallyed around. Then I had my granola breakfast. By this time it is 0800 and I still have not made it down to the ground. So down I go. I only walked to the saddle to the south of Delilah and back. By the time I made it to the cab, it is 0850. Time to start getting ready for the new day.

Up goes the flag. There! I am official now. By 0915 I have taken our weather-the RH is 47% and the temperature is 65. A lot warmer than yesterday. I go into service at 0929 with both Porterville and Sierra. Both Buck Rock and Park Ridge beat me. Then it is the normal stuff-do a scan, listen to the radio-at 1001 Porterville did their weather and staffing.

Hunters Practicing

Between 0900 and 1000 I also listened on YouTube to my church’s worship service-First Presbyterian Church of Fresno. The pastor is going through Revelation. I will admit, I probably did not get the full impact as I was also listening to the radio, going in service and doing my scans. But what I heard was good as Jeremy talked about how Jesus rose up to bring restoration while evil can only corrupt and brings destruction.

As I was about to do one of my scans, a head came up the ladder-and I guess the rest of his body came up as well. Anyway, it was a bit of a surprise, but he was pretty personable and said he is from Squaw Valley, or Yokut Valley depending on whom you talk with. He has done work with the Forest Service and is interested in being a volunteer in a lookout as well. We talked for over a half an hour. He was interested in various places to hike, where the Sequoia groves were and if there are any archeological places of interest. One the first two, I was able to let him know where some of these places are. On the later, I directed him to the District’s archeologist.

During my conversation with my long visitor, Sierra did their 1100 lookout checkin. I did respond in a timely manner. After he left, I had my lunch, around 1230. I had started cleaning windows when my visitor came up and continued that after lunch. It is a very broken up after lunch rest period for me.

Reflections of buildings at Prather

On one of my afternoon scans, I heard gun shots. I was able to find the source being from around a vehicle parked on Davis Road just north of Goat Saddle. After about ten minutes they moved on, but then I heard another group of shots about 15 minutes later. It probably came from the same people, but a couple of miles further north on Davis.

While the shots are a bit unnerving, on the other side of the lookout, I followed a hawk in flight for about five minutes. So graceful, so majestic, such a wonderful creature. Unfortunately I am not very good at catching birds in flight with my phone camera-not sure the phone part made any difference.

Ar 1600, Sierra did their afternoon lookout check in, which all the lookouts did respond-that is always a good sign. Then it was back to the normal routine until about 1730 when I got my dinner ready. My dinner is lasagna and bread-pretty plain. While I am eating, I hear both Buck Rock and Park Ridge going out of service. They are returning home so they are leaving at the normal time. Otherwise because it is Labor Day weekend, I will be going out of service at 1930 when the shadows make it hard to see. Wendy text’s me and notes I am carrying the entire Forest’ burden on my shoulders, or something like that.

Delilah's Night Sky

At 1830, we have a family Zoom which I tuned in for. About every 15 minutes I cut away and do my scans. I listen to the radio as well, but there is nothing which concerns me.

At 1920, I went out of service, saying I was staying overnight. But we are still on Zoom for another half an hour. Then I go down to close up and get a few things for tomorrow. That seems strange since I will start bringing stuff down tomorrow morning. But I figure I should have a gallon of water up in the cab.

When I get back up, it is past 2030 and I let Sherri know that I am available to talk. Which is also strange since we also talked just an hour ago on Zoom. But there are things which a husband and wife should share, times between themselves. Which we do for over an hour. It is closing in on 2200 before we hang up. I read some and then go to sleep.

Animals

September 5, 2026 - Delilah

 

 Title: September 5, 2026 - Delilah

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals 

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

Friday, September 4, 2026

I came in at the end of Delilah’s Friday shift because it is a three day weekend and the traffic is usually terrible. Sherri made me chicken cordon bleu for a lunch/dinner. I ran a few errands before leaving at 1515. While there was pretty good traffic until Centerville, it flowed along smoothly. I made better time than I thought I was going to.

Once I turned off of 180, I met no one. I stopped at a couple of places to look over things, such as the Armenian/Hye Camp and the area which Davis Road runs through.

Outhouse View

I made it to Delilah by 1715 where I was met by Richard-not that person whom I was expecting. Richard is one of the two leads for Delilah. He said that there was something which happened last night where he needed to come up. It was good that I came up early and it was good to talk with him face to face. I closed out the evening at Delilah and went out of service in quarters.

I felt tired, so I laid down for a while. Then I had a sandwich. Finally, I finished bringing up my stuff. Either I am getting weaker or packing more stuff. The stuff at the end of the pulley felt really heavy. When I was going up and down the stairs, I realized I did not bring my knee brace. It did not hurt too bad. There was a hunter who drove by. He indicated he was bow hunting and looking for deer.

After I got things sorted out, I decided to go back down and see if I could take some evening shots of the tower and stars. I was somewhat successful on the tower, not so much on the stars.

When I went back up, I let Sherri know that I was available for a call. Then I crawled into my bag and read and waited for her call. About 2100 she called. We talked for 45 minutes, then I read a bit more until shortly before 23000.

Delilah from the road

Saturday, September 5, 2026

It felt like a short night of sleep last night. When the moon rose, I woke up for a while, but not because of the brightness, but just to gaze on it. Like the sun which causes the moon to fade from view, the moon causes stars to grow dim to our eyes. Isn’t this like how heaven will be? We think we see clearly now, but we do not. When heaven comes, we will see that our current times are just a ghost of reality. What is more, even heaven will fade before the glory of God. If our hymns could only capture a bit of this!

Having rambled on with my thoughts-no apologies, just realizing this is what was going through my mind. I did look for lightning on EGP, but there was none. I had my breakfast and then went down to the ground. On the way down, I realized that things did not feel quite right with the body. Not feeling sick or bad or achy like the flu. More breathing harder than I should going down.

After taking care of the things which were on the pulley, I decided to go for a walk. Maybe that would help out whatever is happening. As it turned out, I probably walked too far and up too much. If anything I was breathing harder and not feeling better. Also the heart was beating pretty good on the uphill. At least a good part of this walk back is downhill. That helped with the breathing and heart. But there is a climb back up to the base of the lookout. Which I take easy, but I still feel winded, fortunately not lightheaded or feeling like I will faint. But I am careful not to push it. That was only about a two mile, 50 minute walk.

I still have the climb back into the tower, which I make, stopping at each landing. These stops would have been a good picture break, but I have done that so many times, not sure what would be different. When I get back into the cab, I laid down to get my body back into a comparatively normal state.

I did the normal going into service stuff-flag raising, weather taking and scanning. Then went into service at 0930. I was the last one in. Then it was pretty much a normal, quiet Delilah morning.That is until three visitors showed up. What made them unusual is they appeared on bikes, mountain bikes. They came up and I showed them around. The usual visitor, not that I would know this year, will come up, look around, ask a question or two, ask if I stay up here at night and leave. Maybe 10-15 minutes, just enough to catch a breath and go back.

These three stayed for 30-40 minutes. The three had come from Millwood and were a bit out of breath from the hills. They asked about various places and roads in the area and did not seem to be too concerned about leaving anytime soon. They stayed for over half an hour and were very content with the visit as they got to see areas around them which they normally do not see. One person was from Squaw Valley, the other two from Clovis.

And then it is back to the normal day. At 1100, I responded to the Sierra Lookout Checkin. Then it is doing the scans. I am still tired from this morning and still not feeling right. I lay down for 15 minutes until the next scan. This continues through the morning until lunch time.

At 1230 I fixed my lunch-peanut butter and Nutella sandwich along with some chips. But then I faintly hear a call on R5 Project, our off command channel calling out Delilah. Turns out it is 335 trying to reach a couple of her staff. They are down in the Kings. I try to reach out to either of them. The Kings is far enough down where we cannot directly reach them. I also try on Channel 2, which is a command channel using repeaters.I do reach them and say what the message is, but I cannot hear their replay. Porterville does get a response from them. Not sure how well I relayed the message, but the jest of what is being transmitted. I do not do many relays. I knew the mechanics, but not sure how well I would execute in reality. I gave myself a middling grade.

 During all of this, I knocked over my carton of milk. I ended up having to remove the glass on the desk and cleaning up under it, along with some papers there. Sigh, not the way I wanted to down my milk nor to conduct a relay.

I do the weather and fall into the familiar patter of scanning. About 1400, I heard the sound of a propeller. I realized it was coming out of the south, but could not see it. I am also seeing that there are hang gliders off Sontag Point. If there is something flying out there and it is low, how to warn them about the gliders. By the time I recognize it, it is flying over where Davis and Delilah Road meet. It is a helicopter and I can see the id of N551HQ on it. As it flys by I wave and they acknowledge. That makes my day much more than spilling milk. I follow them on FlightAware as they go out over Pine Flat Reservoir and head northwest.

Because the helicopter's path should have flown right in front of Park Ridge Lookout, I called over to him. He did not either see or hear it. I am a bit surprised, but I know that depending on the wind and direction and if he was busy with something else, he may not notice it. We talked for a while. He mentioned that a similar helicopter had gone by earlier that day going south. There was a SAR effort around Moro Rock which this may have been part of. This may be because I noticed on FlightAware history, it had lifted off from Ash Mountain.

I go back to my scanning. There is not much exciting. Well maybe just a little. As I am doing one of the scans, I looked over at Pine Flat Reservoir. There I see another helicopter. When I look at FlightAware, I see that it is a CHP helicopter. It flies off towards Sanger. Wonder what they are doing out there? A rescue? Looking for a pot farm? Something else illegal? I guess I will never know.

Around 1800, I prepare my dinner. This is Birdseye Alfredo Chicken Skillet Meal and a couple pieces of bread. Pretty easy, just heat it up and service. I will confess, not my favorite. But it is a good dinner meal.

As the shadows start to deepen, I continue my scans until 1930, which is the end of the shift. There was a nice sunset with a layer of clouds. Looked almost fiery at times. After I went out of service, I went down and got a few things, then locked myself in.

Around 2030, Sherri and I talk for a while, at least until 2130. I then look at my phone for a bit more before going to sleep.

Extra Photo's

 

Sunset through the trees

Sunset and Pine Flat Reservoir

Valley Lights at Sunset

 Animals

Hummers

Whose Track? I think a bobcat

May 19, 2023-Delilah

 

Title: May 19, 2023-Delilah

Hike Info : Description : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

Slept well last night. I woke up to an early morning light around 0500. The subdued orange and pinks of the early morning is always pleasant. The other good thing is, I do not need to get up to enjoy. I just can lay in bed and look out of my glass house. Just before the sun comes up, the area behind Split Mountain gathers light with intensity.

Around 0530 I start gathering information for the day’s lightning report. I know there was some activity because of the clouds I was seeing and the alerts I got. But it turned out there was only a single cloud-to-cloud which nobody cares about. So I do not need to send a report.

I mosey around the rest of the morning. Mich had sent out an email about Delilah which others responded to. Since I am the only one on scene, I take this time to respond. Also I talked with Greg about the water situation. Breakfast is granola and lemon bread, which Wendy gave to me yesterday.

Patterson Falls

Rancheria Falls

I took the weather for the morning. Nothing alarming. Wendy alerts me through a text that I will be doing a relay for Patrol 33. Not five minutes later, P33 summons me and I do it. Yeah! One of those radio things I feel I can easily screw up. I hear Engine 32 go into service to Delilah LO. Company today! And all of this is before I go in-service

 

At 0933 I go into service with both Porterville and Sierra. Then I start washing windows between doing scans. P33 lets me know that her crew will be raising dust along Davis Road. And I see her convey of trucks heading down, marking areas for drivers to be cautious of. At 1000 Porterville gives the weather forecast. P33 and her gang gets close to Sampson Flat, taking care of some logs and trees. Then at 1100, is the Sierra Lookout check in. Another lonely day-I would not trade it lightly.

 

Hillside shift above Davis Flat

This gives me a chance to review my area of the world. Usually when I am up here, there is so much which is dry. As I look across the Kings, I am seeing several waterfalls. There is Patterson Falls, at least a significant drop from Patterson Creek. Also Rancheria Falls. Then I am not sure if it is a fall or just a long descent, there is water coming down the ridge into Dinkey Creek. Several places have had mud slides. You can see the scaring in several places, including over on White Deer area, the hills above Davis Flat and on McKenzie Ridge.

 

Mt Nelson

Lonely not for long as Engine 32 did show up with batteries for our repeater. I got to talk with the head of Engine 32. Most of the time I only hear these disembodied voices over the radio. So it is a pleasure to greet them in person. Not only have they brought batteries, they also brought a replacement fire alarm. We talk for awhile. One of the things he said was that yesterday some Forest Service staff snowmobiled into Buck Rock with batteries. That explains why tone 2 is available.

Engine 32

He then goes down to help move the batteries. Another person comes up, a first year person and we talk for awhile, but he does not seem too interested. Engine 32 moves on and I am left by myself again.

I have my lunch and then settle into the normal routine. That is until 1334. Porterville tones out a fire and it is in my neighborhood. Unfortunately it is behind Pine Ridge, so I cannot help. But I did report I cannot see it. P33 did not catch the address, so I told her what I heard. Also we have a third radio now so we can listen to CalFire when something breaks. That is what I did. That all was worth about 20 minutes of excitement.

And back to the routine. P33 wants a few more items relayed and Division 3 notifies Delilah that our repeater tone should go in service sometime tomorrow. I had my dinner after Sierra 1600 check-in. Then cleaned the floors and generally cleaned up. Not much of a mess on my part.

As 1700 hits everybody is going out of service, except me. I do some more scans and enjoy a bit of quietness. And at 1720, Sierra calls with status of Delilah. I said I would go out of service with dispatch. And now I put the final touches on cleaning up and packing. At 1754, I go out of service with Porterville.

It takes a few minutes to get everything put away and my stuff taken down the stairs. But at 1815, the tire on my car starts to move. I get home a few minutes before 2000. A good, but tiring, couple of days.

 

Flowers and Plants

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.