Hike Info:
Type:Lookout
Description:
It was a bit cooler last night
than I expected. Still I kept warm, I just kept inside of my bag.
While I can sleep with a light on, if I poked my head out of the bag,
the moon was still going strong. It probably will be the same
tonight.
I do wake up before the sun
rises, at 0500. I had checked last night and saw that there was some
lightning yesterday, both in my local area and in Stanislaus NF. The
local one is outside of my vision. It stretched from the upper Middle
Fork of the Kings
to east of Florence
Lake.
The question is how to do the report. Yesterday I realized that the
travel laptop I have did not have all of the files which my home
computer had. Last night I had decided on how to jerryrig things to
get something useful. I was able to get to mostly working and get the
information the lookouts needed.
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| Delilah |
By the time I was done with
the lightning report-I had eaten breakfast while working on the
report-it was 0800. I decided to go for a walk before getting into
lookout mode. Of course, when in the tower, there is a reflex of
looking around and seeing if all is right with the world. I am gone
for about 40 minutes, having gone just to the saddle and back. Then I
clean up the cab and get ready for the day.
Nothing special to start today
off. I started off doing a scan, then took the weather. Nothing
alarming with either. At 0930 I go into service with both Porterville
and Sierra. Then I look at the fire weather forecast and see who is
on in the Sequoia Forest. The “who is on” is what staffing there
is around me and most importantly, who the duty officer is on duty.
It looks awfully sparse as far as staff in this area. The radio
traffic from Porterville at times can have a lot of static. This is
one of those times. I have a habit of recording the staffing, so I
can play it back and make sure I hear the staffing correctly.
Evidently Buck
Rock had
the same issue as they called me up and I told her what I heard.
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| Smoke in the Valley |
When I am at a lookout for
more than one day, I try to clean windows. I am able to do Delilah’s
windows in a couple of hours, between other duties. Well, after
finishing, I still see places for improvement. At 1230 I have my
lunch. Then at 1309, I take the weather. Not too much different than
this morning, except more breezy. I am hearing on the radio that the
duty officer and a work group is gathering at the McKenzie
helipad. That is on the road into Delilah.
I wonder if they are going to head this way? Am I getting lonely? I
do not think so after all the isolation of Delilah is one of its
attractions for me.
I do have two 15 minute rest
periods, between scans. During my scans, I see a wide variety of
land. There is the Valley land, filled with orchards, farmlands, and
ranches. We do not report fires in this area. Then comes the
foothills, above the Friant Kern canal. For the most part, these
lands hold only some interest-the people I know and the history which
is part of the land. Then there are the mid-mountains where Delilah
is. I have traveled through some of the areas, both in a car and on
foot. It is fascinating and not many people go over to Patterson
Bluffs,
nor into Millwood
or any of the places which this lookout is part of. Finally, on a
clear day, I can look up the Middle Fork of the Kings all the way to
the crest.
And that is where my heart is.
And why this train of thought came as I looked over the areas which I
love? I wonder if I will ever be able to go back there? It does
require strength and endurance, things I am losing. There is a bit of
melancholy with that thought. The reason which I love that area is
because I have been able to experience it, it became part of who I
am. In stories you read about how a hero cannot go home and looks
longingly towards the place he cannot return to. I can place myself
in the hero’s shoes.
But I am fortunate as I can
still do so many things I love to do, such as hike be in a lookout,
read, and the plethora of interests I have. Also I have family and
friends who love me. I am not despondent, just yearning.
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| Evening view from outhouse |
At 1600, I responded to the
lookout check in from Sierra. I spot two smokes, but neither are
reportable as they are in the Valley. At 1716, I called up
Porterville to say I am overnighting here, my last planned night for
a little while. I do have a lot to be thankful for. At 1755 I went
out of service with Sierra and Porterville.
Most days after I have been in
the lookout all day, I am spent. Not because I am doing anything
terribly physical, nor mentally challenging. I think it is because of
always being on: listening to the radio and constantly looking out
for smoke. Very little real downtime during the day. Yesterday
evening, I was spent. Tonight, after finishing up everything, I got
right to the business of eating the quiches Sherri had sent me.  |
| 98.9% of a full moon |
After washing the dishes and
putting away everything, I went for a walk. I was thinking I would be
about half an hour, but I was gone for over an hour. Wendy and I had
a light and fun text conversation. Each of my replies would give me
an excuse to pause while going up the hill which is Mount
Sampson,
not that the road goes over it.
When I returned, I talked with
Sherri for about 45 minutes. Since I have waited this long, I think I
will wait for the moon to rise. It is to rise at 2119 and be 98.9%
full. Maybe not as nice as yesterday, but there will not be clouds
getting in the way. By 2140, I am in my bag.
Flowers and Plants
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| Grove of Dandelions |
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| Milkweed |
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| Foxtail |
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| Google says it is Penstemon, I am not that sure |
