The Medano fire is in the San Isabel National Forest. Where we worked with Alfonso previously. We are camping at a park in Westcliffe, the town we stopped at every morning for gas. This fire is not full suppression, is it a wildfire mitigation effort, which means they will allow it to burn, but try to control it and keep it from areas they don’t want burned. Yesterday the crew cut materials around a radio tower to prevent the fire from burning it. My squad worked on swamping out the cut materials, and by the end of the day even the sawyers joined us in swamping and we had a giant line of people passing branches to each other, down a ridiculously steep slope away from the radio tower. It took all day because the trees were so dense, and our specs kept changing. At first we were supposed to move every thing over 2 chains (66 feet to a chain) away from the tower, but by the end of the day when no progress had been made, it was changed to 1 chain.
I don’t like this fire as much as the last one. Reason 1: Less sleep/ I’ve had less than 5 hours of sleep for the past two night. Another reason: I am hungry. There is nothing for a vegetarian to eat. Yesterday’s lunch I traded my sandwich for a banana. I’m not kidding when I say that yesterday I ate nothing but granola bars and bananas. And at dinner I asked if I could just get the vegetable (which were loathsome green beans, possibly the only vegetable I hate with a fiery passion) the waitress told me that the fire command pays per person so I should get the whole meal and let someone else eat what I didn’t want. The mashed potatoes were covered in gravy. So my dinner basically consisted of a side of green beans, which I had to dip in Ranch dressing to make tolerable. Now I’m at breakfast, which is biscuits and gravy. So I’m eating sad dry biscuits. It will be impossible to sustain 17 hours of work without some kind of nourishing food.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
6/20/2010
Sunday
Yesterday we got demobilized form the Tecolote fire. After checking out, resupplying, gasing and washing vehicles we headed back to Canon City. Out of a possible 14 day deployment we were there 5 days (travel days don’t count). I was really bummed. Camping and working is really exciting and energizing. I never felt tired or worn down even though I should have. I was also just at the point where I was getting comfortable with the crew, and starting to come out of my shell, and was looking forward to continuing the deployment. On the way back to Canon City we stopped at a rest stop and Alfonso told us that we had been reassigned, and that after a night in Canon we would be heading out to another fire. Today we are going to the Medano fire, which started near the Great Sand Dunes and at last measurement was 4,300 acres. Since its in our district we’re hoping for some really great assignments.
Yesterday we got demobilized form the Tecolote fire. After checking out, resupplying, gasing and washing vehicles we headed back to Canon City. Out of a possible 14 day deployment we were there 5 days (travel days don’t count). I was really bummed. Camping and working is really exciting and energizing. I never felt tired or worn down even though I should have. I was also just at the point where I was getting comfortable with the crew, and starting to come out of my shell, and was looking forward to continuing the deployment. On the way back to Canon City we stopped at a rest stop and Alfonso told us that we had been reassigned, and that after a night in Canon we would be heading out to another fire. Today we are going to the Medano fire, which started near the Great Sand Dunes and at last measurement was 4,300 acres. Since its in our district we’re hoping for some really great assignments.
6/28/2010
Friday? The days of the week all kind of blend together. Yesterday was another red flag warning day. We started cleaning up another dozer line, this one headed into the fire in preparation for a possible back burn. Watch out situations present during the endeavor include #9: Building fire line downhill with fire below, #11: Unburned fuel between you and the fire, # 14:Weather becoming hotter and drier, #15: Wind increases and/or changes direction, and #17: Terrain and fuels make escape to safety zones difficult. We of course have mitigated these dangers by keeping our situational awareness up. Our squad boss, Jessica is constantly asking us to identify our escape routes, and we are in constant communication with Trish, our lookout, who gives us hourly weather reports and heads ups on the fire behavior. Today we started cleaning up that dozer line, then, shortly after noon we bumped down to the bottom of the hill and started digging hand line, up from the creek until we tied in to the dozer line.
Today Alex was sawing and Brendan was swamping. Clay was taken off the squad to shuttle hotshots to and from their work assignments. Today was just an amazing day! I hiked harder than ever, kept up the whole time, and while swamping, just pushed it! I was sweating hard all day, breathing hard, heart beating just kicking butt! It was so awesome.
We just heard that we might get demobilized and sent home tomorrow. :(
Today Alex was sawing and Brendan was swamping. Clay was taken off the squad to shuttle hotshots to and from their work assignments. Today was just an amazing day! I hiked harder than ever, kept up the whole time, and while swamping, just pushed it! I was sweating hard all day, breathing hard, heart beating just kicking butt! It was so awesome.
We just heard that we might get demobilized and sent home tomorrow. :(
6/17/2010
Today is Thursday, 6/17. We left Lake George late Sunday night to drive to Canon City where we met our crew early the next morning (I’m talking 3:30). Then we traveled to Las Vegas, New Mexico where we’ve been deployed to the Tecolote Fire (Tecolote means “owl” and one of the objective for the fire is to save the owl habitat south of the fire (Mexican spotted owls) as well as protect the watershed to the north). When we got here the fire was about 700 acres. Yesterday was a red flag warning day with high winds and low RH (relative humidity), so heavy fire activity was predicted. While fire activity was not as extreme as predicted we did see flames at the end of the day, where previously we could only see smoke. Our first night in New Mexico we camped down at the base camp. I discovered that the sleeping mats Americorps provided were meant to provide insulation from cold ground, not a comfortable cushion. Wish I had a Thermarest! Since then we’ve been spiked out at Johnson Mesa, about a mile from the fire along with several hot shot crews. We wake up around 5:00 each morning, pack up camp, eat breakfast and then hike to where we’ll be working for the day. So far we’ve been cutting line and cleaning up after a dozer comes and rips a line through, creating a contingency line in case the fire jumps over the line already dug below us. We work until after 8pm, then back at camp we prepare for the next day by restocking out water, sharpening tools, and refilling the siggs with gas and oil (for chainsaws). After that, dinner, setting up our tents and then falling asleep for hopefully 7 hours before getting up and doing it again. All day, while working we are carrying our line packs (over 20 lbs), our tools, and fuel for the chainsaws. So by the end of the day my feet are unbelievably sore, my shoulder muscles are tight, my back twinges with discomfort, and my hips are bruised from the hip strap, pulled tight to take the pressure of my shoulders and back. It doesn’t help that we are sleeping on the hard ground.
But it is awesome to be out here, camping under the stars, seeing sunrise and sunset everyday with the backdrop of a burning hill in the background. It’s a wonderful feeling to drop to sleep exhausted everyday, and to wake up and be in the wilderness seeing the beautiful countryside and having this exciting job and unique experience. Its hard. I hurt. But I love it.
But it is awesome to be out here, camping under the stars, seeing sunrise and sunset everyday with the backdrop of a burning hill in the background. It’s a wonderful feeling to drop to sleep exhausted everyday, and to wake up and be in the wilderness seeing the beautiful countryside and having this exciting job and unique experience. Its hard. I hurt. But I love it.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
My week at a glance
Monday: Traveled from Denver, to Lake George, then to Black Mountain. I did not recognize the place without the 7 feet of snow. It is not as much a Black Hole of Despair that it was in March. Also the showers no longer spit poop at you.
Tuesday: We went to a prescribed burn. Only 50 acres this time. I got to light it though. It was physically difficult to wear the ~25lb pack, carry a drip torch and a tool while walking back and forth across a steep and densely wooded area. I lit for 4 hours before asking to switch with someone who was holding the line. After lighting I patrolled the perimeter of the burn, watching for spot fires. After the fire was lit we left.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: We have been working with Alphonso’s seasonal crew cutting, piling and chipping trees on Black Mountain preparing the area for a prescribed burn they will do this fall. While working with Alphonso’s crew we played the “phonetic alphabet game” which consists of each person saying the next word in the phonetic alphabet down the line, over and over again, and doing pushups if you don’t know it. By then end of the day Brendan and I knew it.
Saturday: The team went to the Great Sand Dunes for a service learning trip. We learned about sand dunes, the different geological structures present in the area, as well as the surrounding grasslands, different ways the sand dunes are formed, and the effects of sand, wind and water on the environment. The wind was terrible. There were gusts up to 40mph. The winds blew sandy bullets at my legs rubbing my skin raw. Eventually I just walked along the nearby creek, where the sand was not able to sting me continuously.
Here is a poem I wrote:
Sand
Blowing in the wind
Not Blowing. Shooting.
Shooting tiny sandy bullets at my legs.
Ankles, Calves, Thighs.
My mind can see a body
Soon a skeleton scoured clean.
Scouring Sands
I fear my legs will soon be bones.
Tuesday: We went to a prescribed burn. Only 50 acres this time. I got to light it though. It was physically difficult to wear the ~25lb pack, carry a drip torch and a tool while walking back and forth across a steep and densely wooded area. I lit for 4 hours before asking to switch with someone who was holding the line. After lighting I patrolled the perimeter of the burn, watching for spot fires. After the fire was lit we left.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: We have been working with Alphonso’s seasonal crew cutting, piling and chipping trees on Black Mountain preparing the area for a prescribed burn they will do this fall. While working with Alphonso’s crew we played the “phonetic alphabet game” which consists of each person saying the next word in the phonetic alphabet down the line, over and over again, and doing pushups if you don’t know it. By then end of the day Brendan and I knew it.
Saturday: The team went to the Great Sand Dunes for a service learning trip. We learned about sand dunes, the different geological structures present in the area, as well as the surrounding grasslands, different ways the sand dunes are formed, and the effects of sand, wind and water on the environment. The wind was terrible. There were gusts up to 40mph. The winds blew sandy bullets at my legs rubbing my skin raw. Eventually I just walked along the nearby creek, where the sand was not able to sting me continuously.
Here is a poem I wrote:
Sand
Blowing in the wind
Not Blowing. Shooting.
Shooting tiny sandy bullets at my legs.
Ankles, Calves, Thighs.
My mind can see a body
Soon a skeleton scoured clean.
Scouring Sands
I fear my legs will soon be bones.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Team Highlights: Round 3
·Russ, our Fantastic supervisor
·Using chainsaws
·Excelling at face cuts when felling trees.
·The time Jeremy made a little girl cry.
·Getting to know our teammates better.
·Seeing beautiful Leadville, Colorado.
·Meeting friendly, welcoming people in small towns.
·Warm weather in Kansas.
·Running in Kansas, where the altitude is low and the land is flat!
·Seeing buffalo, farms, and deer in our yard!
·Finishing assorted projects such as clearing the tornado blowdown area, and clearing out the Tunnerville Work Center.
·Working with Alphonzo in Black Mountain!
·Doing PT with the seasonals in Woodland Park.
·Traveling to different project locations.
·Getting to see different amazing views.
·Relaxing at “home” in Lake George and Manitou Springs.
·Exploring and adventuring.
·Mountains and Lakes! We got to see so many amazing sights this round, including Crystal Lake, Leadville, Pike’s Peak and Black Mountain.
·Getting to light a prescribed fire.
·Seeing a lot of fire behavior (especially torching trees).
·The way Brendan’s shirt smells after two weeks of PT and work.
·Using chainsaws
·Excelling at face cuts when felling trees.
·The time Jeremy made a little girl cry.
·Getting to know our teammates better.
·Seeing beautiful Leadville, Colorado.
·Meeting friendly, welcoming people in small towns.
·Warm weather in Kansas.
·Running in Kansas, where the altitude is low and the land is flat!
·Seeing buffalo, farms, and deer in our yard!
·Finishing assorted projects such as clearing the tornado blowdown area, and clearing out the Tunnerville Work Center.
·Working with Alphonzo in Black Mountain!
·Doing PT with the seasonals in Woodland Park.
·Traveling to different project locations.
·Getting to see different amazing views.
·Relaxing at “home” in Lake George and Manitou Springs.
·Exploring and adventuring.
·Mountains and Lakes! We got to see so many amazing sights this round, including Crystal Lake, Leadville, Pike’s Peak and Black Mountain.
·Getting to light a prescribed fire.
·Seeing a lot of fire behavior (especially torching trees).
·The way Brendan’s shirt smells after two weeks of PT and work.
Team Accomplishments: Round 3
·All members of the team are certified as Class A sawyers.
·In Black Mountain the team spent time preparing an area for a prescribed burn.
·The team hand cut, limbed and piled a two mile, 20-30 foot wide stretch of line.
·The team chipped 90% of the cut materials.
·The team dug a quarter mile of hand line for the unit that is scheduled to burn this spring.
·The team also spent time in Black Mountain training.
·We learned how to make chain for a chainsaw, and how to use a grinder to sharpen the chain.
·We also refreshed our knowledge on maps and using compasses.
·In Woodland Park the team spent two weeks working with the fuels crew limbing and bucking 10 acres of tornado blowdown.
·We also constructed a barbed wire fence, by digging post holes, installing wooden and metal posts, stringing barbed wire around it, and constructing a gate.
·In the Cimarron National Grasslands the team spent two weeks landscaping at the Tunnerville Work Center eliminating fire hazards and improving the aesthetics of the area.
·In Leadville, Co the team cut, limbed and scattered an 18 acre unit, thinning the materials and providing firewood for members of the community.
·The team participated in a 100 acre prescribed burn by lighting, holding the line and mopping up.
·In Black Mountain the team spent time preparing an area for a prescribed burn.
·The team hand cut, limbed and piled a two mile, 20-30 foot wide stretch of line.
·The team chipped 90% of the cut materials.
·The team dug a quarter mile of hand line for the unit that is scheduled to burn this spring.
·The team also spent time in Black Mountain training.
·We learned how to make chain for a chainsaw, and how to use a grinder to sharpen the chain.
·We also refreshed our knowledge on maps and using compasses.
·In Woodland Park the team spent two weeks working with the fuels crew limbing and bucking 10 acres of tornado blowdown.
·We also constructed a barbed wire fence, by digging post holes, installing wooden and metal posts, stringing barbed wire around it, and constructing a gate.
·In the Cimarron National Grasslands the team spent two weeks landscaping at the Tunnerville Work Center eliminating fire hazards and improving the aesthetics of the area.
·In Leadville, Co the team cut, limbed and scattered an 18 acre unit, thinning the materials and providing firewood for members of the community.
·The team participated in a 100 acre prescribed burn by lighting, holding the line and mopping up.
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