Yesterday was day one of Team Leader Training. Mostly it was a rundown of the schedule for the next month, and filling out some in-processing paper work. Nothing too exciting. We are starting to get to know everyone, doing a few introduction exercises. Everyone seems very nice, very excited about Americorps and extremely energetic about life. Its so much fun so far. When we introduced ourselves we had to say our likes and dislikes, so I told everyone that I like reading books about dragons, eating burritos, and riding bikes. Then I sat down and Noel yelled "What do you dislike?" And I drew a blank and couldn't remember anything that I dislike. So I yelled "Noel!" and everybody laughed. At the end of the day Noel, Liz, Yasi and I visited Melissa and Alisha in their new apartment, very classy space for some classy ladies. Melissa is working for Habitat for Humanity in Denver, and Alisha is working at the local United Way. Alisha says the United Way is currently handling all the phone calls that come in about the Boulder fire, people volunteering to help, people wanting to make donations, etc. and that their are beyond swamped trying to handle all the phone calls, so we may get the opportunity to do some volunteering with her.
This year I have not only a few year long goals, but a personal challenge for myself every month. September is no fried food month, which theoretically shouldn't be too challenging for me (ok I cheated at home and ate the eggplant parm at Rosemary's Labor day picknick) because most things that are fried are meats (which I don't eat anyway) but the cafeteria has some form of fried potatoes at every meal (and while usually disgusting they do make a mean tater tot).
As far as long term goals go I have a list:
1. Be able to run ten miles without having to stop to walk. (The most I did last year was 6)
2. Be able to run 1 mile in under 8 minutes (The last time I recorded a mile it was 8:50)
3. Create a to do/to see list for each place my team visits.
4. Apply for a job with Outward Bound.
5. Do a different monthly challenge each month.
6. Learn to knit (I can make the inside part of a scarf if someone else starts and finishes it for me)
7. Watch for the opportunity to do a Relay for Life with my team.
8. Try to find different classes in communities that offer a free beginner session, like yoga or different cardio dance fads for my team to try out.
Well thats all for now. I have to go drink alot of water so I dont get pee shy for today's drug testing!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
last few entries of my fire journal
6/25/2010
Yesterday we dug more line. But to get to our starting point we had to hike an hour up hill. Honestly that hike was the hardest part of the day. The hill was at least a 100% grade (45 degree angle). We swamped out about an 80 foot path, and dug our line straight down the hill.
6/26/2010
Yesterday we swamped more. By the end of the day not only did my feet hurt and my back and shoulders ache, but I also felt like I’d had an arm workout. After dinner Jessica asked us if we’d be willing to stay if the crew got extended. We all said yes, but secretly I hope we get demobed and can go home.
6/27/2010
Yesterday we cut more trees and moved more sticks. We were pretty tired from the fire. The day went by ridiculously fast. I totally kicked butt when swamping. I hope that keeps up.
6/29/2010
Today we are demobing from the Medano fire and headed back to Canon, then Lake George. Our 2 week deployment is over!
Yesterday we did more swamping (glorified stick moving). However while working we got to see a helitorch do a burnout. A helicopter, carrying a flamethrower lit a mountain on FIRE! It was awesome! The line we’ve been cutting all week set the parameters for the land to be burned and by dropping fire they were able to speed up the process before the fire spread there by itself. It was totally amazing!
Yesterday we dug more line. But to get to our starting point we had to hike an hour up hill. Honestly that hike was the hardest part of the day. The hill was at least a 100% grade (45 degree angle). We swamped out about an 80 foot path, and dug our line straight down the hill.
6/26/2010
Yesterday we swamped more. By the end of the day not only did my feet hurt and my back and shoulders ache, but I also felt like I’d had an arm workout. After dinner Jessica asked us if we’d be willing to stay if the crew got extended. We all said yes, but secretly I hope we get demobed and can go home.
6/27/2010
Yesterday we cut more trees and moved more sticks. We were pretty tired from the fire. The day went by ridiculously fast. I totally kicked butt when swamping. I hope that keeps up.
6/29/2010
Today we are demobing from the Medano fire and headed back to Canon, then Lake George. Our 2 week deployment is over!
Yesterday we did more swamping (glorified stick moving). However while working we got to see a helitorch do a burnout. A helicopter, carrying a flamethrower lit a mountain on FIRE! It was awesome! The line we’ve been cutting all week set the parameters for the land to be burned and by dropping fire they were able to speed up the process before the fire spread there by itself. It was totally amazing!
6/24/2010
Yesterday entailed more cold trailing along the fire’s edge, then putting in line along a ridge. Putting in the line was a whole crew effort, with saws going and swampers swamping. My squad alternated swamping materials and digging the actual line, based on where we were needed, and how close we were getting to the sawyers. And at the end of the day I got a shower! My legs were covered in a Capri pants of dirt! It was so disgusting, I had to scrub my body so abrasively and watch the water run off my like mud. Even after the dirt was gone I kept scrubbing dirt spots until I realized that the majority of my legs are covered in bruises! But not I feel human again and do not look like a “gargoyle” as Alex remarked. I believe today is day 10 of the deployment (I may be wrong) so the end is in sight! I’m excited to be able to get more than 7 hours of sleep, and to shower with girly smelling soap not men’s 2-in-1, and to wear clothes I haven’t been living in for 2 weeks, and to sleep in a bed, and to read books, and have a fully charged cell phone, and actually have time to talk on it!
6/23/2010
Yesterday we got to direct on the fire! It wasn’t raging when we got there, more of a smolder, but there were flames in several spots. We cold trailed the edge of the main fire and the perimeter of a nearby spot fire (which was maybe 20 acres). By touching the ground and feeling the ash we looked for the hot spots and then put a quick scratch line around it to prevent the fire from starting up again. It was awesome to be close to the fire and doing hard labor all day. Yesterday included tons of hiking! My feet were incredibly sore by the end of the day (as well as the rest of my body from wearing my pack and bending down to feel the ground). But I can definitely tell I’m getting stronger. All my muscles feel stronger, except my abs, which seem flabbier (no ab workouts!) but the whole group complains of similar results.
6/22/2010
Yesterday, after swamping out limbs around the radio tower our crew did a few structure protection assessments. We sized up three structures, detailing what they consisted of, nearby fuels, and what measures should be taken to protect them if the fire starts heading toward them. It was an easy day, but very interesting and educational.
6/21/2010
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.
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.
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.
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