Island time

Week long base change to Vancouver Island. Based out of Campbell River, the first fire was directly below Mt. Cain and then we had a couple of steep ones in Tsitka River drainage. This last one shows us hoisting out off of the hillside. Has been super busy still!! Hard to believe we have been rolling since July 17th. Pretty lucky. A month left and everybody is starting to look like they've had a long season. Just got back from 2 fires north of Revelstoke near the Gothics Lodge. Slept on the hill again last night and now back in Salmon Arm refitting gear. Expect to be back out within the hour.

Lillooet Fire Complex

Just back from 4 days at Lake Koocanusa and off immediately for Lillooet to build helipads. Pad building is something that I always look forward to. Usually there is some type of time clock on you from an irate fire boss, fire activity below is in the back of your head as you see plumes of smoke rise through the day, and it always separates you from the pack with your ability to get trees on the ground. No cold trailing through old burns, no soot or ash in my lungs (black boogers), and only saw dust and sweat at the end of my shift to brush from my hardhat. The immediate concept is to fly into an otherwise inaccessible area and rappel in to a location that we think is appropriate (semi-level or something approaching it). We scout the area and try to locate two large trees perpendicular to the slope, 14' apart from one another, and free from defects (cat-face or other obvious structure deficiencies). These we save until the end, and fall everything else for a 100' diameter from pad centre. Using materials that are already on the ground, we lug, curse, and heave 16-20' logs towards the centre and begin construction. From year to year, I always forget fires, but always remember the pads we built and the teamwork it took to get it in place.

K11122-Clearwater Zone Wells Gray Park

5 Days spent on a piece of Wells Gray Park. A quick station to Blue River where no other than, the world famous, Dan Baker comes strolling over to our machine; a fire later and this followed by a dispatch to Wells Gray Park. No access for any other crews, unchecked timber for miles, and a big patch of smoke rising up from the patch of fire retardant that had been dropped earlier in the day. Now, I'm not sure why Dodsworth snorted a bunch of pepper from the beef jerky up his nose..... but it was ridiculous.