Mount Misery

Waking up on day two next to the Mount Misery Warming Hut in the driver’s seat of 4501, our mission was unclear. Four hours of consecutive rain restricted the fire behavior and our accessibility to various spots on the fire within Division Golf.

Given that the mission was unclear, the 4501 crew began the day by playing cards while waiting for instruction. Warrior is our game of choice, with 31 occasionally being mixed in ever since the Pomeroy Forest Crew taught us the game on the Gooseneck Fire. Warrior is a simple game, where the goal is to get rid of all your cards. Jake’s on a hot streak right now, winning the majority of the games through the first two days of the Cougar Creek Fire.

After some time, Tuzaga hit us on the radio to get ready to work off the 40 road so we packed our lunches in our packs, double checked our waters, and prepared one chainsaw as ordered. While the 43 road we burnt off of on day one was no trouble for Type 5 engines to navigate, the 40 road has a different reputation. The 40 road is covered with sharp rocks and deep ruts. Steep slopes lead to rock slides over the road and inconsistent road conditions is the result. The 40 road is only to be accessed by foot or UTV and luckily for 4501 crew we were picked up in the latter.

After riding in the UTV for a little more than a mile down the 40 road, we stopped on the ridge-side overlooking three different plumes of smoke, all of which indicating spot fires. The first spot was being worked on by Hotel Papa, a local Blackhawk stationed at the Lewiston airport and serviced by Hillcrest Aviation. Given that Hotel Papa is stationed in Lewiston, the rotor is a familiar sight on local fires. While Hotel Papa was dropping water every 20 minutes or so on the first spot, Tuzaga was waiting for us to descend down to the second spot fire.

The descent was a serious one, the steep slope and rocky terrain heightened the risk of falling hazards. Situational awareness was at a premium as we hiked down to the second spot. Jake carried a Pulaski, Karson carried a chainsaw, and I carried a Rogue hoe. The second spot fire was a snag (a dead tree) laying up against a C-tree (the biggest category of tree on the fire line). The snag was on fire and the fire was threatening to spread to the C-tree and other fuels nearby. Tuzaga gave us the order to create a trench of 360 degrees around the snag and the C-tree. The trench in total was probably around 200 yards long, not by any means the longest line but the slope made the task exhausting.

Following the completion of the oval, Tuzaga was tasked with cutting down a handful of trees to assist in creating a new heli-base and I was his swamper. Swamper is a fancy term for someone who moves cut down limbs and trunks into a place that is out of the way. It’s a monotonous task, but dangerous nonetheless due to working in close proximity with the chainsaw. Tuzaga showed his strength and experience with the chainsaw, but continued to reveal his closed off view of the world. At one point he shared that he believes that teachers don’t work hard, which sent me into a spiral of rage but I settled down after explaining to him my favorite Abraham Lincoln quote that has been passed down to me from my father:

“It is better to keep your mouth shut and let people presume you are ignorant, then open it and remove all doubt.”

Time and time again Tuzaga reveals his ignorance towards the world of public education.