everyone should go join goodreads, a sort of networking website that lets you share books you’ve read and are reading with your friends. it’s a great way to keep track of and rate past reads, and you can also post reviews to share with others. i’m already obsessed with it!
you can view my profile (along with virtual “bookshelf”) by clicking the link below. if you join, be sure to add me as a friend so i can share my books with you!
in an effort to combat the non-firefighter blues, jake and i got out of the bunkhouse and took a hiking trip today.
we decided on the blue lakes trail, which starts from the dallas access road to the uncompahgre national forest and continues through the sneffels wilderness area, passing three snowmelt lakes. it was about a 9-mile round trip, and a pretty strenuous hike with a lot of elevation gain. the trail passed the lower blue lake at about 3.5 miles. after another steep mile, we reached treeline, and then the two upper lakes at almost 12,000 feet. all three lakes were amazing – unbelievably blue (hence the name, presumably), clear, with trout that you could see five feet from the shore. i packed my fishing pole and gave it a try, but unfortunately didn’t even get a bite. probably for the best, considering i don’t actually have a fishing license.
all in all, the hike was great. it was just enough to feel like i’d accomplished something. i’m glad i did it; the fire guys (and girl) are still gone and i was getting pretty bored. my boss is actually going on fire tonight as well, so i’ll still be in norwood doing database entry tomorrow. after that i’ll be in gunnison – more stories to come next weekend!
a few photos from the day:
blue lakes trail
a marmot!
in front of the lower lake
lower lake from above
mountain, lake, wildflowers
looking back at the second lake
uppermost lake
taking a rest at 11,800 feet
yesterday, wade and i went fishing. we (he) caught two brown trout. only one was big enough to keep. i really wanted to get a picture of it, but he gutted it right then and there. so i didn’t. anyway, i brought it home for dinner, but soon discovered i had no idea how to cook the thing, seeing as how it was still a whole fish with no head or guts. i called the trusty dad hotline, and he told me just to put it in the oven. so i did. i think it turned out alright:
it really was tasty, and had a lot more meat on it than i thought it would. so that was dinner.
also, although i didn’t catch any of the trout, i did catch a horny toad! i’d never seen one of these in real life, so that was pretty neat. he is actually a lizard, though.
an unrelated aside: i have become marginally famous for writing about cooking crawdads.
the wordpress “blog stats” feature shows what search terms lead readers to my blog. i usually check this out because i think it’s interesting. today i found that people were searching “how to cook crawdads” and ending up here, because of my last post. so i went to google and tried it myself. lo and behold, searching “how to cook crawdads” returns my post as the 10th most relevant result out of 25,000. maybe i am the only one who thinks this is awesome. but i definitely think it’s awesome.
anyway, things are kind of boring around here, because the entire fire crew (and then some) are on a fire in nearby nucla. i really want to get my S-130/190 training and red card certification so i can go on fires, too. i might look into that in the coming school year – i’ve already been offered a seasonal fire job with the forest service/BLM here next summer. who knows.
but no one is here, either way. and i’m bored. maybe i should do laundry. or dishes. or both. or… neither.
last night, i ate a crawdad. actually, i ate five or six crawdads.
i came home to find the fire crew with a cooler full of them. they were huge – several times the size of any i’ve ever seen at home. shayla, tanner, and wade had caught them at miramonte lake and brought them back for dinner. none of us really knew how to cook crawdads, but we figured it out pretty quickly. if you cook them whole, guts go everywhere when you try to pull the heads off. so you pull the heads off while they’re alive and cook just their tails and claws. then you break their tails off, take the meat out of the shell, and de-vein them. a 6-inch crawdad gives you about a popcorn-shrimp-sized piece of meat. anyway, they were really pretty tasty. and i was proud that i cleaned them myself. just ask my family – i usually don’t even eat cooked shrimp if i have to peel them.
i also cooked some cornbread (39-cent boxes of jiffy, heck yes) for everyone, and introduced them to a kentucky delicacy – milk and cornbread*. they doubted me at first, but then realized just how delicious it was.
*thanks, paw.
it was a pretty excellent dinner… it’s not every day you eat crawdads.
cooler full of crawdads
oh yeah – and a lobstery surprise they left in my refrigerator while i was gone (thanks, guys)
my friend wade with said lobster
i haven’t had much time to write, but here’s a little something i did a night or so ago.
He was slicing peppers in the kitchen,
knife slipping through thick skin and
entering pithy cores with a small, hollow sound.
Their sharp smell, warmed by the pinyons outside,
reminded her of Albuquerque. The shade of the red Sandias,
soft steps in the hallway at night.
They had been walking through the lodgepole pines,
the fallen trees laid to rest, only outlines.
Nothing left but the dresses where they died.
She imagined this as something she would like to be:
an impression that remained,
a shape that had grown once.
this is going to be a long one.
so much has happened since i last had the internets!
as far as work goes, i’ve been busier than i ever imagined i’d be. i spend four days a week hiking at high elevation, taking field inventories, and recording the historic and prehistoric finds that we come across. i’m working in and around the taylor reservoir area, which is really rugged territory. our typical day starts with a 2-3 mile hike into our project area from the last driveable jeep trail. then a lot of walking. and more walking. we walk to the sites that need to be surveyed, and then we survey them by walking 30 meter transects. we gain and lose a lot of elevation in the course of a day’s work, due to the topography of the area. we spend a good amount of time on the colorado trail. i’ve already summited three peaks in the course of surveying – mount baldy (11,112 feet), south matchless mountain (12,041 feet), and matchless mountain (12,382 feet). surveying is usually fairly uneventful – we’ve found two prehistoric tools and two cabins in the course of two week’s work. the cabins are interesting, and date to before the first world war. we determine this by the color of glass we find there, and also the presence of lead-soldered milk cans. also, we find mining prospect pits. a lot. finding one (or more) of these is definitely not exciting – they just look like holes in the ground, but we have to record them. we’ve located at least a dozen. after we’re finished for the day, we hike 4-5 miles back out to our jeep and drive to a cabin at the taylor ranger station, where i fix dinner, take a shower, and go to sleep, usually before 8:30 or 9:00. ten or so hours later, i start over. sometimes we camp out at the project site to save time. either way, it’s tiring, but amazing. i get to see such a great piece of wilderness, and the hiking is good for me.
here are some work photos:
starting in a pristine meadow (except for the road, haha)
site where we found a prehistoric projectile point
a cabin site
nearing treeline
on top of matchless mountain
what a view
but it’s not all work all the time! last weekend, i got to visit miles and play in yellowstone for two days. i spent the first day watching him work, which consisted almost entirely of bear jam management. i was amazed at the number of bears in the tower area, and the amount of trouble they can cause for traffic. it was awesome to get close-up looks at grizzlies with cubs and all sorts of black bears. i eventually saw just about every kind of wildlife to be found at yellowstone – pronghorn, deer, elk, moose, buffalo, coyote, and of course, bears. the second day was spent on a whirlwind park tour with miles guiding. i saw all of the big sights – grand canyon of yellowstone, the falls, yellowstone lake, west thumb geyser basin, mammoth hot springs, and of course, old faithful. we actually saw old faithful erupt twice, because in between we waited for a chance to see grand geyser, which goes off around every four hours. we got tired of sitting after an hour or so, and walked back toward our car at old faithful. at which point, of course, grand geyser erupted. our timing was a little off there, but by the time we got back to old faithful, it was erupting for a second time. so that was pretty neat. the best part was the end of the day, and boiling river. this is a spot in the 40-degree gardner river where 160-degree water from mammoth hot springs flows in. it’s basically nature’s version of a hot tub, but better. it was really relaxing after a long day. we also had great pizza and beer in gardiner, montana, listened to a lot of music, and watched a few movies (i was starting to get a little media-deprived). the whole trip was a great – a much-needed break from work.
some yellowstone photos:
in front of canyon
the falls
at yellowstone lake
old faithful
a papa moose!
boiling river
then, after a bumpy plane ride that i’m trying to forget, it was back to colorado. luckily, i get to spend the week of the 4th in norwood, where most of my friends are. we always find something fun to do, whether it’s floating on the river or trout fishing or barbecuing. also, i went to walmart not once but TWICE in the last two days. i hadn’t been there since i left home (it’s an hour and half from norwood) and i must say, it was a nice change of pace. i actually bought some groceries without breaking the bank. i also bought a cheap rod and reel so i can do a little more fishing soon. i really want to catch a trout! i think i may go horseback riding this weekend, too. so much to do!
i’ll try to update this thing more often while i’m enjoying civilization for a few days. be sure to check out my flickr page; i’m always adding new photos there. hope everyone at home is well. i’m thinking of you!
i haven’t written in awhile – it’s because i’ve been busy doing awesome things.
monday was 4×4 training and certification; in layman’s terms: learning how to take trucks where no trucks should go. i also learned how to do some important engine checks, and how to put snow chains on my tires, should the need arise. i felt accomplished. later that evening, the bunkhousers and fire crew headed to the hot springs in ouray. this is basically a giant swimming pool, divided by temperature. the water in the 105-degree sections comes from the springs in box canyon, a few miles up the mountain. the air was cold, but the water was hot, and it was incredibly relaxing.
tuesday was CPR and first-aid training. fairly uneventful. it stormed all day, and there was a beautiful double-rainbow on tuesday night:
wednesday was the orientation for seasonal employees, although most of us have already been working for awhile. this was mostly conduct, safety, and administration stuff. we also had an office cookout, which was great, aside from the ant bite i received, and the subsequent allergic reaction. it was uncomfortable, but not life-threating…only benadryl-worthy, really. most importantly, the food was delicious. i am really beginning to appreciate large amounts of free hot food. …my address is on the sidebar, should you be interested in getting any off your hands. after orientation, my boss, ryan (my SCA counterpart at the gunnison office), and i headed about an hour north of norwood, past naturita, where we were doing a hike and archaeological presentation for local middle schoolers.
the site, near the dolores river, was a prehistoric rock shelter.
bob explains the deposition of wind-shifted sediments.
i found a nice chert scraper, but had to leave it, setting an example for the kids and all.
although it was neat to interact with people and show off one of the more spectacular sites in our district, the best part of the day was after the talk.
did i mention that we were right next to a 25-foot bridge over the 50-degree dolores river?
yeah, we jumped off of it. four times. it was.. exhilarating, to say the least.
it took me about thirty minutes to work up the nerve, but once i jumped i was so glad i had. what an experience.
we also stopped over the hanging flume near the confluence of the san miguel and the dolores rivers.
this section of canyon was dizzyingly deep.
i have a few more bumps and bruises as a result of the week.. but also a few more great memories. this job is constantly pushing my comfort zone, and it’s good. there’s something really special about the peace of norwood and its surroundings, punctuated by really new and intense experiences every single day. i still can’t complain.
i’m getting ready for another transition, though. because one of the archaeologists in the gunnison office broke his leg last week, bob, ryan, and i will be doing all of his field work for the months of june and july. the site we’re going to be surveying involves a prescribed forest burn to create bighorn sheep habitat. it is about an hour outside gunnison, at the taylor park reservoir. and very remote. fortunately, this will be a really neat wilderness in which to be working. unfortunately, the site is almost 5 hours from norwood. meaning i’ll be living in a ranger station at taylor park sunday nights through thursday nights for the next two months. i know this is going to be hard, especially given my attachment to norwood and the lack of cell phone, internet, and much anything else civilized at the taylor park ranger station. here’s where i’ll be living (note lack of roads and/or towns). it will be tough. but i think it will be good for me – i’ll read more, think more, work more, and learn to entertain myself. and then i’ll come home to norwood and my friends on weekends.
you probably won’t be hearing from me as often. assume i’m out there working, learning, and doing more awesome things.
so. the trip to the sneffels range was pretty cool, but didn’t go quite as planned.
my housemate jake and i drove up to telluride and were planning to hike the deep creek trail to the highline trail which would take us into the sneffels and above treeline, to about 12,000 feet. unfortunately, after about 2 miles, we were at 10,000 feet and i didn’t feel too great. at all. heart racing, head hurting. i couldn’t get my breath. turns out the elevation is a bigger factor than you’d think. i love hiking, and i love pushing myself to do tough stuff, so i really didn’t want to turn back. we kept going for awhile, but after an hour or so, i was stopping every 50 feet to catch my breath, and we knew we wouldn’t get anywhere at that rate. so we headed back down. needless to say, i was disappointed. i’m stubborn and don’t like saying “i can’t.” but in this situation, i just really couldn’t. i’m going to have to take a few more trips at lower elevation before i try that one again, i think.
fortunately, the day wasn’t wasted. we drove through telluride and then hiked up black bear pass to the base of bridal veil falls. this was really awesome. we were at right the bottom, and there was ice everywhere and a spray from the falls that just about soaked us. there is a house at the top, and a hydroelectric power plant. i can’t imagine what it’s like to live there. anyway, the views were great and i still felt like i’d accomplished something.
we went back down to telluride, which is really an interesting town. it’s got a neat culture, but you can tell it’s a richie-mcrich-tourist sort of place, too. a lot of skiers. we joked that everyone who moved there got issued a black lab and a subaru. there were a lot of both. but it was a friendly town. they have a “free box” (like a much larger “freebie table” for you indie-hallers), and i found a copy of best short stories of 1990, which was edited by richard ford, and thus a great discovery. we went to this really cheap taco stand (rivals la hacienda!) and i got a steak taco and a fish taco, both of which were unbelievably good.
we decided to head back to the deep creek trailhead and camp around 9,500 feet so i could try to get more acclimated to the elevation. we ended up pitching the tent in a really nice aspen stand, and built a huge fire. i read my book of short stories, slept, and woke up with two elk browsing outside the tent. we came back early, like 6 a.m. early. i had a nap, a shower, and now i’m sitting in the cafe that’s two doors down from the bunkhouse, eating a granny smith and drinking an iced coffee. the weather’s beautiful. blue skies. life is pretty good.
a few photos (i was in a black and white mood – more on my flickr page):
bridal veil falls
campfire – it got awesomely big
aspens
so things continue to be really fun in general. yesterday i traveled to the ouray public library and museum to do some research on the mine and cabin found yesterday. i mostly looked through old folksy narratives and records for references to the mine, and then tried to tie all the information together to get a better idea of the site’s history. then i hiked back up to the site to get some additional GPS points. in full gear (love the chest pack with humongous radio):
i got to do all this by myself, so that was sort of neat – having my own assignments. as far as i know, i’ll be the one writing the report for this project eventually, as well.
weather is looking beautiful this weekend, so a friend from the bunkhouse and i are headed up to mount sneffels in telluride for a two-day trip. we’re doing a 12-mile loop trail which will probably be pretty tough, since i’m not entirely acclimated to the elevation yet. anyway, i should have some great stories and pictures from that in a few days! i’ll keep everyone posted.
i’ve done so much the past few days. the best way to see all this is probably through my flickr page, but i’ll try to summarize and highlight here.
i learned to drive a stick-shift. in a government truck. on the rim of san miguel canyon… which might happen to have a 1000′ drop and no guardrail. so that was fun. at least i can drive a stick-shift now, right?
today my boss and i surveyed an area near squaw gulch in ouray for a road easement. it was about 9500′ feet and covered in aspens. we found and recorded an historic mine shaft (~1880’s) and a nearby log cabin. it was snowing. there were also wind gusts that reached 50 mph, and i saw several trees fall. an aspen was across the access road when we left, so we had to split it with an axe and drag it off in pieces to get out.
the biggest event of the day, though, was the drive home. because ophir (oh-fer) pass just reopened on monday after ten months of snow, my boss wanted to take that route back to norwood. ophir pass is a very long, very narrow, very windy dirt road. also, it crosses a saddle in the mountains at over 11,000 feet. we stopped at the top of the saddle because my boss wanted to do some “boot-skiing.” it turned out that the snow was packed too hard with the 20-degree windchill, so we hiked up a drift for a while but turned back. the wind on top of this mountain was unbelievable – it blew me over more than once, and in one of the pictures below you can see me running into it while it holds me diagonally. also, after walking 100 feet or so up this snow drift, my lungs felt about like they do after running an hour’s worth of a hard track workout. the lack of oxygen was definitely noticeable. but worth it, for the views! it was exhilirating. i generally haven’t felt too many bad effects of the altitude, aside from the near-constant low-grade nosebleed i’ve had since monday (yum!). but even that’s kind of cool. i’ve been called “the flatlander with a bleeding nose.” it’s almost something to be proud of.
anyway, the things i’ve seen today have been unreal. i can’t imagine the possibility of doing this for a living. actually, i can. and i am. the work isn’t terribly unlike things i have done in the past, but being in this place really does make everything different.
a few photographs to illustrate the day:
standing in front of squaw gulch above ouray
walking up the snowpack at ophir pass
11,789 feet!
high above the town of ophir… on a rock… wilson range behind me… with my eyes shut.
also, as i sat on the sidewalk and wrote this post at 10:30 p.m. MST, two large elk appeared out of nowhere and walked down the road.
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