I like to have interesting links and news in my journal sometimes, so here's the one that I liked seeing today: I guess Texas has increased some speed limits to 80 mph, and some of those annoying slow areas in MI have been increased from 55 or 65 to 70! I always hated those parts, especially after a really long roadtrip and I'm stuck going 55 mph in a place where I'd much rather just be done with it! That's about as interesting as I am going to get tonight.
Tomorrow I was going to give Long's Peak a try, but the weather has been a little funky this week. This cool breeze that feels and smells like late August has been blowing from up high, and there was even a small amount of fresh snow/hail on top of one peaks yesterday... And the clouds have come in earlier than usual, with lots of lightening storms. I have to check the weather but maybe I'll just be doing Lawn Lake after all (which is a pretty hefty hike, so it's not like I'll be taking it easy!). We had a safety day yesterday and Did You Know? Cell phones and radios etc do NOT attract lightening. In fact, there is no "safe" place from lightening outdoors - not even under pavillions. That's my interesting fact for the day. ;)
Some good news for me - my season has been extended until almost November! Woo hoo! The bad news - since the beetles flew a few weeks ago, we are just now seeing new infestations - and it's NOT good. We thought we had cleared out nearly 100% of infested trees from the campgrounds, but they are coming from further in the forest and it's HORRIBLE. The west side is already a dead mess, but we found so many newly infested trees that the east side will start looking pretty bad as soon as next June. This means that there is going to be a LOT of work for us hazard tree folks over the next few years, so our boss is trying to secure some more long-term funding to make at least one, if not both, of our jobs a 4 year term. That means benefits and raises! If nothing else, I will be applying to fire jobs/whatever else they might hire over the winter.
I obviously did not get dispatched for a fire - instead they sent 3 fire people out with the other Northern crew. Tim and those guys hooked up with the Bandelier and some Texas fire people and are somewhere in Arizona right now. Not sure what fire they are going to, if any. My ex coworker from Red Rock Lakes NWR, Gator, is on his way up near Darby, MT (we were stationed there for a bit) to do some helitack work. I'd love to go out if nothing else to see some old fire buddies - it's a small world and you never know who you will run into!
In case anybody is interested in fire stuff, here is a link that shows some of the Rocky Mt. Region crews, where they are at, what fires they might be on, etc. The Northern Colorado Type 2 crew would be what myself or anybody I know would probably be on. Right now it just shows that they are available but doesn't say where they are.
Here's a neat link that shows the location of major fires around the country.
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