#handcrew

Ok update time! Came back to this for the first time in 2 months and I have not posted about me in 8 months! So much has happened! I loved coming back to see 237 notes on my post about doing what makes me happy!

So in Challis, Idaho I finished up my season doing some pile burning (First Photo). Lol such a interesting experience. Trying to keep something lit that you are carrying around in a foot of snow in mountains with is not easy!

Then I went down to Southern Alabama to work with The Nature Conservancy doing prescribed burning (Second Photo) January through April. Got a solid 34 burns in and spent a bunch of time at the beach, sometimes camping on it(Third Photo).

Now I’m in Idaho in Lowman, Idaho (Fourth Photo) on a handcrew with the Forest Service. My first season on a dedicated fire crew and I’m loving it! I have been trying to get on this type of crew for two seasons now so its great to see it finally happen! The PT hikes are still kicking my ass but they are getting easier!

I recently returned home from a 25-day fire detail on an Interagency Type II Initial Attack handcrew from Virginia.  As the only female member of the crew and the fact it was my first fire, I had a lot of barriers to overcome and lots of information to learn!

Our first assignment sent us to the Joint Lake Fire, about 47 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in the Upper Yukon region of Alaska.  Flying on small planes, helicopters, eating MREs, keeping an eye out for grizzlies, digging our own latrine, and camp housekeeping were all part of our job in addition to long days working on the fire line.

Probably one of the most meaningful experiences our crew had was to get to work with a local Native Alaskan Crew from the Village of Venetie. The crew not only had an incredible dedication to fire fighting, shared with us tips for setting up camp in the Alaskan tundra, and asked us to all sign their American flag, but shared fresh fish they had caught, a sign of gratitude and respect in their culture.

Our crew spent seven days spiked out on the Joint Lake Fire before we were reassigned to Montana.  Stay tuned for a future post on our next assignment!