peeps of the PCT: Joshua, fire manager

Firefighters never die, they just burn forever in the hearts of the people whose lives they saved. 

Susan Murphree

Last September, I walked through the final bit of the Cascades heading south, or SOBO, on the Pacific Crest Trail.

The hike through Lassen Volcanic National Park took one day, but it was a heavenly day of sunshine and cool air, most of the park all to myself, shared with with my thru-hiking friend, Klaus.

The park is full of lakes, and, though chilly in the morning shade, I was urged on by his jumping straight in, to ever so slowly wade into the deep azure of Lower Twin Lake. At that moment, my friends, I felt I’d never been so clean and refreshed in my entire life.

Yes, the best part of hiking south is that the trails were nearly empty in the fall and I finally found solitary campsites and deeply longed for quiet.

Lassen was no exception.

After a swim, and a steep uphill past more pristine lakes, I came upon a portion of forest that brought me to Flat Iron Ridge.

Here I met Joshua from the Sierra Institute. A superbly managed non-profit. the Sierra Institute focusses on promoting healthy forests and watersheds by investing in rural communities and encouraging their participation in managing the land.

Joshua is a fire project manager, which actually cracked me up at first because it sounded so corporate. But fires have to be managed, and the managing of managing fires also has to managed…if that makes any sense.

Joshua was directing a crew in the creation of a firebreak, right there next to the PCT. The reasoning is that the trail’s width already provides a natural break, plus there are canyons on either side and this spot was ideal

Neglected for the last 100 years, regeneration and undergrowth has built up in Lassen, especially White Fir, a shade tolerant and thirsty tree that will out-compete Sugar Pine and Western White Pine. When drought comes, which is inevitable in Northern California, White Fir are the first to die back and become a dangerous fire hazard.

Interesting to me was the length of time from creating the break to actually lighting it. The reason is because the “fuel” is actually live trees they’ve thinned out.

And since this is federally designated wilderness area, his crew uses traditional hand tools trying to balance leaving things to Mother Nature and protecting property.

Sadly, at this moment, Lassen National Park is dealing with a huge bear problem. The black bears are not dangerous, really, but they are persistent, and if they know a camp spot might be a good source of free food, they’ll hang around and come too close, especially if you turn your back on them!

I camped outside the park last fall and didn’t have my bear canister yet, so it was a bit risky just hanging my food in a tree. Lucky for me, no encounters!

Also in the news in the Hog Fire raging now and causing mandatory evacuations in parts of Lassen County. It doesn’t appear to have affected the park yet, but I’m sure the black smoke can be seen from the PCT.

God speed, Joshua and all firefighters in Northern California right now. Our hearts are with you.