Baldy Breeze
Back again and what can I say? Mt. Baldy has had some interesting events occur since my last post. From fires, to the annual race, to even a helicopter crash, this mountain just continues to provide me with something fun every week. Obviously, I still have been dealing with the trash and bathrooms daily but now nature has graciously added wasps to add a little more spice to my life. I can not say that this job is easy or even always fun but the added ability to adventure down roads only Forest Service employees have access to creates the proverbial icing on the cake. For instance, I am granted the holy grail of keys which is the ever important Yale key along with a Master key that according to my boss will unlock any gate or door I so choose. I have used this sparingly but got to visit some interesting areas in the Angeles National Forest that only federal employees can visit.
As most people know, California is going through its annual fire season which starts around May and ends in October. Setting up signs and providing daily reminders to only have fires in designated areas is at an all time high. While listening to the radio during lightning strikes, I can sense the urgency and preparedness the fire engines have to not only locate strikes but immediately attack any that spark. The funny thing is during the end of August it was fires created by recreators that closed the entirety of Azusa Canyon next door to me through the Labor Day weekend. This created an absolute madhouse up at Baldy, as it was one of the only places to escape the heat and recreate. Baldy was also astir during the holiday weekend from the annual Mt. Baldy Run to the Top Race which is held every year on Labor Day weekend where runners start at the ski lift and race to the summit of Mt. Baldy. This event brings up numerous vendors and plenty of foot traffic throughout the mountain. By far the busiest I have ever seen Baldy was Labor Day weekend during the race but I believe the closure of Azusa Canyon was the real reason for the horde of people. To add to the excitement we also had a helicopter crash down into the canyon in the middle of the holiday weekend. Luckily the pilot was able to walk away from the incident, but the response it created brought volunteer, federal, county and I even think state fire departments to arrive on the scene. Not only that but throughout the day I had to open the gate for the FAA to get down to the crash site to start the investigation that is still ongoing to this day.
The daily routine for my job really has not changed much with the day to day maintenance of cleaning, fixing plumbing, and adding signage. With the summer ending the heat just seems to be getting hotter and with that any source of liquid or waste regardless the type if you catch my drift creates a swarm of yellow jackets with numbers that have proven quite formidable. Only being stung once to my surprise the yellow jackets are surprisingly timid but have given me the ability to pick up trash from a distance and change a can in record time. As usual most people respect the mountain but you always will deal with the common trash thrown to the side of the road or the bathroom that someone just does not understand how to use. Obviously this is the worst part of the job but once you do it a few times you just get over the pure carnage left for you. I like to think that but on some occasions when you are pressure washing some of these restrooms and some splash back hits you in the face you rethink if you are cut out for the job. Dealing with all the fecal matter and urine really creates an amazing contrast when you get to visit areas like the San Dimas Experimental Forest and get to tour the facilities with the people working there that no one else can get to. Established as an outdoor hydrologic laboratory to document and quantify the water cycle in semi-arid steeplands, most of the facilities were constructed in the depression-era creating an awesome backdrop to the creek and massive trees that it sits on. The experimental forest probably being the coolest area I was in, I was also able to travel on backroads and fire lines that not many people know exist which would lead to incredible views and some up close viewing of wildlife you do not get to see regularly.
Other than all that, I am still getting up everyday for work and putting in the time. Not always easy but the recognition from the public and my bosses really do make the difference when at times things just start to pile up (literally). Recreation might not be in the spotlight or even something people think about when talking about the U.S. Forest Service, but in a highly recreated forest like the Angeles National Forest, specifically the San Gabriel National Monument, we deal with some of the most difficult and pressing issues (in my opinion).
-Connor Renard
Agency: U.S Forest Service
Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)
Location: Angeles National Forest