While making the decision to come out here for this program, one of the things I was looking forward to most, was getting out of my old routines and beginning a new job in a new location. The daily routine here starts early. We typically begin our days with physical training and exercise. The physical training varies from day to day. Sometimes we might play ultimate Frisbee while other times we might do a hike with all our wildland firefighting gear. From there we carry on with the plan for the day, which either involves thinning trees or other types of training. Some tips to staying positive are to keep the end game in mind and focus on the job.

The Umatilla National Forest is a great place to spend time. The landscape is beautiful and Frazier bunkhouse is a special place in its own. The locals appreciate our efforts out here. We spend a great deal of time thinning trees in order to reduce fire fuels, which requires a lot of work. So far my favorite part of the term has been fire school. We essentially got to apply what we had learned and conducted a practice fire scenario, which was pretty fun. One of the best things about this program is the qualifications that you receive. Thus far I have gotten certifications such as: CPR/First Aid, chainsaw qualifications, and portable pumps. My time out here has been pretty awesome and for anyone looking to get into this line of work, I would highly recommended looking into this program.

The post GreenCorps: Life on the Umatilla National Forest appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

We are several weeks into the program so far; we have all been through most of the trainings and certifications now. We are all certified on chainsaws and have been working hard on the thinning unit honing in our skills with the saw. Last week we went to Fire School, which was a great learning experience. We were given courses on introduction to fire and listened to stories from experienced personnel who have been in the heat of it, no pun intended. So far, my favorite part of the program is working a chainsaw. I enjoy the challenge of coming into a section of limb locked trees or trees leaning into the road and working out how to bring the tree down exactly where I want and picking apart how to make that happen.

Living here has been such a great escape from back in the city. I wake up to amazing sunrises then we go physically train (PT) and will scare up elk as they run across the dirt road when we pass on by. After a nice hard run or circuit course, we pack up the trucks and head out to the unit to start cutting. Our crew boss Matt tells us that being able to get a good hard PT and to cut all day will help prepare us for the long grueling days on fire. The crew has all been working together great. We haven’t had any real issues and are helping each other better ourselves in many ways, whether its building our strength and endurance with our PT or helping with problem trees if someone is unsure of how to go about bringing it down.

During my days off, I have been exploring the area, finding areas of the forest where I don’t see another vehicle the whole day. It is truly a wilderness out here. I have combed along riverbanks, hiked up to the tops of canyons, and wandered along game trails for miles. I have found antler sheds, turkey feathers, and even found a couple pounds of Morel mushrooms while wandering. I also have had a few trail cameras out there to see what kind of wildlife is in the area and I haven’t been disappointed. Below is one of the first videos I got on camera.

I fully recommend anyone looking for a way into the forest service or into wildfire to join in this program. I can tell you now, I already am planning to do this for a very long time.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: A Great Escape from the Big City appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

Before I arrived to participate with the Mt. Adams Institute’s VetsWork GreenCorps program I expected to be challenged physically and to learn about wildland firefighting. Other than that I did not know what else to expect. Within the first three weeks we have done more than my initial expectation. Every morning (weather permitting) we start our day with some sort of workout. We will go for a run, a hike with all our gear, or conditioning training. So far our workdays have consisted of some sort of classroom training followed by hands-on training. We spent two days in the classroom learning so much about how to operate a chainsaw properly and safely, how to cut down trees, and how to clean and maintain a chainsaw. Before I started this program I knew we would learn how to use a chainsaw and cut down trees, but I had never thought about what it all really consisted of. After the classroom training, we took the book knowledge to the field and started practicing with the saw. And it was not as easy as I initially thought it would be. However, after a week of instruction and observation on how to properly fell a tree I took my certification practical and passed. Since being at Umatilla National Forest we have also completed the Oregon Department of Transportation flagger training, completed the pack test, and the defensive drivers’ course.

I decided to take this opportunity in Oregon because I wanted a job that allowed me to spend time in the outdoors and wildland firefighting seemed like the job for me. However, I did not know much about wildland firefighting, but what I had found out it looked like a job I would enjoy. I saw this program as an opportunity to really see what wildland firefighting and the Forest Service is about. I also saw this program as a chance to get a better idea to decide if this is the job I want to do. And even though it has only been three weeks into the program I feel like this is a job I want to continue with.

I hope to continue to learn from the Umatilla Veteran Crew instructors and participants. So far our crew has been working together as a team and looking out for each other. Even though we are living in a single bunkhouse 20 miles from the closest town we all have been getting along and becoming friends. I hope the rest of the term consists of all of us continuing to perfect the skills we have learned thus far and be prepared as we can be to work this upcoming fire season.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: This is Just the Beginning appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

“I need you to break off and handle that spot fire!” my squad leader yelled back at me from beyond the trees ahead. I had only been digging a line to contain the main fire for 15 minutes, but I was already soaked in sweat from chopping through the dense vegetation and root-dense soil in the 90-degree heat. I took off with a crewmember to attempt to put out the additional fire. Eventually, we would be forced to retreat along our safety route as the main fire grew out of control. Fortunately for us it was all just a simulation, an exercise designed to test our readiness for a similar real scenario. During the After Action Review, we learned that this scenario had been designed to be a losing situation for us so that we could identify when the wisest course of action is to retreat, reorganize, and change our strategy. It may well prove to be a valuable lesson for the months that lie ahead of us.

My time serving on the Umatilla Vet Crew through Mt. Adams Institute’s GreenCorps program has afforded me many opportunities to reflect on my decision to embark on this journey. Replacing cell phones, computers, and TVs with campfires, hiking, and exploring has provided me the kind of clarity that only comes when distractions are stripped away from everyday life. I discovered what was truly important to me: I have to be challenged, I enjoy physically demanding work, and I enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being a part of a team. Thanks to this program, I know that all of these things can be found in the wildland fire community. I walked away from a well-paying office job to be a part of this program, and I now feel that it is the wisest decision I could have made.

With the qualifications and experience I’ve acquired over the three months I have spent here, I am well equipped to pursue a career in wildland fire. I now have over 100 hours of experience cutting down trees with chainsaws, a basic understanding of wildland fire science and tactics, and I’ve had the opportunity to network with other wildland firefighters in the community. I have a solid idea of what will be expected of me on the fire line, and I’m confident that I will be up to the task. I’m looking forward to the rest of the fire season and continuing to experience life as a wildland firefighter.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Discovering my Path by Getting Lost in the Forest appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

The time has flown by incredibly fast. What has seemed like only a few weeks has turned into a few months, and the end of the program and the beginning of our time as official Forest Service employees is rapidly approaching. We have had more hours than I can count of practice with our chainsaws and the tools we will need, worked with fire engines, and trained our minds and bodies to be prepared for what looks to be a very busy upcoming fire season.

We start every morning about the same time the sun does; we have our morning PT (physical training) which may be a run, a circuit course, or a hike with our full packs through the mountains. When we start our work for the day, half of us will be running chainsaws and thinning the forest of hazard trees and allowing more room for endangered or less common trees to become healthy again. The other half will be playing the largest game of pick-up-sticks in the world, and stacking the felled and bucked trees for a control burn later when they are dry. We always ride in the same squad trucks to and from the thinning unit, and anywhere else our daily work might take us, so combining that with our close living proximity and shared background has made a very tight-knit group.

At the end of each day we return to our bunkhouse in Frazier where our crew hangs out, has some drinks, watches movies, and shares stories and jokes around the fire pit. Before coming here I had worries that this would be far more “military” in style than I was ready to return to. I was happily surprised at how laid-back and casual the group is. Although we are all veterans (minus a few of our more experienced leadership) we have been able to mix ranks, branches, and jobs of all kinds into a cohesive group that can both work and play on a level playing field. The concept of fraternization doesn’t exist in this environment, and its led to a group that in some ways is even closer than the ones we had in the military. Even on our weekends there are always groups getting together for a night on the town, or just to go fishing or hiking.

I’m very excited to begin the fire season and put the camaraderie and skills we’ve learned to the test, and really see what we can accomplish.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Time has Flown By appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

My day working with the Umatilla Vet crew starts the same everyday with some form of physical training (PT). Most days we thin heavily forested areas to reduce the potential for wildfires. We have completed over 8 acres so far. That’s pretty much our normal routine: PT, then go thinning, return to the bunkhouse and clean our saws. My favorite part is cutting down trees; that is probably everyone’s favorite part of the day. We have great sites to check out on our weekends with so many places to hike and camp. We live in the mountains and the weather has been staying very enjoyable. It’s very easy to stay positive in this beautiful place. I work with a great group of people and that’s what makes it fun and enjoyable to do manual labor everyday.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: A Day with the Umatilla Vet Crew appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

I’ll be honest; I didn’t have many expectations before arriving to start this program. A lot of that had to do with the fact I worked full time up until two and a half days before leaving Georgia to meet up with the crew in Trout Lake, Washington. When I applied and was told I had an opportunity to participate my expectations were: a group of veterans would come together to participate in land stewarding until fire season started then would fight fires. Mix in some physical training and classes and that is pretty much what I thought I was in store for. My current impression isn’t too far from my expectations. There is a solid group of prior service individuals who wake up early, they PT hard, they listen to instructions, professionalism seems important, and sarcasm seems a mainstay at the moment.

Thinking about impressions leads me to the reason I came. I was working a 9 to 5 in a wood shop, my lungs felt like they were full of sawdust, and I did not like the way I saw my future. I needed a change, so I got on the Internet, found this program and thought, “sounds good, guess I’ll do that.” So I did. I bought everything I needed, got in shape, got shin splints, and packed all my stuff in my car. I drove from Georgia to Washington in 50 something hours and haven’t regretted it yet.

So far I have taken a first aid and CPR class, defensive driving class, and got chainsaw certified as an “A” sawyer. Power points suck but chainsaws do not, but even the most maligned aspects of classes are important and will be needed later down the road. The crew from my eyes and what I keep hearing is a gathering of misfits from across the nation. I enjoy most of them and can tolerate all. I have made some great friends in only a month into this program; it’s interesting how a group of veterans can become tight knit and watch each other’s backs in such a short time.

I hope the rest of the term consists of everyone getting in great shape and really securing bonds that will be needed as we move on to the fire season and beyond. Personally, I want to become a cog in the machine that helps us, as a crew, run smoothly and efficiently. I hope we can help the Umatilla National Forest in its land stewarding and thinning operations and I hope the Umatilla Veteran Crew can strengthen its reputation and be a staple in the Ukiah community. I want a big mustache and to lose my love handles, that would be cool too.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: A Cog in the Machine appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

I decided to apply for the VetsWork GreenCorps AmeriCorps program through the Mt. Adams Institute and the Umatilla National Forest, because I was in great need of a change in my life. While I enjoyed my time in the Army, garrison life did not provide the daily sense of fulfillment and sense of purpose I need. Having recently returned from overseas, I had a hard time accepting garrison life again. I enjoy feeling as if I am working toward a goal and that I am accomplishing things daily as I work toward that goal. Being physically and mentally engaged in my work is also extremely important to me. As I neared the end of my term of service with the Army, I spent countless hours researching other options. I looked into going back to school, into continuing what I had done in the Army as a civilian, as well as a multitude of other options.

While conducting this research, I came across the VetsWork Greencorps program, the Mt. Adams Institute, and the Umatilla National Forest. This program seemed to bring together my love of the outdoors, my desire to manage and protect our natural resources, and physically and mentally demanding work. I knew I had to apply to the program, and luckily, I was accepted as a program participant.

Prior to arriving in Trout Lake, Washington to start as member of the Umatilla National Forest Veteran Crew, I was hoping this program would provide me with the sense of purpose and fulfillment I desperately needed. I had a sense of nervousness coupled with immense excitement as I found out I was selected to participate in the program. This feeling only grew as I headed westward from New York to Washington. While driving, I had a lot of time to think about the program and what I might experience through it. I thought about connecting with new people who have a passion for the outdoors. I thought about whether or not I would be able to cut it as a wildland firefighter. I thought about whether or not this program and wildland firefighting would provide me with the sense of fulfillment I am seeking. I thought about these things and more as I drove mile after mile toward Trout Lake.

It has been approximately three weeks since the program has started. While there have been some periods of death by PowerPoint, I have found the blocks of instruction and work to be engaging and interesting. We typically begin our days with some physical training such as a run, a circuit training, or a hike with beautiful vistas of the surrounding area. Then it is off to a class or to the thinning unit for the rest of the work day.

Our accommodations at the Frazier Bunkhouse on the Umatilla National Forest are quite comfortable, but the bunkhouse is remote with little connectivity to the outside world. While having little to no internet and cellular service is frustrating at times, it has helped to bring the crew members closer together. People seem somewhat less reliant on their cell phones, and more willing to socialize with each other. I have seen people cooking together and sharing meals, enjoying a few post work beverages around the firepit, playing games and watching movies with each other, and just engaging in interesting (often comical) conversations.

Currently, I am working toward getting my sawyer certification, as are the other members participating in the program. We need this to operate chainsaws as we work toward completing the forest thinning project we have been tasked with in the Umatilla National Forest. Ultimately, this thinning project will help make the forest healthier and reduce the risk of large scale fires by reducing the amount of fuel available to burn. Thinning is physically taxing but rewarding. At the end of each day, I look over the area I was helping to thin and see the fruits of the crew’s labor. Where we are thinning is an area of dense deciduous forest, filled mostly with lodgepoles, Douglas firs, western larch, and ponderosa pines. The forest is so thick in spots, it looks like an impenetrable wall of pine. Often times you will hear vehicles passing on the road that runs through the middle of our work area or other crew members working nearby, but it is impossible to see them through the trees.

While I am enjoying the thinning work and courses we are going through, I am enjoying the other members of the crew the most. Everybody seems invested in the program and its goals. We have all been working and living together really well so far. Everybody has their own unique personality which only helps to enrich our experiences. There are some definite characters on the crew. All of us being veterans also helps to strengthen our bonds as a crew. It’s hard to explain but being veterans and having certain shared experiences that come with that, has allowed us to form into a family unit of sorts in a very short period of time.

From what I have gathered in the three weeks we have all been living and working with each other, all of us needed a significant change in our lives. We all seem hopeful this program and the experiences we have while going through it will help lead to this change. Perhaps some of us will learn that natural resource management and wildland firefighting are ideal professions for our post military lives, or perhaps we will find they are not. Whatever our paths are after this program concludes, I feel confidant we will all be stronger, we will all experience personal growth, and that we will all have a clearer sense of what we want out of life.

In the near future, we will all be attending fire school to obtain the necessary certifications to be wildland firefighters. I am really looking forward to this and to the upcoming fire season. As we near fire season and as we go through the remainder of this program, I look forward to growing closer to my fellow crew members and I hope we all find that change we are looking for.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Looking for a Change appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

The last two months of the VetsWork GreenCorps program, have been very enjoyable. I’ve gained a lot of new skills, and experience in a new career field. Coming into the VetsWork program, I thought I was going to be volunteering working alongside the Forest Service, and that’s exactly the opportunity I was given.

The best part of my time in GreenCorps was working with, and living with other Vets. Hearing about everyone’s differing experiences in the different services was interesting. The time I’ve spent on the Umatilla Vet Crew has been similar to my service in the Army. The close living quarters, the physical training, and the comradery were all things I realized I missed.

I plan to stay on with the crew for the remainder of the season, and I am excited to utilize the training on my first fire. The program has given me opportunities for on the job training that will set me up for a career with the Forest Service, and other positions in fire.

We received our red cards while attending Eastern Oregon University for a week. This along with the chainsaw qualification and the first aid training will put myself, and the rest of the Veteran Crew in a good position to seek other jobs in fire. I’ve had a great time working with the Forest Service and would suggest it to any other Vets looking for a new career similar to the military.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Looking Forward to a Great Fire Season appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

My name is Eric Leight. I’m a fella from New Jersey who decided to try his luck in the Pacific Northwest as a firefighter. Through ten weeks of intense training, both physically and mentally, we now stand here waiting for our chance at action. Over the past two months, a lot has happened, and I do mean a lot. Whether we were out in the forest cutting down trees, or on our own time “exploring” the town, there was never a dull moment. The crew is made up of likeminded people with a passion for fire, and a thirst for adventure. Us coming from a military background, we were all somewhat prepared for the rigors of training. We were expected to perform at a certain level and hold ourselves to standards, and we have. We all relish in the idea of self-improvement and seek it out in any form we can.

 After all the training, the chainsaw qualifications, CPR certifications, and enough PowerPoints to make a man mad, we are here. Ready and willing. Foaming at the mouth like stray dogs waiting to pounce on a prey. Our prey is fire and we are starved. This experience so far has convinced me that a life of firefighting is a life I want. The crew has come together and real friendships have been forged. The comradery and intensity is something I have missed sorely since my time in the Marines and having it back is worth all the blood, sweat and tears I have.

We have countless stories to tell, but only a few privileged people may hear them…

i

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Our Prey is Fire and We Are Starved appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

These last 10 weeks here at the Umatilla National Forest have been nothing like I expected; I knew I wanted to get in this line of work and clearly this was my gateway in. I had no clue it would be as physically demanding as it is. Although I battled through rucks, runs and pull-ups, I overcame these obstacles and I am getting stronger every day. My initial view was it would be a military structured program, similar to a 12-week boot camp. While it definitely has been tough, we have freedom to spend our 3-day weekends as we wish (which I enjoy).

The crew here has been one of the best parts. Although we all have to deal with our own demons, we have bloomed together and have become a well-oiled machine for the most part; we still have a couple kinks to workout. We definitely all have that “can do” attitude and want to be the best at what we do, so that competitiveness has established a great base for us to come together. The military type attitude we all share combined with demented jokes and light-hearted mentalities have us thinking we all are back with our crews in the military.

My main plan for this summer is to go on as many fires as I possibly can. I would also like to experience the Pacific Northwest and try as many activities it has to offer as I can. This will boost my passion for the outdoors and help me in my next steps of pursuing a career in wildland firefighting. I hope to either get on a hotshot crew next year or try and get into a journeyman program. All of the skills I have acquired this season–sawyer certification, red card, and BLS (Basic Life Saving) skills– will help me pursue these dreams. Not only have I learned various important skills, I also have made fun memories. My most enjoyable memory was the hike we all did after divide camp. It was one of the toughest and most majestic hikes I ever been on; it was definitely worth the 3 hours of pain.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: The Chosen Few appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

What does your normal routine look like?

0500 – I wake up to my roommates alarm going off

0515 – My own alarm goes off and I continue to lie in bed and regret all decisions that have gotten me here

0530 – Finally corralled enough energy to get up and make breakfast and lunch for the day

0545 – Hydrate and watch TV until the bosses show up at 0600

0600 – Continue to regret life even more as we start our morning work out

0615 – We finally get in the groove and I remember that life could be a whole lot worse

0715 – Finish our run/work out and get ready to head to the thinning unit

0730 – A nice scenic drive along the creek listening and dancing to some tunes (Usually Reggae)

0800 – Get to the thinning unit and start cutting trees!

1200 – Lunch

1230 – Continue thinning for the rest of the afternoon

1500 – Load up and drive back (Usually listen to some Oldies on the way home)

1530 – Get back to base and start cleaning saws and equipment

1630 – Debrief for the day

1631 – Crack open a cold one with the boys

Tips on how to stay positive.

Being on an all-veteran crew, it is pretty hard to be negative. It is apparent that everyone wants to be here and work hard (besides getting up early). Everyone has great personalities and we all love to hangout on weekends.

How have your efforts helped Umatilla National Forest?

We thin trees along the roadside so that in the case of a forest fire, 1. It won’t jump the road, and 2. Crews can drive their trucks off the road to keep it clear for other traffic.

What is your favorite part of the term so far?

My favorite part of the term is probably just hanging out with the crew whether we’re hiking or sitting around the fire at night.

Activities/Qualifications completed thus far?

I’ve completed the Forest Service chainsaw certification and First Aid /CPR and Epi-Pen certification. We’ve spent most of our time thinning trees around the forest and cutting down hazard trees in the campgrounds. We’ve also done a volunteer project with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation building fences around protected species of trees.

Describe the landscape and weather.

The landscape is filled with roaming hills and mountains, covered in gravel rock, ginormous tamaracks and ponderosa pines, and lots of off-road trails to mountain bike or run on. The weather in this area has been the hardest part; it’ll be 85 and sunny all morning then snowing in the afternoon. There’s always some kind of weather blowing through, even in June, but we work through most of it unless there’s lightning.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Q&A with Marshall Mabley appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

“Who are the nobles of the earth, the true aristocrats, who need not bow their heads to kings nor doff to lords their hats? Who are they but men of toil who cleave the forest down and plant amid the wilderness the forest and the towns?”

-Stewart

Two alarms wail as the hour hits five o’clock in the morning. The rustling of turning in the bed and groaning is highly audible as my roommate and I attempt to command our bodies out of our bunks. 5:15 a.m.: another alarm, slightly louder and more annoying sends it screeching song into the room as once again we try and summon up the motivation to leave our warm peaceful beds. Like the walking dead, the rest of the crew begins to rise from their graves as the sun’s unwelcomed light forces us from our slumber. Some of us pour cups of coffee, others prepare their breakfast, while others slink to the couch and watch the morning news and see which weather lady is on this morning. We are a grizzled bunch of veterans, coming from all different services and even more different walks of life. Seaman, soldiers, marines and even an airman finds himself amongst our ranks. With 5:55 a.m. slowly rolling around the corner, we all make our ways out to the rigs to check oil, brake lights, brights and other maintenance checks before we can leave for the day.

After we finish our morning maintenance checks, Matt and Roop call us over to discuss what we’ll be doing for PT (that means exercise for all you civilian types). Mondays are usually shorter runs interlaid with some sort of pushups, pullups, and crunches. Tuesdays are usually a circuit course of some type, however, recently we have taken up “digging line” aka digging with various tools to create a fire break, a skill requiring back breaking effort and even more teamwork and communication. Wednesdays are our long run day, ranging from 4 to 7 miles through the hills and trails that encompass our backyard at the Frazier bunkhouse. Thursdays are designated hike days. A time for Matt and Roop to bring us to whatever hell scorn cliff face they’ve found, in order for us to pack all of our gear, grab our tools, chainsaws, and dolmars (plastic cans full of chainsaw gas and bar oil) and climb up until our legs burn, our lungs sting, and the smell of gasoline, bar oil, pine and B.O. overtake our olfactory senses.

The temperature at 7:00 a.m. is still cold and steam rises off our bodies from our exertions as we make our way back to the bunkhouse. “Twenty minutes, be back at the trucks ready to move,” our boss, Matt Weseman says as he laughs at our pain. No time for a shower as we slip on our working clothes and boots, and even less time for a snack as we grab all that we’ll need for the rest of the day. Most of us pack our lunches and fill our water bottles the night before so we can just slip on our clothes, answer nature’s call, grab our packs and run to the rigs. Our dolmars, 5-gallon water jugs, and chainsaws are loaded into the truck early. Everything else, including road signs, spare chainsaw parts, tools, and other necessities for cutting the whole day is either already loaded into the rig or getting loaded before we leave.

The rigs are loaded up according to our squads (4-5 man teams) and we’re wheels up by 7:30 a.m. It’s a 45 minute drive from the bunkhouse to our thinning unit. Some of us sleep in the trucks, some of us talk, and some of us quietly sip our coffee and eat our granola bars as we listen to Rammstein screaming their beautiful symphony to us as we attempt to get our minds on the right plain for the day ahead.

Our job for the most part consists of thinning designated areas within the Umatilla National Forest. Seventy-five feet from the road we cut lodgepole pine, Grand fir, Douglas fir, tamarack, and an occasional ponderosa pine. The chainsaws roar as a designated sawyer (the guy who cuts) and swamper (the guy who carries cut trees into burn piles) journey to their lane and start their inexorable push to thin their area. The first couple of weeks on the unit, I can only imagine watching us new guys. It must have looked very much like the monkeys in 2001: A Space Odyssey when they discovered the obelisk and first understood the idea that they can use tools to make life easier. Lots of scratching heads, clueless looks, grunts, and I even chapped myself once (you’re not supposed to do that last one FYI).

But, as our muscles eventually hardened and our knowledge and experience grew we came to understand the process and the routine that we’d follow for the next several months. Repetition of instructions became less frequent, other than the occasional ass chewing we inevitably deserved for someone’s mistake or oversight. We aren’t experts by any means, but we suck less than we did before. After cutting for the majority of the morning and into the afternoon, we cover our burn piles with plastic so they can dry out, load up all of our gear and head back to the bunkhouse to clean and sharpen chainsaws, refill dolmars, and prep everything for the next day. A short 5 minute debrief for the day is carried out and we mention any problems or challenges we had that the crew may need to know. By 4:30 p.m. we’re all done with the 10 hour day and we’re set free until the next one.

After we’re done with work, many of us prep for the next day by packing lunches, some of us shed our sweaty clothes, crack open a can of cheap beer and plop ourselves on the couch, and some of us even put our gym clothes on and overrun the gym that lies under the bunkhouse for the crew from the Ukiah District (we have a gym, but theirs has better equipment).

Regardless of what any of us do, we find ourselves in one of the most beautiful places on earth. We’re surrounded by hundreds of miles of open land, with barely a person in any direction for 20 miles. The rushing of the wind through the trees and plethora of aviary songs and other creatures is our only background noise. Reception with our cell phones is spotty, at best. There is no internet. And we’re still waiting on maintenance to find out what’s wrong with our landline phone. Our only indoor amenities are the satellite dish with cable and our movies from our hard drives and DVDs that have probably seen every corner of the globe.

Despite our background, we’ve all come from professions that strive off of shared suffering. Through our struggle, we come together and operate more closely. With the remoteness of our residence, and the lack of technological comforts we find ourselves relying on each other either when we struggle through PT or are covered in saw chips, bugs and sweat. A time to put down the chainsaw and help your swamper, or a friendly “don’t be a wuss, suck it up”, or even a “dude, this sucks” is all we need to gather our motivation and keep moving and be effective. Giving praise has never been a characteristic that any of us share, however, through our warped sense of pessimistic and uncouth humor we find that little extra bit in our depleting energy stores to keep pushing through.

With fire school looming in front of us, we’re all chomping at the bit to get on a fire and do what wildland firefighters are known for and embrace the next challenge. The work is hard and the pay isn’t phenomenal, but I honestly couldn’t find myself in a better place.

“We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shrinking the rough work that must always be done.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: The Art of Routine on the Umatilla National Forest appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

Its has been over seven weeks and we are in a solid routine of early wake up calls, long runs and full days of cutting on our thinning unit. The days here seem to go slow, sometimes, and the weeks go fast. It helps being in a routine knowing what tomorrow brings to be able to mentally prepare for it. I am learning that this job is seventy percent mental and about thirty percent physical. We train and train and try to prepare for the season ahead but I feel like once on a fire, it is going to come down to pure determination. It will entail working in terrible conditions with poor sleep and working long arduous hours. I have only heard stories, some may have been embellished, but they all have something in common and that is that all the training isn’t going to fully prepare you for what is to come.

The highlight of our week I would say is Thursdays PT. We usually hike, and it is usually some heinous ridge that’s straight up a 100% grade for a mile or so with fire line gear and chainsaws. The hike is usually the hardest part of the day on Thursday. After we muster what energy we have left to get through the day we coast into the long weekend. Getting to the top of these ridges is quite stunning and knowing that the weekend is only hours away makes the juice worth the squeeze every time.

The weekend comes and the crew scatters to their perspective interests for the three days. Having four-day workweeks and three-day weekends is pretty incredible. Some take time to rest, some go home to visit family, I take the three days to keep my mental game strong and feed my passion for rock climbing. What happens in a single pitch rock climb is what I feel like we go through on a daily basis at work. Getting off the ground and starting is usually one of the hardest parts and then you just have to keep moving until you reach the anchors. The same can be said about our daily grind, those first steps at 0600 starting a 6 mile run is the hardest but once you get going you have to keep moving until your cleaning your saw at the end of the day. The crux of the climb demands you to slow down mentally and breathe through it. The fear of falling, having your foot slip while your clipping your rope into your next piece of protection, wondering when the next good hold is to rest, questioning if you even like climbing anymore and why the heck did you voluntarily put yourself in this terrifying situation are all things running through your head. It isn’t until you are clipping the anchor and rappel from the route that you think, “well that was fun”. The same can be said about our days out here in Ukiah, OR. You wonder why you signed up for this in the first place, and then get to the top of some ridge and realize that it’s actually fun and not so bad.

For me, having three-day weekends helps me to reset and prepare for the next week. Climbing and working to keep my mental game strong helps me to perform at my best during the week. I love leaving to climb at new areas and traveling to different spots but when Sunday comes, I love knowing I have a full week ahead and its only making me more ready for the season to come.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: Am I A Firefighter Yet? appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.

I have served in the VetsWork GreenCorps AmeriCorps program for approximately one month now. Coming into the program I feel that I had an open mind and was ready for a new experience. I wanted to challenge myself physically and mentally. Having spent the last six years in an office environment, I wanted the challenge of testing myself in the outdoors. The program so far has met and exceed my expectations. The environment that we have worked and done physical training in is beautiful. This morning’s run was filled with snow and beautiful scenery. Sucking wind is a lot easier to tolerate when you can look up and enjoy the surroundings. This, along with the challenges that I knew were going to be presented within the VetsWork GreenCorps program was a main factor in my decision to move back to the PNW. Moving from the high desert of the Colorado mountains to the dominating water landscape of Oregon was something that I have yearned for ever since I moved from Washington to Colorado.

In the time I have spent in the VetsWork GreenCorps program, I have managed to learn new tree species, how to recognize the different dangers associated with being in the forest, and most importantly how to use a chainsaw to bring trees to the ground. Having been camping numerous times and having made many campfires, I felt that I would be able to tackle about any tree in the forest. But after sitting through a week of chainsaw class, I learned that there is so much more to falling trees than I thought. There are many types of cuts and techniques to falling a tree. In order to start cutting without direct supervision, falling three trees while under observation is required. Each of the trees that were cut were over 50’ tall. Having taken the class, and having an experienced sawyer next to me, I felt that l was up to the task of getting my certification to operate a chainsaw.

Video of me falling a tree!

Once that portion of the training was finished, our crew continued out to the forest to utilize those new skills. Quickly I found out that cutting down three trees does not fully prepare you for the challenges that come with thinning a thicket of trees. But, I gladly accepted the challenge, waded in, and helped reduce the fuel that could allow a fire to ravage the area and local community.

So far the assembled crew is full of characters and interesting dudes. The common thread of military service is something constantly discussed and debated. Longwinded stories about exploits and conquests keep even the sourest of faces smiling. The “good-natured” ribbing is a constant backdrop of noise that I have missed being out in the “civilian” world. The shared attitude is one of accomplishment, and the willingness to work hard and do what needs to be done.

Upcoming is fire school and learning the practicality of wildland firefighting. I am super excited to learn the ins and outs of firefighting and the work that goes into fighting fires in the forest. I have some basic knowledge of the tools and foundation of how to attack a fire, but actually getting my boots on the ground and getting the experience of fighting a fire is something that I can’t wait to try. Luckily we have a good mix of experience and youth. We have strong leadership from our Forest Service supervisors, Hiram Rooper and Matt Weismann. Both have worked for over a decade in the Forest Service, along with returning members of the Umatilla Vet Crew. I am hoping to gain extensive experience and the memories that come from working on a wildland fire crew.

The post VetsWork GreenCorps: One month with the Umatilla Vet Crew appeared first on Mt. Adams Institute.