Slim Pendergraft

The peak is named after the man - Slim Pendergraft.  Mountain Man, Game Protector and Gentleman.

We camped in the lovely mountain meadow below the peak for three days on our packtrip.  The rock where the plaque is located sits in a random place; you have to really know where it is to find it.  Upon our visit, we noticed the bronze plaque was not secure.  By any means.  It seemed to all, that should it be left in this unsecured manner, it would be just a matter of time before it got taken. This is a picture taken prior to
securing.

It was decided a return trip would be made to secure the plaque.  Tom and Ken and Mike put the plan into action.  These three men - mountain men, game protectors and gentlemen, all three - returned to the plaque over Labor Day weekend with a plan.

The horse back ride into the area is about 18 miles.  Sitting below and pointing to the peak named after Slim Pendagraft, the history of how the plaque got on the rock originally is under current investigation.  Ken said he performed the operation in his mind every night since we visited the plaqued rock on our summer trip.  Tom and Ken worked on various methods using various products.  Mike assisted.  Friend Coralia got a much-deserved break back to an area she knows very well.

Secured for many more years, the task was a success!  We all rode out on Sunday knowing the plaque would stay secured to the rock, pointing to the mountain, honoring a man I hope to learn much more about as I work toward an article for publication about Slim Pendergraft.  Mountain Man, Game Protector and Gentlemen.

Some more images from the weekend backcountry trip.  

Lunch Break

This may be my favorite picture of the year!  Lunch on the way into Gilroy's Camp.

 

Tom, left; Michael, center; Ken, right. 

 

Back From the Mountains - And BUSY!

Back on Sunday.  Busy Monday.  Look for a story and photos to come from our back country trip.  We had a great time!

Mike's Radio Interview

Mike enjoyed a quiet birthday, working, spraying weeds, and enjoying a birthday dinner over wine.  This week, he was interviewed by our local radio station KOHL.  Listen to how GREAT he sounds - the guy has a radio voice!!  Captain Trumbower Radio Interview

Still very dry here.  We are going to the mountains for a quick end of the season pack trip.  Two missions: to reattach the brass plaque to the granite rock in Pentagraph Meadows and to search for the lost-on-the-last-packtrip, 3 month old, $500 glasses.

Enjoy the long weekend.  It is a much-needed break, indeed!!

A Career High!!

Today I found out I will be a speaker at next year's FDIC!!  Check it out here FDIC .  Wow!  What an honor.  And to boot, the very man who is the cornerstone of FDIC, Chief Bobby Halton, walked into the JHFire/EMS training room door this morning (UL is having a Firefighter Safety Institute Meeting here in Jackson), reached out his hand, and gave me the news - personally!  If you are in the fire service, you know, this is an amazing honor.  I am humbled and honored and overwhelmed with joy!!  It's in Indiana.......next spring......!! 

Meanwhile, there is a new fire on our forest......we need rain.  Or snow. 

Not the Best Saturday of the Year......

It started with a flat tire on the boat trailer.

Thanks to my wise and sage husband, there is a spare tire on the boat trailer.  Of course, it was the tire on the road side.  I stood watch and made sure no one took him out as the swap was made.

Remember, Joe Lachowski, helping us out the last time this happened?  That time, we were south-bound with a trailer full of horses and a flat, yup, on the road-side.  You blocked us and we felt much safer.  You are missed, Friend.

On to the Lake where right off, Mike caught a fish.  We watched two scooper planes fly in and begin their work.  Just to the north of us they scooped and dropped, scooped and dropped.  Quite amazing to see it all in happen.  For three hours they looped and scooped.  Sadly, our pictures did not turn out that great.

We got off the lake with white caps.  Holding our breath home (another flat would have been a serious problem!), we slowed down arriving in Jackson and something began to vibrate badly.  Limping over to my AFrames where the boat was unhooked, the problem was determined to be in the Dodge.  Argh.  Right now, we are thinking a U-joint.  The truck will limp over to the repair shop on Monday.

Somewhere on our way home there was a 4.7 earthquake down here in Hoback.

Finished the day with thinning the chicken flock.  Four hens have found a new home in the Griggs flock and we are down to 7.  New birds are laying!!

Mike is out on the Berry Fire today, the very same fire we watched the scooper planes work yesterday.  This fire is a nasty little problem as it has the Grand Teton Ntl Park road closed into Yellowstone NP.  Local businesses are not happy; this road closure has made a huge impact on tourism in Jackson. 

With Mike on the fire, I picked up Duty Officer for the next 24 hours.  Today's plan; respond to 911 calls accordingly, put up the rest of my beautiful garlic crop, work the garlic bed for next year, get ready for our Labor Day pack trip, and whatever else there is time to do!

Have a great week everyone!!

Look closely for the plane circling to the right, and the plane scooping on the water.  Both are in the area of the draw mid-right picture.   Also, if you click on the picture, it should come up big on your screen. 

Not the Best Saturday of the Year......

It started with a flat tire on the boat trailer.

Thanks to my wise and sage husband, there is a spare tire on the boat trailer.  Of course, it was the tire on the road side.  I stood watch and made sure no one took him out as the swap was made.

Remember, Joe Lachowski, helping us out the last time this happened?  That time, we were south-bound with a trailer full of horses and a flat, yup, on the road-side.  You blocked us and we felt much safer.  You are missed, Friend.

On to the Lake where right off, Mike caught a fish.  We watched two scooper planes fly in and begin their work.  Just to the north of us they scooped and dropped, scooped and dropped.  Quite amazing to see it all in happen.  For three hours they looped and scooped.  Sadly, our pictures did not turn out that great.

We got off the lake with white caps.  Holding our breath home (another flat would have been a serious problem!), we slowed down arriving in Jackson and something began to vibrate badly.  Limping over to my AFrames where the boat was unhooked, the problem was determined to be in the Dodge.  Argh.  Right now, we are thinking a U-joint.  The truck will limp over to the repair shop on Monday.

Somewhere on our way home there was a 4.7 earthquake down here in Hoback.

Finished the day with thinning the chicken flock.  Four hens have found a new home in the Griggs flock and we are down to 7.  New birds are laying!!

Mike is out on the Berry Fire today, the very same fire we watched the scooper planes work yesterday.  This fire is a nasty little problem as it has the Grand Teton Ntl Park road closed into Yellowstone NP.  Local businesses are not happy; this road closure has made a huge impact on tourism in Jackson. 

With Mike on the fire, I picked up Duty Officer for the next 24 hours.  Today's plan; respond to 911 calls accordingly, put up the rest of my beautiful garlic crop, work the garlic bed for next year, get ready for our Labor Day pack trip, and whatever else there is time to do!

Have a great week everyone!!

Look closely for the plane circling to the right, and the plane scooping on the water.  Both are in the area of the draw mid-right picture.

Can You Ever Have Too Much?

 

Posted with Blogsy

August Fishing

August is usually not the best time to fish on Jackson Lake.  But you go anyway, because it is beautiful, relaxing, and a nice way to spend time together.

Yesterday was, for the record, the best August fishing day we have ever had on Jackson Lake.  With a total of 8 fish landed (one for dinner, one for a give-away), we caught lake trout, a cut throat trout and a brown trout ranging from 8 pounds down.  Mike had a great day; catching the biggest and the most fish.

Now, I'm not saying that it's all about the catching, but it is nice when you feel that sudden tug on the line, the wiggle of resistance and the flash of the fish being pulled to the surface.  Equally enjoyable is watching that fish swim back to the depths of the lake.

As the seasons turn, we begin to think about hunting.  The boat will be squeezed out of the weekends as we put our eyes to the hills, looking for deer and elk and maybe even an antelope this year.  

It was a good year to be on Jackson Lake. 

First nice fish.....

Second nice fish......

Third nice fish......do we have a new good-luck shirt??

 Last fishing day of the year???  Ice cream for the ride home.

 

Ruby stands guard.

I Love Hollyhocks!

These, out the back door of the office.  How lovely.

2016 Hoback Picnic Completed!!

The day after the picnic.  Phew!  Rumor is, 1300 people attended this year's event.  Logistics went smoothly this year, just a few bumps which were fixable.  Lots of great help, lots of great food, and a wonderful auction.  Senator Barraso made a guest appearance too.  We are all tuckered out - only 364 days until the next one!!  Here are some pictures from the day.

Meanwhile, we feel so far away.  Janet, Michael's mom, has been in the hospital and is doing better.  We feel the distance when we wish we could be there for family.  You are in our thoughts, Janet.  Get better and home soon.  Wish we could be there.

The Dessert Queens.

Senator Barraso and friends.

Mary and Ashley collecting money!

Ribs cooling in the morning air.

This is the Hoback Station AMAZING generator and our two electricians, Bernd and Willard, working on getting it ready.  It performed flawlessly from Friday to Saturday night.  This is a 100Kwatt generator donated by Delcon, repaired by Tom Breen, the rack made by Michael, and the electrical work performed as noted above.  Great work, TEAM!!  This generator will be very important if we ever have a significant event. 

Rain Eases Fire Danger

Last Saturday, three sets of severe thunderstorms dropped buckets of water, blankets of hail, and streaks of lightning bolts in the Teton County area.  We got .8 inches of rain in Hoback.  A needed soaking.  It won't last long, but so far, as of now - Tuesday afternoon - no new fire starts (that I know of).

We needed a break.  Grasses, sage brush, and trees were explosive in fire.  Dry weather has returned and it is just a matter of time before we are right back into high fire danger.

Living in the mountains means living with fire.

The Hoback Picnic is this weekend and much work lies ahead.  Starting Wednesday, it will be non-stop logistic to pull off this picnic.  There will be 3000 pounds of ribs cooked overnight and hopefully >1200 people served.  It's a big deal.

Here is a picture of the set up from last year.  The cauldron full of delicious homemade beans!

Cliff Creek Fire Update

The big fire Mike was on is now just about 100% contained.  This is a picture of a day where fire was put on the ground so to prevent the burning of structures.  A huge backburn was conducted down the Granite Creek drainage to burn the ridge above the private structures (over 30 homes).  Done with much thought and care, this burn proved extremely successful.  The landscape has changed, for sure, but these folks have their cabins to return to and probably a forest filled with morel mushrooms next spring!  Congratulations Fire Crews!  Job well done!!

Beautiful Quilt

Thank you Mom!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Lava Fire

Some of you recall, when I first came to Wyoming I lived in the small town of Dubois, Wyoming.  Located on the east side of the Continental Divide, this town is dry and windy.  A lightning-start fire has churned up the Lava Fire, just to the southwest of Dubois in the area of Union Pass.  This time-lapse video shows some dramatic fire behavior from this fire.  So far, they have not lost any structures.

Union Pass Time-lapse
Click on this link - it's cool!

Meet Jake

This is Jake.  His story is an amazing one.

Jake's mom and dad, Robyn and Jason, wanted a baby very badly.  They were having a difficult time making it happen, so they took her egg and his sperm and put them in an Indian woman's body in India.  Jake was born a premie and India hospitals aren't so good, but he pulled through.

Now, I am quite particular about kids, as you may know.  Jake is an awesome kid.  One of the finest I know.  In this picture, Jake and I are sitting tall in the driver's seat of Engine 31.  Jake loves fire trucks (although he hates the sirens). 

There are very few kids that can make me smile like Jake.  He is polite, curious, smart, and funny.  His parents have raised this precious gift quite well. 

I just wanted to share this with you all.  In a world where so many things can bring you down, where hate and anger float to the top of the day - rotting in the hot afternoon wind - kids like Jake give me hope and happiness.  I look at this picture and laugh and know that all will be just fine.  Just fine.

Thanks for being with us all, dear Jake, as we struggle to remember the goodness and beauty in human beings. 

A Needed Saturday

No fire work today.  Mike slept in, enjoyed breakfast and headed to the ranch.  Fire is seductive.  You get on one and you are sure all the fun stuff is going to happen the day you aren't there!  Life goes on back at home and it's time to get caught up from the pack trip and back on line with summer things.  Tonight, we will enjoy a concert at the Grand Teton Music Festival.  Here's what's on the "menu" GTMF Concert . 

Finally got to take a look at my pack trip pictures.  Here are some of my top picks. 

The morning after the snowfall.

 

Bo eats out of Ken's mouth!

 

Thank you Mark & Sister Sandy for keeping our place intact while we were away!  Great day spent with you both on the lake!  Yeah, the boat is working again!!

Fire Update

Mike is back out on the line.  One nice thing about having the fire so close is he is able to return home at night; albeit, he arrives at 9 pm, eats dinner, does his paperwork, showers, and awakes to a 4:30am alarm clock.  He says today is his last day on the fire.....we'll see.

Today's news report can be read at Buckrail Report .  Your's truly quoted.

The afternoon cold front has arrived.  Wind are all over the place and lightning is hitting the ground.  Here is a really cool sight to watch lightning!  Live Lightning Map

Have a nice, safe weekend.

Fire Blows Up as the Sun a Goes a Down

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

On the Fire

Mike has been working on this fire for the last couple of days.  He and other firefighters work to protect the structures sitting under a hill covered in heavy pine trees with the fire and smoke looming ominously at the top of the ridge.  They have done strong work and anticipate being done today.  The residents have been evacuated and watch the smoke cloud with anxiety.  Here is today's report from our local news paper.  Cliff Creek Fire

Meanwhile, back at home, myself and the other battalion chief were challenged with a three hour power outage in the entire county.  We were able to safely and successfully extricate 5 people out of two elevators who became stuck when the power went out!   Traffic was insane through out the valley.  There were two medical calls and a carbon monoxide call as well.  Here is the report for the power outage No Power!

Who knows what today holds.....?  Most likely we will see more power outages.  Certainly there will be tons of people in town, and probably, the Cliff Creek Fire will continue to grow in size.  Keep an eye on Inciweb to watch this fire's progression.  There are maps, pictures and news on this site.

Stay safe, Captain Trumbower.

Back Home

Back home from our pack trip.  More to come on that later.  Yesterday's big event was the start of our wildland fire season.  The forest is dry.  We are in for a bad wildland fire year.  Check it out at this link Cliff Creek Fire

The Allure of a Pack Trip

It's a ton of work.  Planning, buying, packing, remembering things.  Forgetting things.  Why take a pack trip?

Into the wilderness where the sky is big and open.  The air is clean and fresh.  There are very few human sounds.  An occasional jet overhead.

The horses and mules graze, their bells clinging, breaking the quiet with the reassuring sound that the method of transportation has not run down the trail and headed back to the trail head (a very bad thing).

Camp chairs, cracking fire, food - lots of food - hot coffee, cold beer.  Stories and tales and black nights filled with uncountable stars.  The dogs sleep, tired from the day of running and river crossing.

There are frightening moments.  The walk up the hill across the meadow.  Alone, getting exercise, stumbling onto a bear bed.  Probably a grizzly bear.

A ride down a skinny trail with a sheer drop off, hundreds of feet to a stream so far down there you can't even hear it.

A string of mules that spook, circling round and round, frightened from the lash rope that has come untied and trails on the ground.  There is great potential for injury - mules, riders, dogs.

The pack horse that gets a bee sting and bucks half a meadow's length before getting shut down.  Many eggs have broken in the box on his pack which carries this fragile load.

The horse that gets tangled up in a mud hole and rolls over her rider as she rolls down a hill.

The cold front comes through, cracking hundred-year old trees as it funnels down the canyon.  Tents are pitched in precarious locations.  Temperatures plummet.  Snow falls above 8,000 feet.  We are camped at 9,000 feet.  The trail ahead is cluttered with newly down timber.  A hand saw will be used to cut through this mess.  This is the wilderness where no motors are allowed.

Following, some of my favorite pictures from past pack trips and a blessing - may we weather the storms, may we find humor in downed trees, may we relish the food we have packed, may we savor our moments together, may we travel down the trails safely and without incident, may we take deep gulps of mountain air, stare at the evening sky with wonder, may we find joy in the challenges and celebration in the things that go well, and may we always remember, WE ARE ON VACATION!!

New Blood - Welcome Seth & Alden!

 Mike and I celebrate 10 years of marriage this trip!

The dogs.  We love our dogs!  (And spoil them too!)

We miss you Frank & John!

Oh No!! Not Another Birthday!!

To My Mother On Her Birthday

Although you may not appreciate this picture that much, I post it with love and adoration.  This song always makes me think of you -

Jean, Jean.  Roses are red

All of the leaves have gone green.

And the clouds are so low, you can touch them and so

Come out to the meadow, Jean.

 

Jean, Jean you're young and alive

Come out of your half-dreamed dream

And run if you will, to the top of the hill

Open your arms, bonnie Jean.

 

Till the sheep in the valley come home my way

Till the stars fall around me and find me alone

When the sun comes a-singin', I'll still be waitin'....

 

For Jean.  Jean.  Roses are red

All of the leaves have turned green.

When the hills are ablaze with the moon's yellow haze

Come into my arms, bonnie Jean.

You are brave.  You are strong.  You are hard headed and I am proud, so very proud to call you Mother.  Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoying the freedom of this country!  Took a nice loop ride with the critters.  Tonight, an invitation to the Music Festival.  Sorry to miss you all at Red Rock!  Have a great day everyone!

Work

Duty Officer the last two days. Thank you all for giving me time to make these pack trip custom lunch sacks!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy