Just Shy of Paradise

Just Shy of Paradise
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Fire-fighting Females and Lovely Meadows


We just wanted to see the flowers on the hike to White Pine. Our daughter was home from California for a few days, but the hike ended up being a little more than we bargained for. I'd done the hike the week before and wasn't sure I had the energy to make it all the way. Dear daughter ended up running the last mile, so she could see the lake and get back to swim at a friend's pool. She wanted to pack all of Utah summer fun into short time she had. So she ran down to the lake, passing a group of middle-aged women from Shelley, Idaho. They were on their way back and when I got to them they said they'd wanted to give daughter a speeding ticket. On our way back we came across the women again when they were fighting a fire left by a careless camper. My husband and daughter joined them to see what they could do. I sent a group of young hikers up to join them and our daughter ran down the trail to report the fire that was now engulfing a tree and spreading. Shovels and professionals were needed, not just a group of Chaco wearing kids, Nalgene water bottles, and fearless females snapping pictures and stomping out flames.
So I ended up hiking down, figuring I could wait by Tony's Grove, stay cool, get a drink, and eat some more. Yeah, well they'd had enough help. So on my way down, daughter was on her way back up. She had reported the fire and and was now headed back to take more water to her dad. She mentioned that she had to break into the car with a stick because she'd forgotten the key. So I waited at the car for a couple of hours, fully expecting to see the firefighters show up. My head ached from the sun, not enough water or food. It was hours later than I had expected or prepared to be out. No one ever showed up to fight the fire, but finally the Relief Society ladies from Shelly, Idaho come down the mountain. They reported that they had seen my daughter on the trail, mentioned her running ability and asked if she is in competition. By now she had logged over ten miles--mostly running. Mick, they said was checking hot spots. I took photos of them for their scrap books and maybe to pass around in church. And Mick finally showed up--no daughter! He hadn't seen her. So he headed back up the trail. Eventually Mick and daughter showed up together. He'd come back a different way. So when daughter got to the fire spot and couldn't find him, she worried she'd find him dead in a pile of black ash, or slumped over from a heart attack.
Daughter missed her chance to swim that day, but she had an adventure and got plenty of exercise. I got a migraine but still enjoyed the beautiful meadows and weather. Some women from Shelley, Idaho went beyond the call of duty and possibly saved Tony Grove area from a major forest fire, but whomever started it--will never even know the disaster they caused, and some forest rangers should thank all of them for saving them the trouble. So to all of you who fought the fire on the White Pine trail without thanks from anyone--the group of kids, the couple who first saw it, the lovely Relief Society group, my beautiful daughter, and my tireless husband. Thanks. You did a good thing.

8 comments:

Josi said...

Wow--I can't believe no one ever showed up to fight it. That's really scary. And she RAN up and down the mountain? You have one burly daughter, Carole. Glad you had a nice visit with her. Cute pic.

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

what an interesting post! sorry about the migraine.

And that's quite funny that they were from Shelley, as the characters in the book I'm writing are also from Shelley.

C.J. said...

Tamara, it's got to be a good story then. See if you can figure out a way to put fire-fighting in it.

Doran & Jody said...

Great post and what a great service! And what a great name for a city!! It happens to be my last name. :)

By the way, I LOVE your books!!

C.J. said...

I love to hear that people love my books. If only I could get the next ones published. Keep asking for them!

Janet Kay Jensen said...

I can't believe there was no reponse from officials! Good for you folks and all the others who fought the fire. Great picture of your daughter, too. No wonder you had a migraine, though . . .

JKJ

Unknown said...

Dear Carol,

My name is Brendon Butler, and I'm writing a feature article about Cache Valley bloggers for the Herald Journal. Would you be willing to be interviewed for the story?

Please call me at 435.713.5738 and we'll schedule a few minutes to talk sometime Friday before 2 p.m., or send me your phone number and I'll call you when you say it's convenient.

Just to clarify, this is for a feature article about bloggers in Cache Valley for next Wednesday's Herald Journal tech-section.

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