Grit, Grime and Grins
Words and photographs by Jake Williams
It’s rare to have outdoor spaces these days all to yourself. Especially ones you can drive to. We found such a spot, and no I will not be sharing it here. I’m sure you understand.
After discovering this magical place the hard way Wil and I brought a couple other buddies this year to share its glory. We say it was not man made but made for man. As true as it is for this place it’s also true for all of nature.
The most connected I have felt to God has been in remote places far from man made things.
The day we got to the lake my buddy John spotted smoke on the ridge while fishing. Wil and I decided to try to make our way up the ridge to get a closer look but the path we took got too steep and sketchy for our comfort so we turned around. We decided to call it in. I sent a text to my wife with the Garmin inreach to call the forest service and report what we saw. Surprisingly a chopper showed up about 2 hours later!
We were stoked! We felt we had saved our “secret” spot!
The chopper circled a dozen times as a tree went up in flames. The chopper left and the rest of the night was quiet. We monitored the fire and it seems to not be spreading so we stayed the night. The next morning there were still small flames flickering and smoke but no bigger still. We packed up and headed back to civilization.
As we descended, to our excitement, we crossed paths with the Forest Service headed to the fire we called in!
In a very small way I wonder if this was the experience European civilians had when war torn American soldiers walked through town during WW2. Gritty, grimy and grinning they pressed on toward the fire like soldiers headed toward their next mission.
As we thanked them one of the guys carrying a chainsaw over his shoulder said without hesitation and enthusiastically,
“no problem, this is what’s it’s all about!”
There was a whole crew of about 8 men and women carrying axes, chainsaws, gas, water and all the gear. Clothes soaked in sweat and chainsaw oil and marked with char from past battles.
After chatting and sharing what info we had with the lead guy we stepped off the trail and let the crew pass. We were stoked again! It was satisfying to feel like we played a part in making sure the mountains we love to explore are preserved.
A massive thanks to the Washington Forest Service and their impressive response. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
