Working with the BLM - Mother Lode Region

My team and I finally started working with the Bureau of Land Management last week.  Our first project was to work on clearing a fire line that was originally made during the Cold War.  The line has been maintained in pieces, since it's construction, but has never been completed in whole, back to it's original size.  The line stretches for over 12 miles, and maintains a 200 foot clearing, down to shrubs of less than 4 inches tall.  Our efforts will, hopefully, complete this fire line before the fire season starts up.

Using chainsaws, we cut down mostly brush and small trees.  Nothing big yet.  Most of my team has little to no experience with chainsaws, so I've been helping them out as much as I can.

The area we were in was awesome!  We were about 2-hours outside of Yosemite National Park, camping on the ridge of a mountain.  We couldn't have asked for better weather, too!  Mid 60's during the day, and upper 30's at night!  I woke up every morning to a sunrise through the trees, over looking the fog that settles into the Sacramento Valley (it looks like a sea of clouds from the mountains), and I went to bed after a sunset over the horizon and that sea of clouds... simply amazing!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101713&id=45404814&l=4c59cc2cd5

 

This coming week our location is going to change, going closer to Yosemite, and camping out all week.  We were told that the scenery is even more impressive.. can't wait!

 

Talk to you all soon!