| 1974 Jr Forest Ranger Story Part 1 | |
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13 May 2015 @ 17:01, by Unknown
THE 1974 JUNIOR FOREST RANGER STORY Part 1
1974: Well I guess I had sort of this romantic notion of the noble forest ranger, maybe from the CBC TV show, about this steward or guardian of the wild, so before High School ended, in 1974 in Edmonton, I applied and was accepted by the Alta Ranger program, to go to one of the many Jr. Forest Ranger locations in the Alta Province at the time. I thought, oh that was easy but I suppose the program was quite competitive but two or three months in the bush, serving Smoky The Bear, and getting paid a small allowance, seemed like an adventure that a young man at 18, could not pass up. So I remember wondering, High Level? Where in heck is High Level? And I just found out that it was somewhere way up North in Alta., almost in the North West Territories, way north of my home in Edmonton.
So I remember my dad putting me and my guitar, on the greyhound bus and then the long 8 or 10 hour? journey. The trip was uneventful cept in those days I think, you could smoke on the bus and I had my pipe and Heather Honey Pipe tobacco and stoically smoked away feeling quite worldly.
Well I got up to the High Level bus station but recall that it was day and not sure if we had driven through the night or what, but somehow managed to hook up with the head ranger, 'Bob S.', and we and the others that had arrived, got in the back of the big 5 ton ? with tarp canopy and headed off about 45 minutes South? On a dirt road to our first camp, which I think was this kind of cook house camp. The truck cab was where Bob also the driver and head ranger and then our cook, Oliver, would ride and the 10 or 12 of us junior rangers rode in the back and hauled this cook trailer along, where jolly fellow and camp cook,“Oliver” (“Morning, Morning, Beautiful Morning” he would always say.) would sleep in and be cooking us our meals.
First order of biz upon arrival at the wood cook house was unloading the gear and setting up the trailer and tents although they weren't exactly normal tents but more the sort of orange tarps, that we had to cut down popular poles for and fasten the tarp to the poles with ropes. It was a bit tricky to eyeball and get the ratios and distances right and at the beginning they looked kind of dubious but by the end of the summer, we had mastered the tarp tent setup art and were kind of competitive between each other, who could do the best job at it.
I guess, we also had to dig a latrine and it was a job to figure out a way to go, so that you didn't mess yourself up to much, which we managed to do eventually and ended up with quite a nice commode, though with somewhat of an open to the crowds and elements view. Oh well thats why they call it roughing it I guess. As well we had to find water to fill up the drinking and washing barrels.
After that first day, I started to feel less worldly and was bit down or maybe homesick or more so frightened I suppose, of what life held for me and us, and it seemed as I wandered away, for some solitude, on a hill top in no mans land and watched the sun go down, with the whining and dust of a distant truck crossing a bridge in the valley below, I was sad and remember feeling so unsure of what to do with my life but anyway after a long meditation, I swallowed my doubts and fears, somewhat, and carried on with the immediate job at hand.
I probably was a rather extreme passiveist as any, at the time, reluctant even to kill the 100s of huge mosquitoes that would devour any open skin up there, so I recall buying this head mesh or net next time we hit town instead of constantly applying copious amounts of bug repellant.
Well not even really settled in yet, we had our briefings the next day, and started right in on our first task of building this pole fence or enclosure around this wood cook house there and it was rather novel to cut down and build a fence from scratch. The days were long, the work hard and tedious, but Oliver was an excellent cook with good quality food to work with and plenty of it, so it was good, though we had to take turns doing the dishes.
I had a bit of a scare right away, when I was chopping something and the axe deflected and landed square on my right steel toe boot. Ah so thats why the added expense. Excellent prep. We also wore these hardhats while working. Blue?
Well during our off times , I would do bead work with beads and embroidery thread I had bought in town and try to fancy up my funky yellow hill billy hat, I had bought at Woolco in Edmonton for the summer job. I continued to smoke my pipe, though they didn't have my brand and I guess I inadvertently converted and corrupted others by my bad example, who were in want to do something with their boredom, to the nasty habit or addiction. We learned to do our own laundry for the first time, laundry what a concept, mind you only once every two weeks, as that was how often we went to town, though occasionally, we'd wash our socks and underwear in a stream. I think we all must have smelled a bit rank and smoky, as we would only get to shower when we went to town and got no baths.
There were some mischiefs in the gang that would occasionally throw a bug spray can into the fire and it would explode, which would have Bob come racing out of his tent to see what was what and scold the appropriate parties, and the keeners and cool guys, that would hang together and play cards with Oliver in his trailer to the wee hours.
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Category: Articles
2 comments
15 Oct 2016 @ 04:43 by @59.92.216.182 : essay story
I am so excited to see your blog and come full circle in my hops. Thank you to all you fabulous bloggers for doing this. I loved getting the chance to meet and learn from you a My opinion excessive degree bus station however don't forget that it became day and now not sure if we had pushed through the night time or what, however come what may controlled to hook up with the pinnacle ranger, 'Bob S.', and we and the others that had arrived, were given inside the lower back of the huge five ton with tarp cover and headed off about forty five minutes South? On a dust street to our first camp, which I assume changed into this sort of cook house camp. The truck cab was in which Bob also the motive force and head ranger after which our cook,
22 Dec 2016 @ 12:09 by @43.224.128.90 : nice
great post
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