Still Breezin

      Much like the last post, I am back again with a whole lot of the same thing and a sprinkle of some new interesting things I have been able to do. I’ll start with the same super interesting bathrooms and trash that I have been absolutely destroying. Some people call me the amazing trashman and wave or thank me now because it is common to see me on the side of the road or by the bathrooms not letting any piece of waste get by me unless I come across some things that are better left on the ground (poop). I try my best but this mountain very rarely takes it easy on me and for that I would like to think I have become someone who can't be bothered by almost anything. In all honesty though it is nice and noticed that the locals who live up on Mt. Baldy appreciates the work I do with the food and kind words they provide me from time to time. Not only have I been keeping up with the trash and bathrooms, but I installed a new power washer and frame into a larger work vehicle that has been needing to be done for about 2 years. My job has become immensely easier with the extra 500 psi of water knocking off the thickest of anything you can think of. I know that whoever fills this position when I leave will thank me, and that's what I’m here for. Among some other things I have installed have been a few trail signs and some new carsonite camp signs so campers can make it more obvious that they have payed and I don’t have to get out of my vehicle and hound them for their pay stubs.

     Although this job sounds just like work work work, I do get to make a difference and help out students and youth conservation corps members with showing them the outdoors and getting them familiar with the Mt. Baldy location. Citrus college has a program for students that allows them to receive a certificate in wildland resources and forestry with specific classes taken and one is a volunteer course that requires them to basically do a ride along with me for around 60 hours to receive credits for that class. I guess when I say I help them they are in fact helping me but I do lend them my past experience working for the Forest Service and see if it is really something they want to pursue. I DO NOT MAKE THEM CLEAN BATHROOMS, i have them hold my hose and just supply me with toilet paper because there are some things you really should be paid to do. But trash is free game and they do help me clean up the turnouts and other areas that need it. The California Conservation Corps has also been a big help to with the occasional crew coming and helping with more specific things like drilling in posts  and weed whacking hazardous growth. I actually really enjoy working with them because they remind me a lot of me when I worked for the Arizona Conservation Corps dipping my feet into local conservation. All and all this job has really put me in the forefront of the public and I have become one of the first if not the first Forest Service official for some people to meet and ask questions. I enjoy that I can add a new perspective to people's outlook on the area they are visiting and maybe a new found respect for it as well. I like to end conversations with “give a hoot don't pollute” because now it really does affect me.

-Connor Renard

Baldy Breeze

Back again and what can I say? Mt. Baldy has had some interesting events occur since my last post. From fires, to the annual race, to even a helicopter crash, this mountain just continues to provide me with something fun every week. Obviously, I still have been dealing with the trash and bathrooms daily but now nature has graciously added wasps to add a little more spice to my life. I can not say that this job is easy or even always fun but the added ability to adventure down roads only Forest Service employees have access to creates the proverbial icing on the cake. For instance, I am granted the holy grail of keys which is the ever important Yale key along with a Master key that according to my boss will unlock any gate or door I so choose. I have used this sparingly but got to visit some interesting areas in the Angeles National Forest that only federal employees can visit. 

As most people know, California is going through its annual fire season which starts around May and ends in October. Setting up signs and providing daily reminders to only have fires in designated areas is at an all time high. While listening to the radio during lightning strikes, I can sense the urgency and preparedness the fire engines have to not only locate strikes but immediately attack any that spark. The funny thing is during the end of August it was fires created by recreators that closed the entirety of Azusa Canyon next door to me through the Labor Day weekend. This created an absolute madhouse up at Baldy, as it was one of the only places to escape the heat and recreate. Baldy was also astir during the holiday weekend from the annual Mt. Baldy Run to the Top Race which is held every year on Labor Day weekend where runners start at the ski lift and race to the summit of Mt. Baldy. This event brings up numerous vendors and plenty of foot traffic throughout the mountain. By far the busiest I have ever seen Baldy was Labor Day weekend during the race but I believe the closure of Azusa Canyon was the real reason for the horde of people. To add to the excitement we also had a helicopter crash down into the canyon in the middle of the holiday weekend. Luckily the pilot was able to walk away from the incident, but the response it created brought volunteer, federal, county and I even think state fire departments to arrive on the scene. Not only that but throughout the day I had to open the gate for the FAA to get down to the crash site to start the investigation that is still ongoing to this day. 

The daily routine for my job really has not changed much with the day to day maintenance of cleaning, fixing plumbing, and adding signage. With the summer ending the heat just seems to be getting hotter and with that any source of liquid or waste regardless the type if you catch my drift creates a swarm of yellow jackets with numbers that have proven quite formidable. Only being stung once to my surprise the yellow jackets are surprisingly timid but have given me the ability to pick up trash from a distance and change a can in record time. As usual most people respect the mountain but you always will deal with the common trash thrown to the side of the road or the bathroom that someone just does not understand how to use. Obviously this is the worst part of the job but once you do it a few times you just get over the pure carnage left for you. I like to think that but on some occasions when you are pressure washing some of these restrooms and some splash back hits you in the face you rethink if you are cut out for the job. Dealing with all the fecal matter and urine really creates an amazing contrast when you get to visit areas like the San Dimas Experimental Forest and get to tour the facilities with the people working there that no one else can get to. Established as an outdoor hydrologic laboratory to document and quantify the water cycle in semi-arid steeplands, most of the facilities were constructed in the depression-era creating an awesome backdrop to the creek and massive trees that it sits on. The experimental forest probably being the coolest area I was in, I was also able to travel on backroads and fire lines that not many people know exist which would lead to incredible views and some up close viewing of wildlife you do not get to see regularly. 

Other than all that, I am still getting up everyday for work and putting in the time. Not always easy but the recognition from the public and my bosses really do make the difference when at times things just start to pile up (literally). Recreation might not be in the spotlight or even something people think about when talking about the U.S. Forest Service, but in a highly recreated forest like the Angeles National Forest, specifically the San Gabriel National Monument, we deal with some of the most difficult and pressing issues (in my opinion).

-Connor Renard

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Angeles National Forest

 I wake up early on a Friday morning, and to say I’m not a morning person would be an understatement. I grovel at my multiple alarms going off at various times and snooze is hit on repeat. Put on my shirt, pants, belt, boots and grab a small enough lunch that my significant other likes to remind me I couldn't satisfy the cat who I’ve actually become quite close with. Hop in my car, usually still yawning, and I’m not so surprised anymore that this Southern California heat is already beating me down (fun fact: my car's A/C has not worked properly for the past 3 years). Luckily I don’t live far from my job at Mt. Baldy, located in the San Gabriel Mountains on the eastern border of Los Angeles County. I am a Resource Assistant hired through the Hispanic Access Foundation to work with the US Forest Service and was paired with the recreation department to maintain the developed and high use areas within the Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel National Monument. This includes trail heads, camp sites, water lines, trash bins, toilets and any other structure owned by the Forest Service in the area under my supervision. After I park my car at the Lover San Antonio Fire Station, I grab my yale key and trade my Hyundai Accent for a Chevy Colorado (which has a magnificent A/C unit I might add). At this moment, I’m at a base elevation that starts around 1200’ and start my drive up the mountain to the Mt. Baldy Forest Service Visitor Center sitting at 4200’. The drive up the mountain and out of the local smog with the windows down makes everything I do in the morning worth it. The change in air temperature, drive above the clouds, and large appearing pine trees truly wake me up and allow me to appreciate the work I signed up for.

   To say this job has its ups and downs would be an understatement in my opinion. The things I’ve seen and have had to literally scrap off the floor has made me a stronger more bacterial resistant person and given me a newfound appreciation of jobs in the forest or parks that largely go unnoticed. This includes the all in compassing trash found practically everywhere to the less glamorous human excrement left behind by your average outdoorsman. As I said it has its downs and sometimes it can go very downhill, I’ve found out that my mortal enemies happen to be the 20 or more black bears that call the mountain there home, with there constant destroying of garbage bins that are supposedly bear proof (they are bear proof, but most of the time people just don’t know how to close them) and the mayhem they cause the campers. I respect that they live in this area but they can add an extra hour plus of cleanup and having to tell campers there is nothing I can do when they break a car window and reupholster the inside of their car is always fun. Bears are nothing compared to some of the messes I have to deal with in the 11 bathrooms you can find throughout my duty station. I won’t go into much detail but thank goodness I was provided with a strong enough power washer that takes care of most things. My personal favorite line when someone thanks me for my work is “my duties are your doodies.” It is childish but laughing helps.

While it may be hard to see the joy this job can bring from the last paragraph, there are upsides as well that you can see from the moment you drive up the mountain. Many people I interact with are surprised to find out that you don’t have to drive an hour to two to find a pine cedar forest but Mt. Baldy is just that. From its beauty of large trees, clear creeks and wildlife you frequently encounter, Mt. Baldy is a 15 minute drive for most suburban people living in east Los Angeles County. Not only can this scenery make my day, but the locals and recreationists that thank me for the work I do provide me with a sense of pride in my work. One of my favorite things to do is inform anyone who asks about the local wildlife or any other ecological question as well as the history of Mt. Baldy. I also can’t forget about the coveted stickers I hand out to the kids who come up with questions or just want to wave and say “hi.” I have a hard time seeing myself sitting in an office, plugging numbers, and typing reports so working outdoors with the Forest Service fits my personality and goals for what I enjoy doing.

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program (COR)

Location: Angeles National Forest