Extras · 1 of 4

A typical day

Meet at the compound at 7am for a tailgate briefing and gear check. Drive an hour on gravel. Then a long field day: laying out plots and measuring trees, marking a thinning unit with paint, checking planted seedlings, clearing a trail, or building line on a fire. Lunch out of your pack. Back by 5pm to clean tools, sharpen the saw and write up what you did. In fire season the same day can turn into a 16-hour shift and a two-week trip to another state.