Frosty out there again this morning. No clouds though. A varied day yesterday, quick visit with Mom V in am then back after lunch to have her BD cake and a visit. Picked up a few things we needed. Still can't get the tv to bring in the channels. Had a telephone interview with a reporter from Prince George re April of last year, I trust I handled that ok and that he doesn't get inventive.

Her's another short story from my lookout men collection.

There were of course two more of the “Summit Lake 5” but the foregoing individuals are the ones that have resided in my memory over the years.  However there was an instance that involved all five that helped bring home how individualistic these men were.

 The second year that this particular group were all there at the same time, the Ranger decided that it would be a good idea to send them out to Carp Lake where the Forest Service had a reserve on a spit that ran out into the lake.  There they would camp and build a log cabin that could be used by Forestry staff as a base for various job functions.

 We took four trucks and hauled the men, a large tent frame and tent, stove, beds and enough food for a couple of weeks out to the site.

 Well the first week went fairly well, then the close quarters, skill levels and work ethics started to complicate things.  I spent the second week with them and one of the Assistant Rangers the third week.  By the end of the third week we had two more tents set up and had them taking turns cooking.  All of them except Dwayne as he was already on his fruit “kick”.  One of the fellows name was Bob, he was about five foot five and probably weighed in about 120 pounds – he and Ralph paired up and became good friends. The others, Bill, Dwayne and John remained aloof from all and Dwayne insisted on his own tent. However they did get the job done.  In a month we had a pine log cabin, 12’ x 24’, one door, two windows, raftered but not roofed.  Once the structure started coming together they collectively tried harder and in the end were reasonably compatible. The 2, 2 and 1 sleeping arrangements didn’t change.

 I sometimes would listen in to their evening radio conversations when they were back up on their mountain tops and for that summer the cabin they built gave them a new subject to talk about.  It was odd though, when they talked to their colleagues in other districts that rustic, rough cabin started taking on the dimensions and appearance of a wilderness lodge and the month they spent at Carp Lake became an exotic working holiday!