Dispatches from the Field
August 23, 2025
Good morning from what I’m told is Saturday here in Colorado. I had a brief moment to be able to share with you some thoughts since I arrived here on Tuesday. We’re now working on two fires—the original Turner Gulch fire and the Derby fire to our east. (Please keep in mind that the substack does not represent anybody or any agency other than myself and that for official news on anything you should look to those sources.)
The days here are really long, but I really love it. As I said earlier, there’s a real sense of community here. The men and women out here are exceedingly nice to each other. People smile and laugh as they do their work. I’m really impressed with the efficiency of how things operate out here. I’ve never seen how a fire operates before so to witness it for a mirror logistical standpoint is really pretty neat. And since my main job is driving itself, back-and-forth to drop stuff off, I’m able to get to see a lot of the operations.
But perhaps the best part is since I spend so much time on the road, I get to see lots of Colorado. And western Colorado is really some beautiful places. Grand Junction is flanked by majestic mesas to the east and high mountain scrub to the south and west. I’ve also been able to see lots of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, foxes, bears, and people from Idaho. If you’ve never been out to this part of Colorado, it’s really an amazing sight.
But for me, it’s White River National Forest that really stands out. If you’ve ever driven across the state on I 70, you’ll get to see it. For those of you who have not, it’s one of the 10 most beautiful places I’ve seen inside the United States. I took a quick moment on a drive to pull over and stretch my legs and get some video for you guys. Though I promise you, it simply does not capture the majesty of this place.
The Turner Gulch area is pretty damn breathtaking, too.
For my own work, it’s important to remember that these are the traditional homelands of the Ute people, and I like to keep that in mind as I drive around each day.
Hope you’re having a great day.
Jason
I grew up on the Grand Mesa, East of Grand Junction. The scrub south of Grand Junction was used as an army tank fighting arena on Sunday afternoons so we would come down from the Mesa and bring a picnic and sit and watch the tanks shoot at each other. They used dummy ammunition. I lived near many Ute Unchies that would find plants and roots and grind them in stone indentations in rock and add oils to make paint and to make dye for the beautiful clothing and the yarn they made into rugs and hangings. It was the best part of my life as we never worried about anything but exploring and watching these wonderful people teaching us lessons we would never forget. Oh the freedom of Colorado! I miss it. Now I am in the Mountains of Montana reading your posts. Enjoy the people and the beauty. I love your stories.
Thanks for the great pictures!