Article Summary –
Darren Wilson and a group of six other hikers embarked on a trek through the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness during extreme fire-prone conditions, and throughout their journey, they encountered multiple instances of wildfires, including smoldering logs and campfires, which they took action to extinguish. Chelsie Wilson, with her wildland firefighting background, led the group’s efforts to control and put out the fires using available resources like sticks and water from nearby lakes, transforming potentially dangerous situations into manageable experiences. The trip underscored the omnipresence and danger of wildfires in the wilderness, prompting the group to remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring their safety.
Even before setting off on a six-day trek through the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, Darren Wilson and his six companions knew there might be wildfires ahead. Wilson, a Hamilton resident and biomedical equipment technician with a budding musical career as Dag Zaggenz, understood the significance of Stage Two fire restrictions: Conditions were extremely prone to wildland fires.
“It was in the back of my mind – I hope we don’t get trapped by a fire,” Wilson told Montana Free Press.
The trip started smoothly. On July 24, Wilson departed from Middle Fork of Rock Creek trailhead with his wife, Chelsie Wilson, and five friends: Lacey Hilgers, Aubrey Scott, Austin Scott, Lily Schroeder, and Brittney Erickson. The group, from Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Washington, slept by Kelly Lake the first night as a storm passed over them.
They awoke to a plume of smoke across the horizon. Initially dismissing it as a campfire, they continued toward Hidden Lake. It wasn’t until they neared Hidden Lake that they realized the smoke might be from a wildland fire.
“We came across multiple smoldering logs right outside of Hidden Lake,” Wilson said. A tree stood toppled, its bark cracked and splintered, with thin lines of smoke rising from glowing embers. The group assumed it was from a lightning strike. Chelsie Wilson, a computed tomography technologist and former wildland firefighter, sprang into action.
“I may not have a Pulaski,” Chelsie said. “But I can make a line around this thing with some sticks and make sure it’s dead out.” She assigned firefighting roles to the hikers. Erickson helped with mopping up the burning area, while the others shuttled water from Hidden Lake using Nalgene bottles, bear canisters, and Platypus hydration packs.
“It was really scary at first,” Chelsie said. “And then it became fun.” After two hours, she gave the all-clear. They had transformed the smoldering char into a wet pile of debris.
“I think it’s one of those things we like to refer to as type two fun,” Darren recalled.
Wildfire became an ever-present theme on the trip. On a later hike, they spotted smoke a few miles away. They called in the incident from a ridge with cell service and heard a plane fly low overhead the next day.
Days later, as the group settled down to rest for the night, the sight of nearby smoke drove them to action again.
“We started yelling across the lake, top of our lungs,” Darren said. “‘Is there anybody there? Do you have a fire?’” Hearing no response, they initiated their now-familiar fire suppression routine. Gathering their Platypuses and bear canisters, the group rushed toward the smoke’s source.
“Like children of the corn, we come out of the trees,” Darren said, to find three men huddled around an illicit campfire.
“The guys were not very impressed with us, though,” Chelsie said. “They didn’t like our story at all.”
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