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Stand 2 - Briefing Overlook

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

About 1 mile from the mouth of Mann Gulch, this open bench where Dodge and Harrison rejoined the crew provides a view which includes most of Mann Gulch, the jump spot, the cargo spot, and the main fire. It is also a good location to discuss fuel type and arrangement on this terrain in 1949, as compared to today.

The jump ship arrived over the fire at 3:10 PM. Spotter Cooley and Foreman Dodge estimated the fire to be 60 acres and noted that it had burned to the top of the ridge between Mann and Meriwether Gulches, with considerable backing down slope into Mann Gulch. They picked a jump spot across the gulch and streamers indicated the wind was about 10 mph straight up canyon, from the northeast. The air was so turbulent that several jumpers got sick, most landed hard (Dodge actually injured his elbow on landing), the cargo got scattered, and the crew's only radio was broken on impact.

Around 5:00 PM, while the crew got a bite to eat, Dodge went across the gulch for a meeting with Meriwether Guard Harrison, who had yelled down to them. James Harrison, a smokejumper the previous season, was the first to attack the Mann Gulch fire, having hiked back and forth between the guard station to the ridge top twice during the day. Dodge instructed Hellman to follow him with the men after they had collected their cargo.

When Hellman brought the crew across, Dodge and Harrison came down and met them at a point about 100 yards up from the gulch bottom. Dodge decided that this flank was not safe. Around 5:20 PM he told Hellman to take the crew back across the drainage to this stand’s north side location, and on towards the Missouri River. Dodge and Harrison hiked back to the cargo spot to get food and water.

Route Hellman leads smokejumpers on between Stand 2 (Briefing and Overlook) and Stand 3 (Crew Turnaround Point).

Route Hellman leads smokejumpers on between Stand 2 (Briefing and Overlook) and Stand 3 (Crew Turnaround Point).

Highly detailed photo from smokejumper cargo spot Aug. 16, 1949 Notice the difference between fuels then and now.

Highly detailed photo from smokejumper cargo spot Aug. 16, 1949 Notice the difference between fuels then and now.

 
Location (SRS)
POINT (-111.89505 46.8858167)
Related Stand
Staff Ride to the Mann Gulch Fire

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