July 18-23, 2010 Priest River Experimental forest

I have worked as a cook for trail crews for many years on the Colorado trail. I met the retired smokejumpers when they worked on the Colorado trail. They invited me to Montana to cook, so for years I have been cooking for them once a summer. All of the other crews were in the woods, over a camp stove. This year I got invited to a very plush camp at the Priest River Experimental Forest (PREF). It was built by the CCC in the 30’s and lovingly maintained since.  We stayed in the lodge, I had my own room and bathroom, we had sheets, towels etc. I had a huge kitchen. I drove up with the crew and John was to pick me up at the end of the week.

Suep the cook. I always wanted one of these triangles when I was on trail crew. The lodge

Happy hour each evening on the porch of the Lodge, the kitchen-pretty fancy after camping stoves and camp fires.

The guys did dishes after dinner, I did the rest while they worked. Dining hall


The lodge, a deer between the lodge and kitchen. There is an amphitheater in the back ground

the office building and experimental lab, the wood shed

lodge at sunset, carpentry shop