As a volunteer at Breckenridge Lookout, Breckenridge Mountain, Kern, CA, in 2006, John got a taste for the life of the forestry service lookout. John developed a strong admiration for those that do this work year after year, full time. It is a solitary life which requires what he describes as the personality of a “quirky” individualist. In other words, he fits right in. There is a certain romance to this life of solitude, service, courage, and diligent attention to detail. In addition to his time as a volunteer, he’s occasionally taken the opportunity to rent those out-of-service lookouts that offer themselves as lodging.
The Basket Fire, September, 1999
Osborne Fire Finder
J M Gatlin: Photo Journal 