Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Welcome back...and a trip to Mann Gulch

Well, the summer break is over, and Mrs. Olsen is eager to begin teaching.  This year she will have four Freshman classes, an American Government class, and AP European History.

Mrs. Olsen spent part of the summer in France...but a real highlight was actually in Montana.  She hiked up Mann Gulch to see where 13 firefighters died in August of 1949.

They were dropped in by parachute, and within a few hours, most of them were dead.  Only three survived.  The most famous part about the fire was that one of the firefighters survived by lighting a backfire.  He quickly laid down in the ashes while the fire swept over him.  The others weren't so lucky.   The remainder died of smoke inhalation and burns.  Two survived for just a few hours.

The Mann Gulch story has been depicted in the story Young Men and Fire written by the late Norman MacClean.