Page 47 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2022

I was blessed working with men in the early years of my career in the in places that were politically conservative. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could
Forest Service and National Park Service who were totally open to just retire in a place where I was more at home with the politics? Plus, the
women. Many of my crew bosses on the firefighting crews were log- college is here. I love living in college towns because they're usually
gers. They logged in the off-season and they fought fires in the summer. more progressive. Ashland has a perfect combination of a small-town
They taught me how to use a chainsaw and how to fall a tree. I was like atmosphere and places to hike. I'm going to have my ashes spread on
the Pacific Crest Trail.

DOES LIVING IN ASHLAND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY
TO MEET A LOT OF HIKERS?

MARY: The Pacific Crest Trail comes right through here. I work as a
Trail Angel. Trail Angels are people in towns on long-distance trails that
provide places to stay and rides to and from the trail. Trail Angels help
hikers resupply and do laundry. People from all over the world hike
through Southern Oregon. I pick up hikers at the airport and drive
them to the trailheads. Some are just doing the Oregon section of the
Pacific Crest Trail. I've given rides to people from New Zealand, South
Korea, France, Canada, and Australia. They love Ashland, they love the
buffet at Taj Indian restaurant, and they love the plays.

everybody else. Back then you had to be able to take off-color jokes. I
jumped right in and told jokes with the guys. I was as gross as them and
we got along great. I learned that they were sensitive. In the 1980s it HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR TRAIL NAME,
wasn’t unusual for hotshot crews to sing gross rugby songs as they hike “FIREWEED”?
to wildfires. The songs were absolutely horrifying. I didn't care if a song
had profanity, I’d sing those, but I stopped singing those rugby songs. MARY: I first adopted a trail name when I was in Alaska. Every hiker
has a trail name. That's how you know the people on the trail. It allows
“Why aren’t you singing the all the songs?” privacy. You won't know their real names. Trail journals are written
in your trail name too. My journals are at www.postholer.com/fireweed.
“If you were African-American and someone was singing songs about lynching, Fireweed is a plant in Alaska and other western states that grows right
would you be singing with them?” after fires. I identify with that.

“Oh….no!”

So, we didn't sing those offensive songs anymore because they respected AND THE “FIREFIGHTING MONK” NAME?
me as a hotshot crew member.
MARY: One of the reasons I chose Ashland was because it has several
Later in my career, I was embroiled along with several other women active Buddhist communities. The only thing that we ever have is this
in a workplace harassment situation. We had to go to court. It's a fact moment…right now, but we get distracted by our thoughts and stuff
of life. You need to fight. I would say to women, “Don't take any crap. going on. Nothing else matters when you're on the fire line but right
Work within the system to make sure that your voice is heard, but go now. Firefighting forced me to be in the moment and in the begin-
outside of the chain of command if you need to.” ning of my career I called myself a “firefighting monk.” You're totally
engrossed. There's nothing else. Just the present moment, which is an
objective for me as a Buddhist along with having a good livelihood that
benefits people.
HOW DID YOU END UP SETTLING IN ASHLAND?

MARY: When I retired, I evaluated places I wanted to live. Humm….
Tucson, Arizona, Bishop, California, or maybe Ashland. I started com- WHEN DID YOU START DOING LONG DISTANCE HIKES?
ing to Ashland when I was fighting fires in Northern California in
1981. I was taken by Shakespeare plays in the outdoor theater and all MARY: I really started long distance hiking after I retired at age
the music here. This place was like heaven. Years later I'd fly in from 55. I earned firefighter retirement and finally had time to do treks.
Alaska to see plays, hike Mt. McLaughlin and the Pacific Crest Trail. Otherwise, I was working all summer during the hiking season.
At night I would go have a wonderful dinner in town. I had been living

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