My name is Nick Regalado and I joined NCC in hopes of having
a hardworking, honest job and ended up getting more than I could bargain for. I
was put on a front country crew located in the Spring Mountains just for the
summer and couldn't have enjoyed it more. As an aspiring wildland firefighter,
I felt that this was the perfect way to be introduced into working in all types
of weather and terrain and the hard work that came with it. While cutting
trail, I was constantly thinking about how I was going to accomplish being a
firefighter and how I would go about it after my tenure was over, until my crew
leader and I had a one on one interview. He told me I could join a sawyer crew
and get experience which is needed to be a wildland firefighter. I found this
immensely important and jumped on that idea quickly. I didn’t know NCC could offer
such a vital aspect for me to accomplish a lifetime goal.
I honestly could not have asked for more to be put on such a
well-knit crew with an outstanding crew leader. Our chemistry with each other
was eye opening for me, because we were all there for the same reason which was
to work hard and have fun and that’s exactly what happened. There was not a
dull day that I could remember and we all grew as a family and it was simply
amazing to me. We worked and camped for eight days and had six days off, but
when it was time to pack up and go back to the office it was as if nature was
drawing you back in to stay and almost sad to leave. We were dirty, grungy,
tired and desperately needed to shower, but it was the most fun I’ve ever
experienced and would recommend it to any young adult that is looking to have
fun.
-Nick Regalado
