You might think a park ranger's life is
one of quiet contemplation in the woods. But Ryan spends a lot of
his time outside of the forest. As Ryan’s wife, I have watched him
navigate his career in the NPS (National Park Service)
 for the past
8 of his 15 years as a law enforcement park ranger. One of the most
common misconceptions about his job is that he is just a “ticket
writer”; someone who tells you to keep your dog on a leash or to
fine you for not having the right permit or gives you colorful
brochures on the park you are visiting. Actually, that is the
furthest from the truth. Ryan’s job encompasses so much. Here are
just some of the few things he does:
* Searching for and rescuing visitors of the parks,
* Hunting fugitives and illegal aliens across our borders,
* Battling wildland fires and protecting the millions of dollars
worth of equipment it takes to fight those fires, building fire lines
with hand tools and chain saws, and policing fire closures,
* Recovering human remains of people who end their lives in the
parks,
* Representing the NPS in court cases,
* Protecting one of the largest dams in our state from terrorism,
* Providing EMT services to both visitors and firefighters,
* Managing employees for both his park and firefighter crews,
* Providing dive rescue and recovery for Colorado,
* Being part of high angle search and rescue for injured
climbers on some of the most challenging terrain in the world; some
of those rescues require him to dangle off cliffs of over 2000 feet,
* Doing office work including payroll, hiring, and communication
with other employees,
* Managing the volunteer campground hosts.
I have so many stories that truly make
Ryan a hero in my eyes. One of the most remarkable things, in my
opinion, was when my husband was forced to spend the night on the
side of the Black Canyon with a 16 year old girl’s body who had
jumped and killed herself. He did that just to protect the body from
the elements and provide closure for her family. This happened in
the dead of winter. He was flown by helicopter to the bottom of the
Black Canyon near the river. He then climbed 1000 feet up the cliffs
through snow and ice only to run out of daylight, thus climbing back
down to the bottom of the canyon to find a flat place to sleep in
the snow. The next day he woke up and climbed back up the 1000 feet
using an ice ax, crampon metal spikes, and rope. It took several
hours to finally reach the body. Because it was snowing and it was
already dark again, he was then forced to sleep with the body that
night. The next day he recovered the body by building her into a
load that hung beneath the long line under the helicopter, after
which he rappelled and hiked another 2000 vertical feet straight up
to climb out of the canyon.
(continued at right)
|
|
(continued from left)
Another time he was asked to
search for a missing 19 year old boy in a high mountain lake area.
Once again, it was winter. He donned his wetsuit and dove for eight
straight hours looking for the boy. A cadaver dog was brought in to
search for the body in a boat above the water. Remarkably Ryan found
the boy 40 feet below the surface. His parents were so thankful that
the young man's body was recovered and that he would have a proper
burial.
I know these examples may sound morbid,
but I believe it takes someone very special to be able to handle
these things and then come home to be a husband and father. I have
so much respect and admiration for him and for the job he does.
This past Labor Day a 10,000 acre forest
fire started near Boulder, Colorado. This fire started after another
vehicle collided with a propane tank, in what turned out to be a
nightmare of epic proportions. The Four Mile Canyon Fire
 that
ripped through the mountains west of Boulder is now the most
expensive blaze in Colorado history. The Rocky Mountain Insurance
Information Association estimates the fire caused some $217 million
in damages, and that price tag could still rise. In the end, the
fire took 163 homes and burnt more than 10 square miles. Ryan was
dispatched for security on this fire after 120 homes had already
succumbed to the fire. He provided home owners with security, kept
people from going on closed roads, managed a security crew of over
fifteen, and helped assist with a wide variety of helicopters and
fixed-wing aircraft that were used for aerial firefighting.
To summarize all that he does on a daily
basis would fill a book; and maybe someday we will write one. But
until then, remember always that Ryan and our NPS law enforcement
park rangers are willing to risk their lives to make our parks safe
and help preserve them for the future.
Thank you Ryan for being such a
wonderful husband, father, friend and of course, such a positive
role model for so many!
Pictured in this article:
| Top left: |
Barbara and Ryan
Thrush. |
| Top right: |
Boulder,
Colorado fire |
| Above: |
Barbara and Ryan
with their children, Cole, Camden, & Payton. |
View more photos of Ryan's adventures as
a National Park Ranger by clicking here.
|
Submitted by Shelly Gregis --
