The season begins with the Critical 80, two weeks (~80 hours) of intensive training every crew member throughout the chain of command must successfully complete to officially be part of White Mountain. The purpose of this training is to expose all crew members to the physical and mental stress endured daily on the fire line. Everyone is expected to show up in peak physical form.

Our fitness training program focuses on hiking in full gear (at Ester Dome or Moose Mountain), road and trail running, HIIT workouts, weight lifting, stretching, aerobic fitness, and strength building. Training is done twice a day regardless of weather conditions.