About
Ankle Deep
In
Ashes
Gary Atteberry is a retired USFS smokejumper and the author of Ankle Deep In Ashes. His memoir explores the intense adrenaline of fighting wildfires and the hidden, personal battle with PTSD and depression that followed.
It is a raw, firsthand account of life on the fire line, the brotherhood of the smokejumpers, and the difficult journey of healing after the smoke clears. Today, he channels that same passion into capturing the rugged landscapes of the Pacific Northwest through his fine art photography.
From the Fire Line to the Fine Art Lens
I spent 20 years jumping out of planes to fight wildfires with the US Forest Service. It was a career of adrenaline, brotherhood, and intense physical challenge. But it also left its mark. In my memoir, Ankle Deep In Ashes, I open up about the hidden cost of that life—the battle with PTSD and depression that followed the fire.
But my connection to this land goes back much further than my career. I spent every summer of my childhood at Wallowa Lake. It was here, under the shadow of these mountains, that I made the teenage decision to turn away from the mainstream and commit my life to the outdoors. Returning to Enterprise wasn’t a coincidence; it was a homecoming.
Today, my photography is my healing. I have come full circle to capture the rugged beauty that first gripped me when I was young. Whether I’m waiting for the perfect light on the Zumwalt Prairie or framing the depth of Hells Canyon, I am documenting the landscapes that shaped who I am.