BUTTE — Climbing over 40 feet in the air, hanging on by a rope to do a difficult job—yeah, being a lineman, it’s tough work, but it’s not just men’s work. There are some young women at Highlands College who are choosing to do this job, which takes a lot of skill and a lot of guts.
“The first week, I cried every day, but I’ve gotten a lot better,” said 18-year-old Misty Gittleson.
Gittleson, of Dillon, is about to graduate from the college’s lineman program. She admits it was sometimes challenging being one of the few girls in the class.
“It’s funny. You’ll definitely get laughed at, made fun of, but you just got to laugh. It’s tough—like, you’ve got to be mentally and physically strong, but I love it,” she said.
Gittleson received plenty of support from her family who watched her compete in a recent lineman’s rodeo, in which the class showed off their skills.
“She’s incredibly brave; I think they all are. That pole swinging while they’re clean up there is a bit of a nail biter,” said her grandmother Tracy Fritz.
There’s great demand for linemen. It pays well, but it can be dangerous work.
“You make a mistake at a desk, eh, you know, it’s different. You make a mistake out here, you could possibly kill yourself or your buddy that’s on the next pole,” said Northwestern Energy lineman Joseph Ewing.
He said this line of work is open to women willing to do it.
“We had a woman lineman Ameren that she was a good hand. You couldn’t count her out for anything,” said Ewing.
Misty encourages women to try this field if they think they can handle it.
“But, you got to make sure you’ve got a good mindset and stuff or you just won’t make it—mentally tough,” she said.
