Officially in uniform and watching it snow in May at Bryce Canyon National Park

After two weeks of training and a couple days off I watched the sun rising over the ridge and put on my uniform for the first time in a year and a half.  The size 12 pants are borrowed from the park’s cache as I’ve gained weight and the old size 6 no longer fits.  Spent the morning reading about Bryce Canyon geology.  My first program will be about how hoodoos are formed.  Spent many days in the next two weeks watching it snow in May at Bryce Canyon National Park.

I studied all morning and after lunch had to get outside to clear my head and enjoy the fine weather so rode the shuttle to Bryce Point and took two hours to walk the 1 1/2 miles slightly up and down to Inspiration Point.  Counted 65 visitor contacts along the way.  A contact is defined by exchanging information, like answering questions, not just a nod or hello.  Almost 75% of those visitors were French.  Je ne parle pas français.

Hopped on the shuttle at Inspiration Point returning to the office and at the next overlook, Sunset Point, who should climb aboard and sit down next to me but Diana from Life on the Open Road.  I knew she was in the area but what were the chances.  Turned out she was staying in Panguitch and had a couple friends along.  One friend asked why some hoodoos stood alone and I explained best as I could, and he liked my simple explanation along with hands to demonstrate.  Afterward he went into the visitor center and wrote an amazing comment about me.  Nice way to start the first official day in uniform.

Bryce amphitheater & Aquarius Plateau from the Rim Trail

The next day, as yet unmet Facebook friend and photographer Thomas planned to visit Bryce, with snow, cold and wind.  We connected in the visitor center briefly then he went out to explore.  I spent several hours observing in a fee booth and got the hang of using the cash register for entry fees and pass purchases.  Happily surprised that about 80% of guests have some kind of park pass.  I won’t regularly work the fee booth but there is a register in the visitor center for selling permits and passes.

window in hoodoos from Rim Trail

Woke the next morning to no running water because of the below freezing night.  Thank goodness it thawed in about 30 minutes.  In the future I’ll unhook the hose for nights predicted cold again.  Worked the visitor center for several hours.  Lots of repetition.  Typical repeated question, “I just got here, what should I do?”  With all the information available it’s hard to believe people travel without more planning.  But, oh well, that’s my job.  So with a smile on my face I ask a few questions then help them plan their visit accordingly.  I love the ones who have planned and want to know more specifics like trail conditions.  The rest of the day I studied about the moon.

Because the next day, after a 2 1/2 hour stint in the visitor center, I would be assisting with that night’s full moon hike.  Offered only one or two nights a month depending on staffing and weather, this is a popular Ranger activity.  At 4pm, the lead Ranger Ben, his volunteer wife Becca, and I met guests at the Lodge auditorium for the lottery.  Tickets were handed out to about 100 people while checking for adequate footwear.  Once the 30 people were chosen by random ticket draw from my Ranger hat, Ben informed them we’d be hiking down the Queen’s Garden trail almost one mile and back up about 350 feet, meet at the general store at 8pm for the ~8:30 moonrise, and allow 2-3 hours for the experience.  Consolation prize was being told that Becca would have a telescope on the rim for moon viewing.

From there I headed home for dinner and saw a Pronghorn crossing the road to where I live.

Ranger Ben lead the full moon hike and I was the caboose.  I carried my big camera and tried to take a few shots.  Yet my job was to keep all the mostly phone photographers moving to keep up with the group.  Guests returned up on their own from the Queen Victoria formation, which I didn’t see at all.  I think everyone should name the differing hoodoos themselves.  Anyway, we Rangers bring up the rear, and good thing as I thought I might die going back up huffing and puffing away.  Good thing I don’t smoke any more, but this proved how out of shape I am.

The next day, on my Friday which is really Sunday, woke way too early for a cloudy sunrise and prediction of more snow.  Which it did mostly on and some off all day causing a major white-out for views into the amphitheater and many unhappy guests.  My schedule included consoling people in the visitor center on this wintery day in spring.  Funny how people don’t comprehend high elevation weather systems.  I opted out of roving along the rim and continued to work on programs.

Which is also how I spent a large portion of my next three days off.  So lovely to sleep in, but not to wake up to 2-3 inches of snow on the ground and still falling, all day.  I wasn’t inspired to go outside and instead wrote the Exploring to Escalante post.  I went to Panguitch one day and will share that later.  Otherwise, I finished preparing my hoodoo geology program and began working on a cultural history Rim walk and talk.  Oh, and continued watching it snow in May.

Back to work on Thursday with a 10am start as I helped close the visitor center for the first time at 8pm.  And guess what, it was still snowing.  Yet by afternoon there were lulls in the precipitation so I ventured out to Sunset Point for my first hoodoo geology talk.  A little rough but will get better.  I got home to no signal—and it’s been good—then discovered the cord to the outside booster box was torn out and laying on the ground.  What the…?

Seems horses escaped and came through my neighborhood pulling loose the booster cord laying on the ground.  I can’t fix it.  My supervisor is following up with those responsible.  In the meantime, my signal is iffy at best.  I plan to call WeBoost for repair or replacement.  More on that soon.

Opened the visitor center the next morning, for the first time and by myself.  Managed to get everything turned on and locked myself out when putting up the flag.  But hey, at least it wasn’t snowing.  Made it to the rim before and after lunch to rove and talk to guests.  Then returned to the office to study stars.

Because the next night I operated a Celestron 11-inch telescope for the first time, with a lot of help from other Rangers.  Five scopes were set up and staffed by Rangers, each showing a different object in the sky.  Our “Astro field” is the employee parking lot behind the office/visitor center building.  This show normally happens Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights from 10-11:30pm if the sky is clear.  And that night was our open window.  Because I’m really not an astronomer (yet) I chose to focus on the double stars in the handle of the Big Dipper, Alcor and Mizar, a constellation almost everyone in the northern hemisphere can find, including me.  After aligning the scope to Arcturus and Vega, with the push of buttons it automatically moved to my chosen Alcor star.  I only had to make a few adjustments for drifting over the night.  I outlined the constellation with a laser light, pointed out the second stars to the left of the last handle star, and asked if anyone could see two stars there with the naked eye instead of just one.  In days of old, this was considered an eye test to become an Arabian soldier.  Some guests flunked, including me.  But then I’m due for new eye glasses.  In the scope the two dim stars could clearly be seen about 1/4 inch apart.  Guests seemed to love it and they then moved on to another telescope line to view clusters, the whirlpool, Spica in Virgo, and eventually Jupiter and four moons.

Yet the highlight of the night was when Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite-train moved overhead like an extended tow team for Santa’s sleigh.  Stretched out several feet from our point of view, white dots in a row, moved quickly across our eastern view.  And none of us knew what it was (until the next day), except totally amazing.  We had about 200 guests that chilly night.

Home after midnight, I tried to go straight to sleep but tossed and turned for hours.  I usually take about two hours to unwind after a work day.  But no time for that as I returned to work at nine the next morning, Sunday, the middle of a record breaking busy Memorial Day weekend.  Parking lots full everywhere, even the 400 vehicle shuttle lot 1 1/2 miles outside the park in Bryce Canyon City.   At least it wasn’t snowing.  I helped cover the desk on and off all day in the visitor center and even played custodian by restocking and sweeping the ladies bathroom.   So glad I work instead of travel on holidays.

Typical of my Friday nights I went to bed early.  Woke up to several inches of snow.  And now I have two days to prepare this post along with two more work programs.  Oh yea, and keep watching it snow in May.  Maybe spring will arrive in June at Bryce Canyon National Park.

The planned launch of 12,000 satellites brings up several concerns for human health, astronomical observations, and increased space debris, all in the name of faster 5G.  How do you weigh in?

This post went out sitting in town while doing laundry.  If I don’t respond to your comments as usual know that I can probably read them on my phone but may not have enough signal to reply.