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Category: My gypsy life

The gypsy life of a seasonal Park Ranger Winter 1997

 

Columbia River & bridge to Hood River WashingtonColumbia River & Bridge to Hood River, Oregon

The cash award I received from the temporary job with Fish & Wildlife along the Columbia River Gorge allowed me to buy my first RV, a slide-in cabover camper for my old Ford, and return to the gypsy life.

Oregon coastOregon Coast

Nov 1st, 1996, I hit the road, taking a month to travel down the west coast on Hwy 1, from the Washington peninsula to Los Angles. The wet windy weather found several major leaks in the camper eventually fixed with silicon. I stopped at every park and historic marker along the way.

Sunset Salton Sea CaliforniaSalton Sea, California

After a visit with my brother’s family in Los Angeles I went to the Salton Sea.  Here I met a man at a flea market and we caravanned together for a couple of months.

Imperial Sand Dunes CaliforniaImperial Sand Dunes, California

He showed me many remote & beautiful places as we followed the “Gem Trails of Arizona” gathering rocks and camped for free on BLM and other public land all over the desert.

Mittry Lake near Yuma ArizonaMittry Lake, Arizona

After we parted ways I spent a week camping in Joshua Tree National Park. It was a quiet time for me to be alone and regroup. But it started getting hot.

Camper in Joshua National Park CaliforniaMy camper in Joshua Tree National Park

Time to head north for the summer. Yet I needed a quick forest fix so went to the San Bernardino National Forest before the long haul back to Washington.

San Barnardino National Forest CaliforniaSan Bernardino National Forest, California

My gypsy life, road trip , , , , 15 Comments

The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger 1996

Sunset over Mt Hood & Columbia River Underwood WashingtonSpring Creek Fish Hatchery along Columbia River & Mt. Hood

After working for the Forest Service at Mt St Helens for five seasons my gypsy life changed and I took a temporary position with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service along the Columbia River Gorge, Washington. I was hired to research and write for publication the history of fish hatcheries along the Columbia River. Bottom line, population of salmon declined as population of people increased. And thus fish hatcheries, since 1876 on the Columbia River.

Salmon in fish ladder Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery Underwood WashingtonSalmon in fish ladder

The salmon life cycle is amazing. Young salmon swim from their birth waters to the sea where they become adults. After 3-4 years they return along the same route fasting all the way, to reproduce and then die. Their carcasses provide a fish buffet for wandering wildlife.

Salmon spawning in Little White Salmon Creek Underwood WashingtonSalmon spawning

Major flooding tore boards from the dam at Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery and many salmon continued upstream another half mile where a waterfall caused a natural obstruction. Their mating rituals are a water-dance like none other.

Little White Salmon River Underwood WashingtonLittle White Salmon River

Maybe someday we can allow salmon to spawn naturally in free flowing clean waters and get rid of fish hatcheries. Of course we’d also have to get rid of damns, or at least build more fish ladders.
While working here I received a cash award that allowed me to buy a cabover camper and resume the gypsy life.
Columbia River, Columbia River Gorge, My gypsy life , 24 Comments

The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger – Summer 1992

Since 1992 my world has changed about every six months. As a seasonal park ranger I usually work only six months of the year during late spring, summer and early fall. And, I work in some of the most beautiful places in the world, still limited to U.S.A.

Mount Saint Helens National Monument Washington 1992Mount Saint Helens 1992
I started my career as a seasonal park ranger naturalist while attending Western Washington University during the early 1990s after I’d taken a class in Interpretation.  That’s not a foreign language thing, I was interpreting a landscape.  I learned about the natural and cultural history of the area making it possible to share stories with visitors and answer questions.  My internship was a summer at Mount Saint Helens National Monument 12 years after the big eruption.  I was hooked.  What an amazing job to learn, share, meet people from around the world, and live in a beautiful place.  After graduation, I returned for four more summers to share the never ending stories of Mt St. Helens, a landscape in amazing recovery.  I found it almost unbelievable to see the subtle changes that occurred daily.

Spirt Lake Mount Saint Helens National Monument WashingtonSpirit Lake

When the mountain blew on May 18, 1980 I was planning a wedding in Illinois. Where were you?

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Mount Saint Helens, My gypsy life, National Parks and Monuments, Washington , 19 Comments

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