Menu

Category: Places I’ve been

Preparing for busy at Bryce Canyon

hoodoos trees Bryce Canyon National Park UtahBefore the first big holiday of America’s summer, all staff prepared for busy at Bryce Canyon National Park expecting increased visitation.  There’s only so much we can do, and the rest is up to you.  Maybe not “you” personally, but doing some homework and being prepared sure helps for a better experience when visiting any national park site.  I ended up spending some unscheduled time off at home before the weekend.

The Monday before Memorial Day I received my second Moderna COVID shot.  Quick and easy, felt fine, and even took myself to lunch in Panguitch.  I had two paid days off for this procedure so I stayed home and hoped I wouldn’t get sick.  My boss sent over a care package in the afternoon including canned chicken soup, applesauce, jello cups, and Gatorade.  I continued to feel fine all day.

deer trees Mixing Circle Road Bryce Canyon National Park UtahTurned out to be a wildlife sort of day.  Mule deer grazing on the last road home.

baby Steller Jays Bryce Canyon National Park UtahPlus observing five baby Stellar Jays in a nest outside my window.  I had to look closely because they were so quiet, like fauns left alone, yet they are usually raucous birds.  And now they have fledged.

Sierra cat on desk with two laptops in RV Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI managed to USB tether the old laptop to the new phone and worked on some blog posts.  Lots more time involved moving photos from new laptop to old via flashdrive, but doable.  Spent many hours laboriously labeling photos.

Slept good that night except for trying to write a blog post in my sleep.  If only I could think them into cyberspace.  My arm was sore in the morning and it wasn’t long before I was back in bed with the chills.  Only felt a bit better Wednesday morning so stayed home again.  Shot the shit out of that work week as I had the next two days off.

And to be honest, except for feeling sick, I really didn’t care.  I’m struggling with work this season.  I’ve identified as a Park Ranger for 29 years and don’t know how to retire. Worry a little about money and where I’m going to live.  Still have to get signed up for Social Security that got put off when COVID hit last year.  I just can’t see myself doing nothing.  I’ve followed my gypsy dream for over 40 years.  Maybe I could offer RVer gatherings in the desert this winter to photograph/watch the full moon and include sunrise over the Kofa Mts.  Offer presentations at RV Parks about Grand Canyon.  How about a group called the Boondocking Buddies?  I don’t really like marketing so would find it challenging to organize.  I lack motivation.  Barely taken any photos.

Woke up Thursday morning with a headache.  Very unusual for me.  Because I couldn’t get online, I labeled over 600 photos and still not half way through March, that’s 2020.  I am anal that way and figure someday I may not remember where I took photos, then hope I can still read.  I took a nap, something else unusual for me.  Friday was mostly more of the same, without the headache, while I worked to learn how to do more online with the new phone.  I also learned that the current Windows 10 operating system is seen as software and wants to update regularly.  Not so great when there’s no reliable internet signal.  That means taking the laptop to work and use public WIFI.

I prepared mentally to be busy at Bryce Canyon for the holiday weekend.

trees hoodoos amphitheater clouds from rim trail Bryce Canyon National Park UtahBy the time I started work Saturday morning at nine the three entrance station lines were 15+ vehicles each and the visitor center parking lot was filling fast.  I was happy to just grab a radio and be on my way to the rim for the 11am Hoodoo geology talk.  Spent the next four hours roving with a lunch break followed by more roving as I walked back and forth along the “easiest” trail half mile each way between Sunset and Sunrise Points making over 150 visitor contacts (contact is answering questions for X amount of people).

hoodoos amphitheater trees mammatus clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahWhat a crazy day!  I believe the predictions that this will be the busiest summer in National Park Service history.  Got so busy the park closed for over two hours mid-day, no place to park anywhere including an overfull shuttle parking lot out of the park.  Medicals all over. TOO MANY PEOPLE!  YIKES!  My day ended at 6:30 after a couple hours at the outside information tables.  I do love to help people enjoy the park but some don’t even know what they came to see and seem to want to just check the place off a list in a couple hour visit.  Such a shame.

After work and in the office it took 45 minutes to update Windows on the new laptop and I caught up with email comments on posts and paid my credit card.  In the morning it wants to update some more and I still get the error, “Network busy on windows” when trying to use PDANet+.  Feels like I wasted $1000 on this laptop.  Then I got online via the phone with no PDANet+ and not even sure how I got there other than persistence.

hoodoos trees clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSunday I started work at the information tables in the middle of the middle day of the first HUGE holiday weekend. Thank goodness only an hour but will continue to help if/where needed.  Still crazy busy at Bryce Canyon and another day with several hours of closure at the entrance station.  Wonder if this will continue all summer.  I also covered information a couple hours before closing at 8pm.  I needed a mantra to keep a smile on my face—and eyes above mask when needed. “Thanks for visiting Bryce, please treat it, and each other, with respect.”

Utah Prairiedogs Bryce Canyon National Park UtahUtah Prairie dogs

Presented the 9pm evening program about wildlife at Bryce Canyon before calling it a long day.  Only presenting one program a day isn’t enough.  Certainly not what I signed up for.

I have started conversations with visitors about over crowding in the parks, asking them what do we do?  They are not in favor of knocking down trees for more parking lots, thank goodness.  Most agree reservations to enter and limited numbers seems OK.  Have to figure out what the public can do to get involved in these decisions.

yellow Arrow Balsamroot flowers Farview overlook Bryce Canyon National Park UtahArrow Balsamroot

Feels like I should write an article about the problems for National Park Service seasonal Park Rangers—who the public love–yet get treated rather poorly being college educated and underpaid because getting paid in sunsets is not enough; experience overpriced housing/RV parking if available and often with no or little internet connection available; loose earned sick leave when quit working as seasonal no matter how many years; struggle to get permanent with benefits; deal with upset visitors and overworked supervisors due to lack of staffing.  Don’t get me wrong, most of us absolutely love our jobs but it could certainly be better.

hoodoos trees Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI survived the long holiday weekend being busy at Bryce Canyon.  Monday eventually slowed down a bit.  I worked the information desk during a still busy morning.  After lunch I presented the 2pm Hoodoo geology talk and roved the rim for three hours with 175 visitor contacts. Yes, we carry counters.  Ended the day picking up litter around the visitor center parking lot.

Gaelyn's new glassesTuesday I was scheduled for project time, all day.  So I took the day off as a “mental health day” and drove the 1 1/2 hours to Cedar City for my new eye glasses.  A worthy project.  Was able to retrieve my old phone and it has a SIM card so presumably I can load the photos to my laptop.  Also did a little shopping and went out to lunch.  And now the cupboards and fridge/freezer are stuffed.  And I didn’t have to go shopping on my next three days off.

No Man's Mesa & Molly's Nipple clouds Yovimpa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahWednesday I went back to work for my Friday doing my favorite schedule, after opening the visitor center, to spend the day at Rainbow Point, the end of the scenic drive.  We are now scheduled to present Grand Staircase geology talks at 12:30 and 1:30 if there’s any visitors at Yovimpa Point.  A short paved walk from the Rainbow Point parking lot with a huge view 100 miles south.  It’s not an overly busy place, which I dearly love.  Yet I still answered over 100 questions and ended up presenting many mini talks about a variety of subjects based on those questions.  I am in my element, yet look forward to days off to regroup.  And this week get an oil change for the truck.  I continue to wonder if we’ll be this busy at Bryce Canyon all summer, and can I survive the crowds.

trees sunset clouds from RV Bryce Canyon National Park UtahLazy sunset shot from RV door

I’ve been grumpy lately and whining a lot.  I apologize.  In fact, I’m rather surprised anybody is still reading let alone commenting.  Trust me, I appreciate you all.  I’m going to blame at least part of this problem on dehydration.  Working a nine-hour day mostly outside in a high and dry environment it’s not easy to drink enough water.  I remind visitors all day to drink about one liter of water per hour when active.  Yet I get home in the evening to discover I might have drank 2-3 liters all day.  By bedtime, I’ve downed at least another 2-3 liters depending on time and how much Sierra pesters for a filled glass for herself.  Yes, we share the glass and she helps me remember to drink, when I’m home.

Pink Cliffs trees sunset clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAt least I finally got out for a sunset along the crowded rim as even evenings are busy at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Places I've been, Seasonal Park Ranger, United States, Utah , , 33 Comments

The pain of updating updates

I hope to be done with updating updates of the physical sort now that I’ve replaced my camera, laptop, and cell phone.  Yet I know there will constantly be updates to Windows on the laptop and apps on the phone.

View SE from Yovimpa Pt Bryce Canyon National Park UtahView South from Yovimpa Point

Last week there was a problem leaving a comment on the blog and that was because I hadn’t updated a couple plugins for a while.  Those dang updates get me every time.  But with limited internet signal I can’t do updates every day.

White Cliffs Navajo Mt Rainbow Pt Bryce Canyon National Park UtahUpper Paria Canyon & Navajo Mt 90 miles away from Rainbow Point

After two days off I went back to work Saturday and there were many updates now that CDC says vaccinated people don’t HAVE to wear masks everywhere.  Yet our staff of Rangers still wore masks both inside the office and outside at the information desk.  And I was happily surprised a high percentage of visitors wore masks as well.  Even at the outside hoodoo geology talk 75% of attendees also wore a mask while keeping a respectable distance.  Another park update includes celebrating an abbreviated Astro Fest in mid-June.  No telescopes but extra nights of laser-light constellation tours and other activities.  I’m glad that will fall mostly on my days off.

Live & dead Bristlecone Pines along Bristlecone Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park UtahIt was my week for hanging out at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points at the end of the scenic road, no complaints there.  One day I went with a new person, Ranger Tif, and the wind darn near blew us off the southern most Yovimpa.  So we walked the one mile Bristlecone Loop trail taking almost two hours answering visitor questions and identifying trees and plants which updates my forest knowledge.  The park’s oldest known Bristlecone, on the right, died at about 1600 years old, they can live to 5000+.

Young Bristlecone Pine along Bristlecone Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAdmiring a 20 footer along the trail a visitor guessed it’s age at 50 and I guessed closer to 300.  Can’t know without coring the trunk.  Other mixed conifers seen along the trail include White and Douglas Fir, Limber and Ponderosa Pine, and a couple species of Junipers.  Plus some low growing red-barked Manzanita and some flowering bushes.

Snowberry Clearwing Sphinx moth on pink current flowers Bristlecone Loop Trail Bryce Canyon National Park UtahMost excited to see a Snowberry Clearwing Sphinx Moth pollinating the flowering Current bushes along the trail.  Seems the Snowberry isn’t flowering yet.

Sunday wasn’t a field day and started with project time, then a few hours at the information desk, and finished with a collateral duty taking care of the library.  Easy peasy.  But not so easy was once again fighting with “Network busy on Windows” error when I did the usual routine of tethering the phone to the laptop to get online if there’s a signal.  I tried the tech support I paid extra for but the difficult to understand voice couldn’t understand my situation—remote with no WIFI—and told me “it’s a Microsoft problem.”  Then she provided a phone number that gave a recording saying the only support is now online.  Of course that’s where I am not.  It’s now like I have to travel with my computer everywhere so I can get online where possible, but not at home.  Oh, and the phone has a mind of it’s own too constantly turning off the volume and on an alarm.  More updates on this further down.

hoodoos Pink Cliffs valley snowy mts storm clouds Rainbow Pt Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThe next day I took the laptop to work again so after I was off at 5pm I can download Windows updates and maybe solve the current problem.  Took about 30 minutes to update my laptop and then it would tether to the phone.  This has gotten very old and extremely frequent. Microsoft has us by the balls, so to speak.  That night I stayed online for hours, because I could.

hoodoos valley Pink Cliffs Aquarius Plateau storm clouds Rainbow Pt Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThe work day started early with opening the visitor center by 8am with Ranger C.  Later, we’d been scheduled for Rainbow Point.  However, new rules with updates to the schedule meant two people couldn’t ride in the same vehicle, even masked, for the 30 minute drive.  Ranger C. covered a desk information shift and I returned to Rainbow and Yovimpa Points for the afternoon.  But I didn’t stay long because of a lightning and thunder snowstorm.  Took a few photos and headed back with a quick stop at Ponderosa Point and then Natural Bridge overlook before returning to the office.  Visitors were shocked and mostly ill prepared for the cold, wet and windy weather.  Saw one pronghorn in a meadow on the return my first this year seen in the park.

Ponderosa hoodoos valley Aquarius Plateau clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahTuesday several Rangers where sick from the second Moderna shot so there were updates to the schedule.  Still worked 12:15-1:15 at the desk.  Then added the 2pm hoodoo geology talk with roving along the rim and decided to have the Portabella sandwich for lunch at the Lodge.  Then more roving and back to the information desk from 6-8 to close.

Pink Cliffs valley trees Yovimpa Pt Bryce Canyon National Park UtahOpened the visitor center the next day, my Friday on Wednesday, then returned to Rainbow/Yovimpa Points to rove.  Left the phone home as it doesn’t really work out there anyway.  But the damn thing has a mind of it’s own and in my back pocket seems my butt can turn things on I can’t even find.  WTF?  Probably needs updating.

Karen & Gaelyn Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSpent the next day doing laundry and cleaning house for my guest’s arrival in the afternoon.  Met Karen and Jim at the North Rim Grand Canyon in 2008, and she started me on the road to blogging.  Sadly, she lost her husband but is keeping up a good attitude living in Denver and just bought a three-wheel bike.  It had been nine years since we’d seen each other.  She flew in to Vegas Wednesday and visited with another friend then drove to Bryce the next day and of course we were up pretty late.

view S of Gray & White Cliffs SR14 E UtahView South from SR14 to Zion NP

I had an eye doctor appointment for Friday in Cedar City, 1 1/2 hours away, so we got an early start and had time for breakfast out before arriving minutes late.  But I had to wait for over 30 minutes anyway.  Medicare completely covered the eye exam and the doctor said my eyes were healthy and not yet in need of cataract surgery. Then I picked out a pair of lavender kids frames and the glasses should be ready in 7-10 days.  After grocery shopping we went to the pet store for cat food and in the same strip mall Verizon. The battery was starting to bulge on the phone thus causing all kinds of problems so I decided to replace it. What a hassle to wade through the paperwork, then leave both phones for 30 minutes to transfer stuff to the new phone, also a Motorola Droid.  I decided to leave the old phone for them to recycle but didn’t discover until I got home they hadn’t moved all my photos.  They were closed by then.  Of course the new phone is a new learning curve. Just a little smaller screen but comes with a stylus.

rental cabin Bryce Canyon National Park UtahRental cabin near the Lodge

I called the store first thing in the morning and got transferred to a call center. I wanted to stop them from recycling/throwing away my old phone. A message went to the sales person. Then we went to breakfast at the Lodge and I got a call from the store manager but the signal wasn’t great so he was suppose to call me back. Didn’t happened.

Karen & Gaelyn Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAfterwards we walked to the rim briefly in a cold wind, got in some selfies and a lady took pics of us and the canyon.  Karen left just after noon and it was hard to say goodbye.  A two day visit was too few.  But we’re already talking about a winter gathering somewhere.

yellow flowers Arrow Balsam Root Natural Bridge overlook Bryce Canyon National Park UtahArrow leaf Balsam Root

Later I tried to connect phone and puter via USB and not sure if it’s the daily lousy connection or I’m doing something else wrong as I don’t seem to have a signal. Seems it’s time for updating Windows again and can’t because I’m not online and I can’t get online until I update Windows. This is getting very old.  Time to take the new laptop to work again.  Sigh…  Funny thing the old laptop will connect if there’s a signal and that’s how this post is going out.  But what a pain to have to save from the new laptop to a flash-drive then load onto the old laptop and hope for the best.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar City, company, computer problems, Places I've been, United States, Utah , , , 18 Comments

Getting on with Rangering at Bryce Canyon

Days off are a good and healthy necessity, especially now that I’m into the more real summer Rangering at Bryce Canyon.  Plus there’s the necessity of doing laundry so I went into town to also get WIFI while the washer and dryer did their thing.

construction jct SR63 & 12 Bryce Canyon City UtahI had planned to take a little adventure on UT22 north through Johns Valley to Antimony, then west at Otter Creek Reservoir on UT62 through Kingston Canyon, returning south on US89 for stop in Panguitch at the Big Fish for all you can eat Friday fish fry, and back east on SR12 to Bryce.  A mostly paved loop of maybe 100 miles and hopefully lots of places to stop for photos.  Seemed like a great plan.  However, construction for the stupid roundabout at the junction to UT22 north barely had egress that was blocked by a huge gravel truck I wasn’t about to argue with.  So instead I went to the nearby Subway for lunch and to turn around.  We all hate construction and it may have an affect on visitor experience.  I’m working on patience, not always successfully.

14 Pine LaGrange Park IllinoisLater in the day a loving message of early Happy Mother’s Day from a cousin along with a Google image of the house our mom’s grew up in made me smile, with just a tiny tear.

Just before I left work on my Friday—on Wednesday—the next two-week schedule came out from my rather harried and soon leaving supervisor.  Oops, it was a January schedule.  Later, a corrected version showed up in my personal email that had many errors.  Several people do look over drafts but mistakes get made when in a rush.  I received another update before returning to work after my days off.

trees hoodoos clouds Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSunday—my Monday—began with real Rangering at Bryce Canyon as I presented the 11am hoodoo geology talk followed by time to rove the rim answering questions and taking photographs under the perfect cloudy sky.

hoodoos valley Pink Cliffs clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI did have to walk away from the Navajo Loop trailhead after a while because of the idiots tourons who won’t listen to the Ranger suggestions.  People see a sign for 1.3 mile round trip and think flip-flops and no water is adequate, even with warning signs.  The steep descent and ascent is 600 feet in .6 mile at 8000 feet in elevation.  Need I say more.

The day ended at the plaza information desk outside the visitor center answering questions, orienting visitors, and helping Junior Rangers.  The last is being handled a little different with COVID possibilities still looming.  When we hand out books to people we deputize an adult and give them badges to award after activities are completed.  Sometimes families return for us to swear in their Junior Rangers reciting the pledge.

Jr Ranger badge Bryce Canyon National Park Utah“As a Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger, I promise to do all I can to help protect my national parks.  I will collect litter while out exploring.  And show respect for nature by not disturbing anything wild.”  And keep my room clean, eat my vegetables, listen to my parents, not fight with my siblings…  added variations by Ranger choice.

Natural Bridge Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAfter a late start morning and an hour at the info desk my schedule allowed up to 3 1/2 hours as the “Road Ranger”.  That basically means cruise the scenic road and stop at any overlook(s) you’d like to rove and answer questions.  Oh yea, my kind of Rangering at Bryce Canyon with 7+ options depending on parking availability.  I took my own truck/toilet and drove to Natural Bridge, one of the larger parking lots and with lots of visitor turn over.  As in, oh-ah, take a selfie, and move on.  Had fun telling visitors Natural Bridge isn’t a bridge in Bryce Canyon which isn’t a canyon.  If you built a bridge what would it cross over?  Right, flowing water usually.  And that’s how a rock bridge is created geologically, flowing water.  And there isn’t flowing water or rivers here.  Instead it would be called an arch, created by other forms of weathering and erosion including water.  Oh yea, and canyons are also formed by rivers, which is also not the case at Bryce.  Instead there are 14 “amphitheaters” along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.  Kind of looks scalloped, like the marks left behind from biting into soft bread.  Always meet a lot of great people in national parks and here I met a biker, part of a group of friends, named Galen so he had to have a picture taken with Ranger Gaelyn.

view from Farview overlook Bryce Canyon National Park UtahContinued back towards homebase via a stop at Farview overlook with a far view I wanted to re-familiarize with, plus that’s where the summer hotdog wagon parks but they weren’t there yet.  So I stopped at home for reheated pizza for dinner before returning to the info desk and closing now at 8pm.

Started another later morning and I’m so glad because it was only 22° when I woke up at 7:30am.  Granted it did get up to 62° in the afternoon.  Spent the entire day around the visitor center starting with a little project time which included checking email and on this day taking care of the library, one of my collateral duties.  Then out to the info desk, more project time, and back to the info desk to close on an exceedingly busy visitor day along with other park business.  I issued my first backcountry permit of the season and went over it all several times with a patient young couple to make sure I did it right.  Lots involved with map and explanations of rules, forms, records, pay envelope, and distribution of bear canister for all food and aromatic items (mostly being protected from Ravens and chipmunks), all at the cost of $5 per camper.

By Wednesday I’m saying, “Thank goodness it’s my Friday.”  Another cold 25° morning opening the visitor center by 8am with a new to Bryce Ranger T, making the process much quicker than doing it alone.  After a couple hours at the info desk I drove to Sunset Point to present the 11am hoodoo geology talk which went well with a pretty large crowd, honoring distancing though not all masked.  Then Ranger T and I had the rest of the day at the end of the road, Rainbow Point, to rove to our heart’s content, real Rangering at Bryce Canyon.  We spent about 3 1/2 hours at Yovimpa Point, a short walk from the Rainbow Point parking lot with a 100 mile view to the south, all the way to the northern edge of the North Kaibab Plateau where you’d drive to the North Rim of Grand Canyon which opened May 15th.  We answered many questions and took turns talking about the Grand Staircase, both geologically and as a BLM managed national monument, which is visible below this 9100 foot high point in Bryce.  An awesome afternoon even warming up to 70° so I was finally warm.  I forgot the camera so no pics.  Then as we packed up to leave I saw that a chipmunk had peed on my cloth book bag used to carry props.  The little bastard/bitch.  There wasn’t even food in it.  Good thing it’s washable.  Saw the hotdog wagon at Farview on the way past but already running a little late continued back to base.

Back to days off preparing for a visitor next week.  I even thought of trying again for last week’s aborted day-drive but then I remembered it’s everybody’s Friday, crowded, and there’s construction.  Think I’ll just stay home until Saturday when I’m back to Rangering at Bryce Canyon.  And now wondering what will change with the CDC saying no masks for the vaccinated.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Park Ranger, Places I've been, United States, Utah , 20 Comments

Lijit

© Copyright 2008-2024. Geogypsytraveler.com