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Category: Bryce Canyon National Park

Starting my third summer season at Bryce Canyon

Straight Cliffs Mossy Cave overflow parking Bryce Canyon National Park UtahJust a 1 1/2 hour drive from Fredonia I mostly moved in on Sunday and started my third summer season at Bryce Canyon Monday.  The first two weeks are mostly training.

Stellar Jay bird nest Juniper tree outside RV window Bryce Canyon National Park UtahFirst sign of Spring, Stellar Jays building a nest in the Utah Juniper outside my living room window.  If they decide to stay I expect it to be raucous, probably drive Sierra crazy and maybe me too.

Although certainly chilly compared to my recently accustomed desert temperatures it felt nice to be back in the “big house” under the pines.

First day of any new season is all about boring and slow official government paperwork, prove who you are with various forms of identification, agree to work for the gov, list a beneficiary, sign-up for healthcare, agree to pay rent, receive keys and badges, backpacks and safety equipment, and generally sign your life away for the next six months.  Out of an Interpretive staff of 11, six are here for their first summer season at Bryce Canyon.  All are excited to be here, learn about the park, and share with visitors.  My days off will be Thursday and Friday, and every other Saturday.  Hardest part of the day for me was wearing a mask all day long, something I’ve not done since last fall.  That and trying to stay warm outside, where the mask does help, wearing mega-layers.  Spring may be in the air but not at 8000 feet, someone needs to tell winter to go away.  Waking up to anything below freezing is miserable to me.

A fellow Ranger climbed up on the camper roof and took pics of the AC unit with missing shroud and I ordered a new shroud.  Then after work I climbed up on the 5th-wheel roof to mount the WeBoost.  Signal is not great but usually works better than without the booster.

new staff at geology training Inspiration Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahInformational training for the summer season at Bryce Canyon started Tuesday morning at Inspiration Point with two excellent geology speakers.

hoodoos snow clouds Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThen we went to Sunset Point for two different examples of Hoodoo geology talks.  The afternoon was spent at the North Campground outside amphitheater going over some ways to interpret the natural and cultural history at Bryce.  After work I excitedly hooked up the heat-tape wrapped water-hose but water squirted everywhere from the standpipe.  So much for hot running water that night.

Southwest view from Yovimpa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThe next morning’s schedule took us 18 miles to the end of the scenic road and Yovimpa Point, the southern most overlook at Bryce.

Northeast view clouds Rainbow Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThe brutally cold wind sent us into the nearby historic shelter at Rainbow Point for more training about the Grand Staircase geology that we’ll talk about out there.

Gray Cliffs SR12 Utah

Calcite & clam fossils from Dakota member Gray Cliffs road cut SR12 Tropic UtahAfter lunch we caravanned downhill off the Paunsaugunt Plateau and past the town of Tropic for more geology info about the Gray Cliffs (one step below Bryce’s Pink Cliffs) where we stopped at a road cut revealing Dakota Member marine fossils.  Then another stop on the return to see a geologic fault from the new Mossy Cave overflow parking lot.

Came home to a replaced water standpipe and once again attached the hose.  But no water came into the house because the city water check valve needs replacing, again.  This time I ordered the brass fitting instead of plastic.  I told myself it was alright as the water would have to be turned off at night with temperatures hoovering around freezing.

trees snow clouds from RV door Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThursday morning I awoke to snow.  I stayed home teleworking while the troops went out to look at plants.  It snowed on and off with intermittent sunshine all day.  I should have gone to the rim but just couldn’t get warm enough to go outside.  These three shots were taken from the RV door, quickly as to let out the least heat, or is that the cold inside.

trees snow clouds from RV door Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAlso the next day.  So, I worked on the two programs I’m modeling next week about cultural history and wildlife.

Very difficult to keep this monster RV warm at freezing and below even with the maximum of three electric heaters running.  I ran the propane furnace a couple times briefly to take off the chill but it sucks down propane faster than I can keep the 7-gallon tanks full so not a full-time option.  Took all day to get tolerable then began to cool off again. Predicted low 19°. The warmest place to be was in bed.

trees snow clouds from RV door Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI had Saturday off work–guess what it snowed–and sort of arranged the big house and finished emptying clothes from the camper.  I’m sure to need a few more forgotten things.   Fortunately I was able to shower at a fellow employee’s house.  Still waiting for RV parts to have running water.

Ranger Gaelyn Bryce Canyon National Park Utah by J Parsons(I’m leaning on a piece of PVC used as a distance pointer on maps)

Sunday I worked in full uniform outside at the visitor center.  With highs in the 40s I had on so many layers could barely move.  Doesn’t feel like summer season at Bryce Canyon yet.  Monday through Friday will be more training opportunities to share.

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Back to Bryce Canyon for summer 2021

Hoodoos Bryce Canyon National Park UtahLeft the Ponderosa Pine forest near Prescott to continue back to Bryce Canyon for summer and did a little shopping on the way to my next stop in Dewey before the final stretch.

Vickie house Dewey ArizonaVickie has a nice Santa Fe style home she and her father built in Dewey with a RV full hook-up site next to the guesthouse.  I met Vickie working at the Mule Desk at the North Rim Grand Canyon in 2008.  Always a pleasure for me to chat with her when slipping through the Grand Lodge on the way to a geology or Condor talk on the verandah.  Hadn’t seen her in a few years what with me loosing my job at the canyon in 2018 and COVID keeping her home last year and this.

bunkhouse truckcamper Vickie's Dewey ArizonaI planned to stay one night, maybe two, and that turned into three.  We had a lot of catching up to do.  Plus a couple other mutual North Rim friends came over for dinner one night.  I helped her hook up a new printer to a new Chromebook and because of the strong WIFI I downloaded a lot of stuff on the new laptop.  A couple of old favorites, Picassa and Windows Live Photo Gallery are no longer available for download.  Moving data no longer happens laptop to laptop with a cable on Windows 10.  Love/hate relationship just like Google.  Good thing I back up files at least twice on external drives.  It’s a slow process.

hummingbird in nest Vickie's Dewey ArizonaHummingbird building nest outside the door

I also finally received an email with the official job offer at Bryce Canyon and had a bunch of paperwork to do online.

trees forest snowy mt clouds I17 N Arizona

Painted Hills clouds SR89 N Navajo Res ArizonaPlan E included spending at least one night at Lee’s Ferry communing with the Colorado River.  Took my life in my hands driving Interstate 17 north to Flagstaff followed by the bumpy SR89 through the Painted Desert.  The wind was blowing hard on the side of the camper.

Vermilion Cliffs Marble Canyon ArizonaSadly, by the time I got to Lee’s Ferry the campground was full.  I wasn’t happy about more time behind the wheel but continued up onto the Kaibab Plateau where I saw little patches of snow and wasn’t going to boondock with lows hoovering around freezing.

truckcamper Wheel Inn RV Park Fredonia ArizonaSo I kept on going for Plan F to the Wheel Inn RV Park in Fredonia where I stayed a few days in the fall.  It’s not particularly pretty but reasonably priced at $30/night and provided electricity for overnight heat plus decent WIFI for more work on the new laptop.  Dang, that takes forever and I’m glad not to have to do it any more often.  Wind gusts full of dust kept me indoors.  Wonder if wind is what tore off the shroud over the AC unit on the roof somewhere on the way.  Sure hope it didn’t hit anybody.  Another is on order.

Utah sign SR89A N ArizonaFinally, Sunday I could actually move back to Bryce Canyon for the summer.  I got an early start but the Mountain time zone worked against me and it was an hour later in Utah.  Arizona doesn’t honor daylight savings.  Why we still do that is beyond me.

both RVs Bryce Canyon National Park UtahArrived before noon to my big house and with the help of a friend moved clothes and food from the camper to the 5th-wheel.  Thank goodness I can park with the doors pretty close to each other.  Got all the utilities hooked up but with that night going below freezing didn’t turn on the water so still jugging it like this winter.  Didn’t feel settled in at all. Like confused a bit, not sure where things are or belong.

Hoodoos rim snow clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAnd Monday morning I started back to work at Bryce Canyon for summer.  But at 24° it sure didn’t feel like summer.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Park Ranger, Places I've been, United States, Utah 26 Comments

The last days at Bryce Canyon National Park

lone Ponderosa Pine tree on rim hoodoos Bryce Canyon National Park UtahWrapping it up for the last days at Bryce Canyon COVID19 summer season, eight days that felt like months.  The count down was on as I worked the last of each different schedule, some more preferred than others.  Plus packing up the 5th-wheel and moving into the truck-camper filled the last days at Bryce Canyon, before the snow fell, and I left.

The last opening schedule that gets me out of bed at the ridiculous time of 5:30am, to work by 7:30, and preparing to open the visitor center by 8am.  The staffed information area has been outside most of the season but with the temperature that morning hovering barely above freezing I opted to stay inside.  Not easy to talk to people through a mask and plexiglass.

view SSE from Yovimpa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahView south from Yovimpa Point

Started off a busy Saturday morning with constant questions and after a couple hours I was more than ready to move on to Rainbow Point, 18 forested miles away.  I was right to think there would be no parking by the time I got there around 11am so after one loop squeezing through an overcrowded small parking lot I drove back down the road about 1/4 mile to a wide spot, parked, then walked back up.  From Yovimpa Point I could see cars backed up and parking illegally along the road through both the 12:30 and 1:30 geology talks.  When I returned to my truck at 3pm cars were parked down to and all around me off the road and on vegetation.  WTF?

trees Farview Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThe last of Autumn at the edge of the parking lot

Stopped at Farview overlook and was disappointed the Dawg House was out of hotdogs and fries.  Talked to a mom and daughter who were cool and the daughter asked about internships and how to become a Park Ranger.  We were interrupted by an old curmudgeon who asked when the Park Service planned to clean up the fire mess. What mess?  A lightning strike fire from 2009 sterilized much of the soil so regrowth is extremely slow, but that’s natural. Some folks don’t understand national parks.

Because of my late start time on Sunday I worked on some more camper cleaning.  Funny, even though I didn’t use it all summer it required a scrub and vacuum.  Might have been last winter’s dirt.  The fridge was disgusting with mold so received a thorough bleach wash.  The new memory foam finally relaxed and I made up the bed with clean sheets.  Still wasn’t ready to move in yet.

trees Pink Cliffs valley Navajo Mt sunset clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahPre-program walk along the rim for the last reverse sunset

That night I presented my last evening program for the season.  Definitely felt like time to wrap things up with the nights feeling more than chilly after dark.

Sunday also ended the shuttle service in an exceedingly busy Bryce Canyon National Park.  People still poured in and would find no free ride after parking oversized vehicles in the overflow lot by the visitor center.  Overlook parking lots only accommodate a handful of large rigs.

I was happy not to open on Monday at 30° with no shuttle when both campgrounds became first-come-first-serve with no hosts on site.  Parking lots overflowing and yet more people kept rolling in.  This is usually a mellow time of year including retired and young people with no children.  Actually my favorite season.  But not so much this year.  Kids didn’t return to school and many families are traveling while homeschooling, some as newbie RVers.

hoodoos Sunrise Point lenticular clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahUnusual to see lenticular clouds

Tuesday is my first of three Fridays during the last days at Bryce Canyon.  After a long morning counting people in and out of the visitor center with never ending questions after lunch at the information booth I am more than ready to be done for the season.  Instead I lead a Rim Walk with some awesome visitors, and it does turn out to be the last of the season.  Count down is on, two work days left.  I’m getting grouchier.

All I can think about is moving, from one RV to the other and down in elevation where it’s warmer.  I’d hoped to leave Bryce eastward to Capital Reef and maybe beyond.  But long range weather forecast indicates cold nights and possible snow.  Even Lee’s Ferry, further south is showing nights below 40°.

spider web on lizard and VW in RV Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThat rubber lizard doesn’t seem to scare off spiders

I spent my last two days off work cleaning, packing and semi-moving.  Because the 5th-wheel wouldn’t be moved until Sunday afternoon at the earliest I didn’t have to move completely out until I was ready to leave on Sunday morning.  I set Saturday night as my goal.

hoodoos late light clouds moon Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThere are limitations to moving food before self.  Plus sweep the slides off before pulling them in and disconnecting utilities.  I didn’t particularly want to move Sierra until the last minute so she didn’t have to go to work with me for those last two days.

On the real Friday, my Monday and second to last day of work for the season, I arrived to hear about the missing hiker at Bryce Canyon.  A 62 year-old solo man missing for two cold nights.  Family reports possible dementia.  Available staff from inside the park and out along with helicopters search the backcountry.  He is finally found alive late in the afternoon.  I hike alone frequently.  Could that be me?

trees hoodoos smoky haze Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSmoke haze eastward from the rim

I presented my last two hoodoo geology talks and in between met friends of a Flagstaff friend coincidentally at Sunset Point.  They were told to keep an eye out for Ranger Gaelyn and surprised when we crossed paths.

light & shadows hoodoo window Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI returned to work the visitor center information tables and was informed that a Bryce Canyon National Park employee had been confirmed with COVID19 and their entire division put on 14-day quarantine.  Great!  WTF!  Why wasn’t the entire park closed down?  Why were interpretive Rangers still out and about like nothing happened?  I felt like someone had shot my brains, they were ready to explode.  I had a bit of a melt-down and was rather useless the rest of the day.

wranglers horses dust Bryce Canyon National Park UtahMy last day, call it a Friday, yet another busy Saturday.  Last of the stinky horse corral.  Last door counting which I certainly won’t miss.  Last plaza info and hours of repetitive answers.  Last scheduled Rim Walk that didn’t go and I was good with that.  I turned in stuff—keys, badges, and paperwork—and went home to move the last of food etc. and Sierra to sleep in the camper.  Still not certain about where we’d go from Bryce.

side mirror storm clouds SR 89 South UtahSunday morning I watched the weather report deteriorate to snow by afternoon at Bryce.  It would be pretty, but no thanks.  Swept and pulled in the slide-outs, disconnected the utilities, and with strong winds at 57° and dropping left the park at 10am saying goodbye to the last days at Bryce Canyon with a storm chasing me south to somewhere.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Park Ranger, Places I've been, United States, Utah , 11 Comments

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