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Category: Seasonal Park Ranger

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

2021 Bryce Canyon summer season begins

The 2021 Bryce Canyon summer season schedule has begun, and we are busy.  Actually it hasn’t slowed down much since Spring Break in March/April.  Seems everybody wants to #FindYourPark.  Which is awesome in so many ways, but not in other ways.

RV window view snow Bryce Canyon National Park UtahFrom RV window, grapple against the new leaves of Oregon Grape

Pretty much wrapped up two weeks of Ranger training the end of April mostly outdoors for COVID safety, even with cold and snow.  The actual warm weather 2021 Bryce Canyon summer season won’t start until maybe June.  In the meantime, a great group of new staff are eagerly working to learn about the natural and cultural histories and sciences at Bryce Canyon while creating Ranger programs/talks.  We’ve only been offering and advertising two hoodoo geology talks a day presented by experienced staff.  That will soon expand to Grand Staircase geology talks and evening programs along with more nights of constellation tours as our Astronomy Interns arrive.  We are all working the information desk and counting visitors in and out the door to maintain a limit of 55 people inside the visitor center which includes open bathrooms, museum, and merchandise.

compound fence Pipe Spring National Monument Kaibab Paiute Rezervation ArizonaGarden soon to be planted behind the fence, outside woodfired cookstove, quarters in building above the buckboard wagon, they do currently pull a rake through leaving the pattern not sure that was done historically

One more full day of training included a field trip to Pipe Spring National Monument just across the border in northern Arizona, about two hours away.  Our Rangers joined their Rangers to learn about the two primary cultures who still call this rather dry and desolate looking landscape home.  No surprise this is part of the Kaibab Paiute Reservation as history shows the US government consistently put Indians on “useless land” while trying to break their cultural traditions.  Yet these people are resilient and continue working to teach their history and language to their youth.  They survived hundreds of years in this area hunting and gathering around a known fresh-water spring.

Windsor Castle Pipe Spring National Monument Kaibab Paiute Reservation ArizonaNo Ranger lead tours, self guided only, limited numbers inside & not in small rooms, Ranger available

Longhorn Pipe Spring National Monument Kaibab Paiute Reservation ArizonaThat rack of horns is 5-6 feet across, he’s friendly and doesn’t know how big he is

Mormon settlers arrived during the late 1800s and built a fort called Windsor Castle on top of the main spring and raised cattle for their tithing.  It’s an interesting mix of history.

view North across Grand Staircase from LeFevre overlook SR89A ArizonaBefore driving back to Bryce we took a side trip south on SR89A a little ways up onto the North Kaibab Plateau to the LeFevre overlook.  The view north is phenomenal looking across the Grand Staircase, both geologic and monument, to the Pink Cliffs of Bryce Canyon on the horizon.

snow meadows trees jct SR14 & Rd to Cedar Breaks National Monument Utah

trees snow Pink Cliffs SR14 East UtahGlad I wasn’t driving for that long day as the next I had my own long day of driving 1 1/2 hours to Cedar City for groceries.  Although looking a little winter bleak, SR14 is a beautiful curvy drive through forest, high meadows, a lava flow, and a couple of grand vistas.  The SR143  turn off to Cedar Breaks National Monument, at 10,000 feet, with an anticipated early open due to lack of winter snowpack.

After too many hours in town I returned the same route and stopped at the turnoff to Navajo Lake hoping for some snow on the black lava under the winter forest.  Yet it was wet enough not to wander into the forest with inappropriate footwear, and the snow was only in small patches though the lake looked frozen.

My second day off I wasted way too many morning hours trying to do anything online.  So because I needed a propane tank filled in the adjacent town of Bryce Canyon City I took the laptop along and found WIFI.  Sadly, a Windows update found me and put a stop to tethering my phone to the laptop when and if I could get a signal at home.  That typically only happens before 7am and after 11pm, when I’d rather be sleeping.

Though the next day, I got a whole lot more sleeping than usual as I was home sick.  Seems when I reached for the chicken potstickers I grabbed shrimp instead.  I have a food intolerance to crustaceans and filter feeders.  They tasted great.  But I suffered the consequences fighting both ends for 24 hours and just trying to stay hydrated.  My bad for not reading the ingredients label.

Made it to work the next day with mornings hoovering around freezing then warming into the 60s.  Most of my day was project time, so worked on some new program ideas (shorties called popups) about trees and hoodoos around the world.  Had lightning with rain in the afternoon that moved our outside information station inside the visitor center.  Much harder to talk to visitors through a mask and plexiglass.

I know, I ranted.  Lots of things building up on my mind.  I’m not local enough to get local workers interested in fixing my poor broken truckcamper.  I’m thinking of storing it the rest of the summer for repairs next winter in Quartzsite.  Not willing to let go of it because I couldn’t afford to replace it.  Does make a nice traveling home.  It has to come off the truck anyway to replace the shocks, and so I can pull my 5th-wheel.

I lost a very good, long-time online friend last week who didn’t survive a ruptured aneurysm.  Only 67 years old, same as me.  A person so like me we joked about being sisters from different parents.  She lived along the Atlantic coast and took the most beautiful photographs of sunrises and waves.  She knew how precious life is and will remind me often.

Todd Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park by P DensmoreMy favorite boss ever is leaving the 2021 Bryce Canyon summer season after providing a wonderful training session and leaves our supervision in new capable hands.  Todd was my first boss as a Ranger at Mt St Helens in 1992.  He’s taking his skills, and beautiful wife and my friend, to Olympic National Park.  He will be sorely missed here.  But ah, maybe yet another excuse to revisit the Pacific Northwest.

Although I’ve solved the problem of tethering my phone to the laptop with yet another Windows update—why can’t they leave things alone–I doubt the signal is going to improve in my current location.  It’s a struggle I’m going to have to live with as long as I’m here.  Damn computer and internet have become my hobbies.

And maybe it is getting time for me to think of retiring.  Although seasonals don’t retire with any benefits, we just don’t work any more.  But then I have a wonderful day helping visitors plan their visit.  Later a young woman finds me to say thank you.  And that’s what makes it hard to stop being a Park Ranger.  So here I go, for the 2021 Bryce Canyon summer season, and my 29th summer season as a Park Ranger.  Guess it’s about time I took some photos.

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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.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Places I've been, Seasonal Park Ranger, United States, Utah , , , 17 Comments

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