Before 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.
Turned out to be a wildlife sort of day. Mule deer grazing on the last road home.
Plus 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.
I 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.
By 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).
What 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.
Sunday 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 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.
Arrow 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.
I 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.
Tuesday 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.
Wednesday 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.
Lazy 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.
At least I finally got out for a sunset along the crowded rim as even evenings are busy at Bryce Canyon National Park.