The store went to the long hours today (7:30am to 9:30pm) and so now I have split shifts. My hours this week are 11:30 - 3:00 and 5:45 - 9:45. Working the late shift has a definate drawback, I can't go to Hayden Valley at night but I suppose I can go in the mornings. I will have to wait until next week to take in the ranger talks that are every evening at 9:30.
This morning I did my laundry and layed around watched tv in my sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I sat around outside with the two snowshoe hares that live by the dorms. They are very comfortable with people around and one even sat under a tree about 12 feet from me and fell asleep.
I was in Confections again today. This afternoon I did the fudge and the ice cream and this evening I did the ice cream, fudge and was the barista. I never know where I will be or what I will do until I come in the mornings. I usually have to check early as I have to wear my hair up under my hat when I work in Confections.
We got in 14 new employees today. They are all from Asian countries and none of them really speak English. This should be interesting as some of them are to be servers in The Fountain and some in Confections. We are happy to have some other employees.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow lies the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. After a day of cold and rain the skies finally cleared and the sun shone through so I took my usual north loop. After spying on 1 bison and a handful of elk I decided the evening was a dud. Then after crossing over Dunraven Pass and coming down the south side I came around the corner and saw in the horizon a beautiful rainbow crossing over the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was picture time! When I returned I headed to the EDR for the pop, popcorn and peanut party. A bunch of us also decided to play the game Apples to Apples. It was a great time.
I noticed this evening that the park service has been busy yesterday and today puting up no parking markers that line the roads in areas that have high bear and big horn sheep sightings. It is now impossible to park along the side of the road in these areas. It's a good thing, too many people parking on the side and approaching the wildlife too closely. There will probably be a bad side, many people just park their cars in the middle of the road and wander away, camera in hand, leaving a line of cars behind them that are unable to proceed. We'll have to wait and see how the people handle the situation.
I started my workday in the bull pen ready to start taking inventory on the knives. Confections was understaffed and when it got busy I was sent over to give a hand. After my afternoon break I was sent back to Confections to be the barista. I had done this one day before, and to be honest, I wasn't too excited to go back and face that machine knowing I was now the one to run it alone for the afternoon. I was intimidated to say the least. Luckily, the afternoon was slow and only a few wanted lattes and such. More wanted ice cream (on a cold, windy and rainy day?) so I helped out with that too. I was a success on the machine and I dare say that I actually enjoyed it. Bring on the coffee mobs!
2009 Wildlife Sightings
Grizzly Bear: 25
Black Bear: 13
Moose: 2
Coyote: 4
Wolves: 12
I noticed this evening that the park service has been busy yesterday and today puting up no parking markers that line the roads in areas that have high bear and big horn sheep sightings. It is now impossible to park along the side of the road in these areas. It's a good thing, too many people parking on the side and approaching the wildlife too closely. There will probably be a bad side, many people just park their cars in the middle of the road and wander away, camera in hand, leaving a line of cars behind them that are unable to proceed. We'll have to wait and see how the people handle the situation.
I started my workday in the bull pen ready to start taking inventory on the knives. Confections was understaffed and when it got busy I was sent over to give a hand. After my afternoon break I was sent back to Confections to be the barista. I had done this one day before, and to be honest, I wasn't too excited to go back and face that machine knowing I was now the one to run it alone for the afternoon. I was intimidated to say the least. Luckily, the afternoon was slow and only a few wanted lattes and such. More wanted ice cream (on a cold, windy and rainy day?) so I helped out with that too. I was a success on the machine and I dare say that I actually enjoyed it. Bring on the coffee mobs!
2009 Wildlife Sightings
Grizzly Bear: 25
Black Bear: 13
Moose: 2
Coyote: 4
Wolves: 12
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The 5 Bears
Getting on the computer has been an issue lately. When I get on it I am having problems getting Blogger and Hotmail to load. It's really been a hit and miss lately.
I am back in Confections cashiering. I am rather relieved that my barista time is over. Half the time I want to grab the espresso machine off the counter and throw it out the door. The lines can be huge for the ice cream, fudge and regular coffee and it slows everything down incredibly when large espresso, latte, etc. orders are put in. Making specialized coffees can be a time consuming ordeal in tight quarters and only 3 people working the area.
I have also found out that I have a few pet peeves, which are shared by the majority of cashiers. People for some reason think it is really helpful to give a cashier the exact change. That's fine but digging for 3 pennies in the bottom of a purse with 20 people in line behind you is not exactly helpful. If a person wants to get rid of a bunch of excess change a fast paced check out is not really a good time to do it. If no one is in line that's one thing but long lines is another. And the biggest one is after I start giving back change it's really hard to switch gears when a person miraculously finds some extra change to throw in. Yes, it's easy math but a cashier is usually 2 steps ahead of themselves and the brain has to come to a halt and back up and figure out the new total to give back. Believe me (every cashier I have talked to hates when this is done) it may be easy for the customer to figure out the change because they are not under pressure to remember orders and hurry the people through the line. And that's my rant for the day on what is not helpful to a cashier. By the way, all of the above has happened numerous times to me and I've handled each one fairly well and with a smile but you should hear what I'm saying in my head.
Last night I drove the north loop and took Brandon and Dave along. Dave does not have a car and this was his first time being in that part of the park in over 4 weeks of being here. It was a good wildlife spotting night as we saw a total of 5 black bears, two were a mother bear and her cub. We also saw a couple elk with huge racks right by the side of the road. We all got pictures and videos (except for Dave because he forgot his camera) of each of the bears. In Mammoth we stopped to watch a herd of elk laying in the yards of the houses there. With them were all of their elk calves nibbling on grass. It's the closest I've been to the calves this year as the other ones I've seen have been off in the distance. Mammoth is a great place to see elk. They walk down the road there like the bison do in other parts of the park.
I am back in Confections cashiering. I am rather relieved that my barista time is over. Half the time I want to grab the espresso machine off the counter and throw it out the door. The lines can be huge for the ice cream, fudge and regular coffee and it slows everything down incredibly when large espresso, latte, etc. orders are put in. Making specialized coffees can be a time consuming ordeal in tight quarters and only 3 people working the area.
I have also found out that I have a few pet peeves, which are shared by the majority of cashiers. People for some reason think it is really helpful to give a cashier the exact change. That's fine but digging for 3 pennies in the bottom of a purse with 20 people in line behind you is not exactly helpful. If a person wants to get rid of a bunch of excess change a fast paced check out is not really a good time to do it. If no one is in line that's one thing but long lines is another. And the biggest one is after I start giving back change it's really hard to switch gears when a person miraculously finds some extra change to throw in. Yes, it's easy math but a cashier is usually 2 steps ahead of themselves and the brain has to come to a halt and back up and figure out the new total to give back. Believe me (every cashier I have talked to hates when this is done) it may be easy for the customer to figure out the change because they are not under pressure to remember orders and hurry the people through the line. And that's my rant for the day on what is not helpful to a cashier. By the way, all of the above has happened numerous times to me and I've handled each one fairly well and with a smile but you should hear what I'm saying in my head.
Last night I drove the north loop and took Brandon and Dave along. Dave does not have a car and this was his first time being in that part of the park in over 4 weeks of being here. It was a good wildlife spotting night as we saw a total of 5 black bears, two were a mother bear and her cub. We also saw a couple elk with huge racks right by the side of the road. We all got pictures and videos (except for Dave because he forgot his camera) of each of the bears. In Mammoth we stopped to watch a herd of elk laying in the yards of the houses there. With them were all of their elk calves nibbling on grass. It's the closest I've been to the calves this year as the other ones I've seen have been off in the distance. Mammoth is a great place to see elk. They walk down the road there like the bison do in other parts of the park.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
New Kid on the Block
This week Neil was the newest kid on the block. He is from Paris and speaks so-so English. A person really has to listen and concentrate when talking to him. He has spent his time here working as a custodian but on his time off he has nothing to do but watch tv. This morning Hank & Mickie took Neil to Lake to try out the employee exercise equipment in Lake Lodge. We have exercise equipment in Canyon but it consists of 3 machines.
This afternoon I took a turn escorting Neil around and took him on my favorite drive, the north loop. He had only seen bison and 2 elk so I was hoping to show him some other wildlife. Right across the road from Roaring Mountain I saw a coyote leaping over logs but Neil missed it. We eventually found a herd of big horn sheep that were been encroached upon by a hoard of people. Luckily 2 rangers showed up to save the animals. North of Tower we came across a black bear browsing through the brush. Further down the road we came across our second black bear wandering through the downfall.
After returning to Canyon my afternoon was pretty mundane. It consisted of laundry, reading a book and almost taking a nap. We got a couple new people today and we are expecting kids from Taiwan on Monday.
This afternoon I took a turn escorting Neil around and took him on my favorite drive, the north loop. He had only seen bison and 2 elk so I was hoping to show him some other wildlife. Right across the road from Roaring Mountain I saw a coyote leaping over logs but Neil missed it. We eventually found a herd of big horn sheep that were been encroached upon by a hoard of people. Luckily 2 rangers showed up to save the animals. North of Tower we came across a black bear browsing through the brush. Further down the road we came across our second black bear wandering through the downfall.
After returning to Canyon my afternoon was pretty mundane. It consisted of laundry, reading a book and almost taking a nap. We got a couple new people today and we are expecting kids from Taiwan on Monday.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
It's a Bust
With the day off I decided to go to West Yellowstone and track down a dentist (I cracked a molar) and try out the internet cafe. I left Canyon at 8:30 and stopped at Fishing Bridge and then proceeded on the south loop over to Madison Jct. and then west to West Yellowstone. About 2 miles west of the junction I came across a couple buffalo wandering down the middle of the east lane. I got by easily but there were 75 - 100 cars and buses stuck behind the meandering buffalo. Once in West Yellowstone I stopped at the visitor center only to find out that West Yellowstone does not have a dentist. Then it was off to the internet cafe with plans of uploading pictures onto this blog. The employee was helping me get all set up but for some reason I could not get on the internet. I struck out twice in West Yellowstone.
I went back into the park and about 1/2 mile from Madison Jct. I stopped to watch a coyote moving around the fallen trees. He was obviously looking for some little rodent to have for lunch. I decided to head north, something I really didn't want to do because of the possible 30 minute delay for road construction. I ended up cruising right through it with only a 5 minute delay. I went all the way to Gardiner in search of a dentist. I stopped at the Chamber of Commerce only to learn that Gardiner also does not have a dentist. Another bust. Tomorrow I will locate one in Livingston and make an appointment for next week.
On my way back into the park I stopped to watch 4 adult female big horn sheep and 3 little babies crawling around the rocky slopes. It's like the they have suction cups for feet to hold them onto the side of the mountain. I headed east where I came across a whole other herd of big horn sheep by Tower Falls. At this point I've decided that I won't continue on with my big horn sheep count on my wildlife sightings. But I'll certainly mention when I see them. Further on from Tower, right before Dunraven Pass, I came across a huge grizzly digging around on the side of a hill. It was incredible and the closest I've come to one (I was in my car). Unfortunately, I couldn't stop and had to keep moving without getting a picture of it.
Jackie and John invited me to their RV this evening to use their Verizon internet connection. Thus the picture of the wolf I uploaded. They are nice people from Missouri and they brought their 2 dogs with them so I got a few nice sloppy kisses from them. At their RV they have a place to have a campfire so we are planning on having a fire and roast hot dogs when the weather is a little warmer. They said I can use their internet whenever so I'll try and upload some more pictures in the near future.
I went back into the park and about 1/2 mile from Madison Jct. I stopped to watch a coyote moving around the fallen trees. He was obviously looking for some little rodent to have for lunch. I decided to head north, something I really didn't want to do because of the possible 30 minute delay for road construction. I ended up cruising right through it with only a 5 minute delay. I went all the way to Gardiner in search of a dentist. I stopped at the Chamber of Commerce only to learn that Gardiner also does not have a dentist. Another bust. Tomorrow I will locate one in Livingston and make an appointment for next week.
On my way back into the park I stopped to watch 4 adult female big horn sheep and 3 little babies crawling around the rocky slopes. It's like the they have suction cups for feet to hold them onto the side of the mountain. I headed east where I came across a whole other herd of big horn sheep by Tower Falls. At this point I've decided that I won't continue on with my big horn sheep count on my wildlife sightings. But I'll certainly mention when I see them. Further on from Tower, right before Dunraven Pass, I came across a huge grizzly digging around on the side of a hill. It was incredible and the closest I've come to one (I was in my car). Unfortunately, I couldn't stop and had to keep moving without getting a picture of it.
Jackie and John invited me to their RV this evening to use their Verizon internet connection. Thus the picture of the wolf I uploaded. They are nice people from Missouri and they brought their 2 dogs with them so I got a few nice sloppy kisses from them. At their RV they have a place to have a campfire so we are planning on having a fire and roast hot dogs when the weather is a little warmer. They said I can use their internet whenever so I'll try and upload some more pictures in the near future.
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Why Did the Bear Cross the Road?
It snowed overnight so the ground and trees were white this morning. The snow doesn't last long on the ground, except for a few piles that are in the shade. The ground is very wet with all the rain and snow and the rivers are high and running fast. It didn't much today but I did run into a few sprinkles this evening and I did see some rain falling in the distance.
I worked in gifts today. I started off cashiering and then went to stocking shelves. The store had streaks where it was busy and then quiet. When it gets busy it is very busy. There will be 24 more employees coming in next week. There was an article in the Billings newspaper saying that the Park tourism was up 20% in May from last year and the rest of the year looks like it will be up, too. That's great but unfortunately there will not be as many employees here as there have been in years past. I guess we will all be busy this summer. It makes the time go by faster.
After dinner I decided to drive the north loop, which is my favorite. I stopped and watched a moose by the petrified tree for awhile. It was just grazing on a hillside that had dead ghostly trees from a previous fire there. On the south side of Dunraven Pass, about 3 miles north of Canyon, I watched a black bear (that was actually brown in color) grazing on the side of the road. It eventually crossed the road to the delight of all the people watching. It just went to the other side to eat grass there. I guess the grass was greener on the other side of the road. Or it just wanted to get to the other side.
2009 Wildlife Sightings
Grizzly Bears: 25
Black Bears: 6
Big Horn Sheep: 5
Wolves: 12
Moose: 2
Coyotes: 4
I worked in gifts today. I started off cashiering and then went to stocking shelves. The store had streaks where it was busy and then quiet. When it gets busy it is very busy. There will be 24 more employees coming in next week. There was an article in the Billings newspaper saying that the Park tourism was up 20% in May from last year and the rest of the year looks like it will be up, too. That's great but unfortunately there will not be as many employees here as there have been in years past. I guess we will all be busy this summer. It makes the time go by faster.
After dinner I decided to drive the north loop, which is my favorite. I stopped and watched a moose by the petrified tree for awhile. It was just grazing on a hillside that had dead ghostly trees from a previous fire there. On the south side of Dunraven Pass, about 3 miles north of Canyon, I watched a black bear (that was actually brown in color) grazing on the side of the road. It eventually crossed the road to the delight of all the people watching. It just went to the other side to eat grass there. I guess the grass was greener on the other side of the road. Or it just wanted to get to the other side.
2009 Wildlife Sightings
Grizzly Bears: 25
Black Bears: 6
Big Horn Sheep: 5
Wolves: 12
Moose: 2
Coyotes: 4
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Espresso Express
I started out the morning cashiering in gifts and then was moved back to Confections. It was time for me to learn how to use the espresso machine. I've never had a latte or an espresso and so it was interesting learning what goes into those drinks. I have to say that espressos look and taste quite disgusting. My first latte was a double and and I wasn't too impressed with the taste of that one either. A vanilla latte wasn't too bad. Lattes and espressos are very popular and I'm glad the machine is up and going as people were getting testy without their morning shot of strong coffee. It can take quite awhile to make an order so it can get quite backed up with the coffee making business and I have to hustle.
It rained and snowed again today but the sun would peak through at times. The temps were in the 40's and after work I went to Hayden. Not much out except for the bison and elk, the weather is not conducive to wildlife watching. I did get to watch a series of rain and snow clouds move across the valley and the snow fall on the mountains. It's very impressive to watch.
I finished my grizzly book the other day and started on my wolf book. It's a thick book and decided to put it off and start my Native American History in Yellowstone book. Very interesting and I hope to see some of the sights that are told about in the book. I'll start at the obvious place, Sheepeaters Cliff. The Sheepeaters were part of the Shoshone tribe and lived in the park and their major food source was big horn sheep. Many of the Shoshone bands were named after what they ate. The Sheepeaters were eventually forced from the Yellowstone area and forced onto a reservation. Sheepeaters Cliff is an area south of Mammoth where they lived.
It rained and snowed again today but the sun would peak through at times. The temps were in the 40's and after work I went to Hayden. Not much out except for the bison and elk, the weather is not conducive to wildlife watching. I did get to watch a series of rain and snow clouds move across the valley and the snow fall on the mountains. It's very impressive to watch.
I finished my grizzly book the other day and started on my wolf book. It's a thick book and decided to put it off and start my Native American History in Yellowstone book. Very interesting and I hope to see some of the sights that are told about in the book. I'll start at the obvious place, Sheepeaters Cliff. The Sheepeaters were part of the Shoshone tribe and lived in the park and their major food source was big horn sheep. Many of the Shoshone bands were named after what they ate. The Sheepeaters were eventually forced from the Yellowstone area and forced onto a reservation. Sheepeaters Cliff is an area south of Mammoth where they lived.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Road Closures
The snow this morning continued and got heavier. The roads out of Canyon were finally closed as cars were having trouble crossing from Norris to Canyon. And, of course, Dunraven Pass was closed, and still is. Tour buses had come to Canyon and they were stranded here for a few hours and people checking out of the campground, lodge and cabins were unable to go anywhere either. The electricity flashed on and off a few times but luckily did not go out all together. We sold a lot of snacks, books and cards to help people bide their time. The roads eventually opened after a couple hours after the snowplows cleared the roads. I also heard about an accident down by West Thumb but I don't know the details. In the end we got about 6 inches of snow.
I think my last day in groceries was today. I will now spend my days cashiering in gifts. The stores hours will start being longer tomorrow. We will open at 8:00am and close at 8:00pm and after another week or so the hours will be 7:30am until 9:00pm. Split shifts will start tomorrow.
After work I went to Hayden Valley. There is still a powdering of snow on the ground there (most of the snow melted this afternoon). Looking to the mountains I see that most of them are covered in white again. I found one of the bison herds by the road and it appears to be one that came from the west. There were tons of babies. Most of the adults were taking their early evening siesta while the babies were just starting to awaken and had taken to running, jumping and butting each each other. A couple had even taken to the road to stop traffic. They learn early.
I think my last day in groceries was today. I will now spend my days cashiering in gifts. The stores hours will start being longer tomorrow. We will open at 8:00am and close at 8:00pm and after another week or so the hours will be 7:30am until 9:00pm. Split shifts will start tomorrow.
After work I went to Hayden Valley. There is still a powdering of snow on the ground there (most of the snow melted this afternoon). Looking to the mountains I see that most of them are covered in white again. I found one of the bison herds by the road and it appears to be one that came from the west. There were tons of babies. Most of the adults were taking their early evening siesta while the babies were just starting to awaken and had taken to running, jumping and butting each each other. A couple had even taken to the road to stop traffic. They learn early.
All Cozy in my Fleece
I missed my regular blog appointment last night. Between laundry, my nightly Hayden Valley visit and an earlier than usual bedtime I didn't get a chance to sit down. Yesterday I was in grocery again. It was once again cloudy and rainy. I had to wear my fleece jacket because the wind would blow in on my register every time the door opened.
Unlike the other evenings the weather did not clear up for me after work, in fact, it started snowing. It was hard to see across the valley with the sheets of snow blowing in but I did manage to spot a large herd of bison in the northern part of the valley. I wasn't sure if all the bison in the valley were congregating there or if a new herd had moved in. Moving down the road I came across another large herd and I have surmised that the first herd was a new one. That's great news and pretty soon bison jams will become the norm for the season again.
And after at least a week of them being there I finally got to see my first elk calf in the valley. It was a tiny little guy (or gal) who spent the time nursing while mama licked it and kept a keen eye out for predators. The elk herds are getting larger in the area so I'm sure this is just the first of many elk calves I will be seeing in the valley.
On my way back to Canyon I saw a couple vans pulled to the side of the road with a woman waving her arms wildly in the air. Her and her family were a mere 10 feet from a bull elk with a velvety rack (one of the famous Boys of Summer). Instead of getting in her van she thought it was a better idea to try and shoo the elk away from her. This particular elk is always grazing by the side of the road and pictures can be safely taken from vehicles so I'm not sure why people feel the need to get out of their vehicles and stand immediately in front of him to take their pictures. One swat with that rack will give a visitor an experience they will never forget.
I awoke this morning to a few inches of snow on the ground and trees. It continues to snow and I am once again assigned to groceries so I'm dressed in my Yellowstone General Store fleece.
Unlike the other evenings the weather did not clear up for me after work, in fact, it started snowing. It was hard to see across the valley with the sheets of snow blowing in but I did manage to spot a large herd of bison in the northern part of the valley. I wasn't sure if all the bison in the valley were congregating there or if a new herd had moved in. Moving down the road I came across another large herd and I have surmised that the first herd was a new one. That's great news and pretty soon bison jams will become the norm for the season again.
And after at least a week of them being there I finally got to see my first elk calf in the valley. It was a tiny little guy (or gal) who spent the time nursing while mama licked it and kept a keen eye out for predators. The elk herds are getting larger in the area so I'm sure this is just the first of many elk calves I will be seeing in the valley.
On my way back to Canyon I saw a couple vans pulled to the side of the road with a woman waving her arms wildly in the air. Her and her family were a mere 10 feet from a bull elk with a velvety rack (one of the famous Boys of Summer). Instead of getting in her van she thought it was a better idea to try and shoo the elk away from her. This particular elk is always grazing by the side of the road and pictures can be safely taken from vehicles so I'm not sure why people feel the need to get out of their vehicles and stand immediately in front of him to take their pictures. One swat with that rack will give a visitor an experience they will never forget.
I awoke this morning to a few inches of snow on the ground and trees. It continues to snow and I am once again assigned to groceries so I'm dressed in my Yellowstone General Store fleece.
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Other Side of the Mountain
In the weather department I will once again mention the cold and rain. Snow accumulations is forecast for the future. It really doesn't bother me having icky weather but it would be nice to have just a couple sunny days. It's pretty normal to have rain in the afternoons and it does seem to clear up a bit by 6:00 pm but some sun would be nice, too.
I worked Confections and for awhile I had Ronald shadow me. We got in a whole new group of people today and I have only met a few of them. The EDR is filled with new faces during lunch and dinner (I skip breakfast). It will be nice to have more bodies on the floor helping stock and cashier.
During my afternoon break I sat a a picnic table behind the store (a moment when it didn't rain) and watched 3 mule deer roam through the employee parking lot. There are 3 bull elks that every year stay in Canyon during the summer and they are developing huge racks. They are known as 'The Boys of Summer'.
After dinner I decided to see what the weather was like on the other side of Dunraven Pass. I headed up over the pass, through the clouds and found out the weather was pretty much the same on the other side. I did come across a bear jam on the other side of Tower. I took a picture and some video of the black bear, mostly to record the ignorance of the people who were standing within 10 feet of the bear!!! When the bear turned and headed for the road the people scattered and once it was on the other side everyone congregated within 10 feet of it again. They may have gotten some great shots but it could be disastrous for the bear if it becomes more habituated to people.
By Mammoth I can across a bison jam. A lone bison was passing time by standing right in the middle of the road. The rangers come along and try to stear them off the road by blasting bison calls through a loudspeaker on their cars. And that's just what a ranger was doing right after I got there. The bison just looked at him and moved slightly to the shoulder. Just enough for everyone to be able to pass.
I worked Confections and for awhile I had Ronald shadow me. We got in a whole new group of people today and I have only met a few of them. The EDR is filled with new faces during lunch and dinner (I skip breakfast). It will be nice to have more bodies on the floor helping stock and cashier.
During my afternoon break I sat a a picnic table behind the store (a moment when it didn't rain) and watched 3 mule deer roam through the employee parking lot. There are 3 bull elks that every year stay in Canyon during the summer and they are developing huge racks. They are known as 'The Boys of Summer'.
After dinner I decided to see what the weather was like on the other side of Dunraven Pass. I headed up over the pass, through the clouds and found out the weather was pretty much the same on the other side. I did come across a bear jam on the other side of Tower. I took a picture and some video of the black bear, mostly to record the ignorance of the people who were standing within 10 feet of the bear!!! When the bear turned and headed for the road the people scattered and once it was on the other side everyone congregated within 10 feet of it again. They may have gotten some great shots but it could be disastrous for the bear if it becomes more habituated to people.
By Mammoth I can across a bison jam. A lone bison was passing time by standing right in the middle of the road. The rangers come along and try to stear them off the road by blasting bison calls through a loudspeaker on their cars. And that's just what a ranger was doing right after I got there. The bison just looked at him and moved slightly to the shoulder. Just enough for everyone to be able to pass.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Rain, Rain Go Away
The weather has been rainy lately. The sky gets very dark over Mt. Washburn and the thunder rolls in. I wonder what the weather is like on the other side of the pass. It can be clear and beautiful on one side and dark and miserable on the other. Incredibly it seems to clear up right when we all get off from work and then cloud up again right at dusk.
Dale, Tracy and I worked in Confections today. With the cold weather very few people are getting ice cream but we did sell a lot of hot chocolate and coffee.
On my nightly trek to Hayden Valley I stopped to watch a herd of buffalo by the Yellowstone River. There was a tiny little baby bison with them. They all headed into the river, which is moving rather swiftly and swam across. I watched them with my binoculars and paid special attention to the baby. I lost sight of the little one and my heart sank as I searched downstream for its bobbing little head. Luckily I did find it safe and sound across the river with its mother.
Every night the pull outs are lined with people with their cameras and spotting scopes. I find that I am passing up most of these areas in search of a more easily accessed and less crowded spot (as less crowded as can be expected in Hayden Valley in the summer). The temps are about 48 degrees in the evening so I haven't pulled out my chair and scope for a longer vigil, I only stop and scan the woodline and move on to another spot.
Dale, Tracy and I worked in Confections today. With the cold weather very few people are getting ice cream but we did sell a lot of hot chocolate and coffee.
On my nightly trek to Hayden Valley I stopped to watch a herd of buffalo by the Yellowstone River. There was a tiny little baby bison with them. They all headed into the river, which is moving rather swiftly and swam across. I watched them with my binoculars and paid special attention to the baby. I lost sight of the little one and my heart sank as I searched downstream for its bobbing little head. Luckily I did find it safe and sound across the river with its mother.
Every night the pull outs are lined with people with their cameras and spotting scopes. I find that I am passing up most of these areas in search of a more easily accessed and less crowded spot (as less crowded as can be expected in Hayden Valley in the summer). The temps are about 48 degrees in the evening so I haven't pulled out my chair and scope for a longer vigil, I only stop and scan the woodline and move on to another spot.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Landslide
It rained all last night and I awoke to more rain. The ground must of gotten saturated as there was a landslide somewhere. The landslide knocked out the power to the park. We opened the store to no electricity and spent the first hour in chaos. The workers from the fountain became personal shoppers. Their duties were to escort guests through the store (some with flashlights) and record UPC codes and prices that they would bring to the cashiers. If a credit card was used we had to use those old 'knucklebusters'. The power was only out for 2 hours. The electric company really busted butt to get it back up and going. It was rainy and cloudy for the rest of the day but the sun poked through right when I got off from work.
Jack, the floor supervisor, and Jean, the store manager, called me into her office today. GULP!! It turns out that Jack had asked Jean if I could be in charge of the knife displays in the store. Knives are a huge collectors item and we have 2 displays behind glass as well as a shelf display and some on a rack. I will keep watch over the inventory, order more in and keep the displays attractive and filled. I'm grateful and happy that of all the employees in the store they thought I was trustworthy enough to take on the responsibilty.
There is still occassional piles of snow in Canyon. We have had some warm days that have melted most of the blankets of snow. I still can't walk of the stairs from the side of the dorm as there is a snowdrift at the bottem. Sometimes I get chunks of snow to put in my cooler so that I can have cold Mt. Dew. The huge drifts that were taller than my car in Hayden Valley have all melted away. The north slopes of the mountains are still streaked with white.
Jack, the floor supervisor, and Jean, the store manager, called me into her office today. GULP!! It turns out that Jack had asked Jean if I could be in charge of the knife displays in the store. Knives are a huge collectors item and we have 2 displays behind glass as well as a shelf display and some on a rack. I will keep watch over the inventory, order more in and keep the displays attractive and filled. I'm grateful and happy that of all the employees in the store they thought I was trustworthy enough to take on the responsibilty.
There is still occassional piles of snow in Canyon. We have had some warm days that have melted most of the blankets of snow. I still can't walk of the stairs from the side of the dorm as there is a snowdrift at the bottem. Sometimes I get chunks of snow to put in my cooler so that I can have cold Mt. Dew. The huge drifts that were taller than my car in Hayden Valley have all melted away. The north slopes of the mountains are still streaked with white.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
My Private Bear
I finally got my computer connected to the Internet. But I am finding that it is an on and off kind of situation. I can't connect at the moment which is frustrating as I was going to upload some pictures tonight. I did get one picture uploaded and I will get more on the blog as soon as I can.
I have been told numerous times by guests that I talk funny. I guess that Minnesotans really do have an accent (though I think us Minnesotans talk just fine and the rest of the world have accents). The word that seems to send people into a case of the giggles is the Minnesotan pronunciation of 'bag'. And of course this is a word I use at least 150 times a day. Minnesotans pronounce it with a long a while the rest of the world pronounces it with a soft a. I did get to meet a nice couple last week. The wife was from Finland and the husband from Sweden. We had a nice long chat about the contributions that their two countries have brought to Minnesota. Lutefisk, for one. Only a Minnesotan can revel in the fact that they are eating fish that has been soaked in lye.
I went to a lecture on the Yellowstone wolves. It was given by a wolf biologist. It was very interesting. In 2008 many of the wolf pups died from distemper, which is becoming a problem in the population. The lecture inspired me to hurry up and finish my current book on grizzlies and start on my new wolf book.
After the lecture I took my nightly drive through Hayden Valley. The hills are really freckled with bison. The elk population in the valley is also getting larger. I watched a couple elk that seemed to be watching their surroundings nervously but I didn't spot any predators in the area. On my way back to Canyon I happened to look out the passenger side window and spotted a black bear in the woods. I hit the brakes and watched him meander across the road behind my car. It then stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws on a tree and stretched. I backed up to a nearby pull out and spent the next 10 minutes watching it walk around a small meadow. I got some of it on film but it was getting dark and I'm not sure how well it turned out. The best part was that I got to watch the entire thing all alone. Cars slowed down to rubberneck but they obviously didn't see the bear because no one stopped. It was my very own private bear moment.
Wildlife Sightings:
Grizzly Bear: 25
Black Bear: 4
Big Horn Sheep: 5
Moose: 1
Coyote: 4
Wolves: 12
Martens: 2
I have been told numerous times by guests that I talk funny. I guess that Minnesotans really do have an accent (though I think us Minnesotans talk just fine and the rest of the world have accents). The word that seems to send people into a case of the giggles is the Minnesotan pronunciation of 'bag'. And of course this is a word I use at least 150 times a day. Minnesotans pronounce it with a long a while the rest of the world pronounces it with a soft a. I did get to meet a nice couple last week. The wife was from Finland and the husband from Sweden. We had a nice long chat about the contributions that their two countries have brought to Minnesota. Lutefisk, for one. Only a Minnesotan can revel in the fact that they are eating fish that has been soaked in lye.
I went to a lecture on the Yellowstone wolves. It was given by a wolf biologist. It was very interesting. In 2008 many of the wolf pups died from distemper, which is becoming a problem in the population. The lecture inspired me to hurry up and finish my current book on grizzlies and start on my new wolf book.
After the lecture I took my nightly drive through Hayden Valley. The hills are really freckled with bison. The elk population in the valley is also getting larger. I watched a couple elk that seemed to be watching their surroundings nervously but I didn't spot any predators in the area. On my way back to Canyon I happened to look out the passenger side window and spotted a black bear in the woods. I hit the brakes and watched him meander across the road behind my car. It then stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws on a tree and stretched. I backed up to a nearby pull out and spent the next 10 minutes watching it walk around a small meadow. I got some of it on film but it was getting dark and I'm not sure how well it turned out. The best part was that I got to watch the entire thing all alone. Cars slowed down to rubberneck but they obviously didn't see the bear because no one stopped. It was my very own private bear moment.
Wildlife Sightings:
Grizzly Bear: 25
Black Bear: 4
Big Horn Sheep: 5
Moose: 1
Coyote: 4
Wolves: 12
Martens: 2
Head in the Clouds
To start my day off yesterday Jeannie and I went to Fishing Bridge to delight ourselves by browsing through the Bargain Loft at the Yellowstone General Store there. It's the only YGS in the park to have a Bargain Loft and they have all sorts of clothing, gear and knick knacks at clearance prices. We have clearance items in our store but nothing like Fishing Bridge's. It's great fun to see what new items that they have added.
I then decided to drive the northern loop (my favorite pastime). When I got back to Canyon in the afternoon it started to cloud up. Rain was coming so I knew that the ranger hike I was going to go on was going to be cancelled (also because the trail was closed when some hikers stumbled across a moose on the trail). I grabbed my book, Mark of the Grizzly, and headed to Hayden Valley to read and watch the rain come in. My private pull out ended up not being that private. If a car pulls into one most people driving by assume that they are missing something so they pull in too. So it was me, my book, a grazing bison, and a steady stream of cars ~ as well as a huge diesel truck that parked next to me pumping his fumes towards me. I decided to head back to the dorms for nap time.
After dinner Jeannie, Luke, David, Dave, Brandon, Carl and I headed to the employee room to listen to a YNP bear biologist give a talk on bears. It was rather interesting. Tonight we will all head back there to listen to a wolf lecture.
4 new employees came last night. They are all from Croatia The girls from China are teaching me some words in Mandarin. I have 'hello' down (it sounds like 'nee how').
I awoke this morning to snow falling. It is rather cold outside. I decided to take the northern loop again. South of Mammoth, through the rather thick fog, I could make out a couple wolves. It was much too foggy to pull off a take a picture unless I wanted to risk being hit (which I didn't). I got all the way to Tower when I found out that Dunraven Pass was closed due to snow. That meant turning around and driving nearly 50 miles back the way I had just come. Luckily, the rangers were in the process of taking down the road closure sign. Whew, that was lucky. I did manage to take a couple pictures of 2 big horn sheep by the road with a tiny little baby. On a cuteness scale it rated a 10!!
I made it over the pass just fine but there was a lot of snow around. The pass took me high into the clouds and it was a little difficult navigating the winding road for awhile. I took it slow, especially after I saw evidence left by a bison on the road.
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