Year One

It just occurred to me that I have been writing this blog for over a year now. I started March 23, 2009 and here I am a year later. In this past year I have met and worked with some wonderful people, some I may never see again and some that I will be greeting again in April. I've worked as an Associate at Canyon in apparel, grocery, confections and as a hostess in the fountain. I've worked as a Dorm Lead, rang up sales on registers, made some lattes, scooped ice cream, guided guests to the restroom (still the #1 question) and stocked coolers and shelves. I've spent my winter in Mammoth and had the great experience of working a few Taco Tuesdays. I've even made it up to Store Manager (starting next Friday). I've watched the Dorm Bison, felt sorrow when DB was killed - as well as one of the Boys of Summer, watched Bob on the road between Canyon and Norris, marveled at the Magnificent One and was entertained by Big Boy, Trotter and Digit. I even dressed up as a Banana at the employee Christmas Party. Now I will be leaving my new friends at Mammoth and making new ones back at Canyon. Stay tuned for Year Two!!

I took a quick trip to my place during lunch yesterday only to be greeted by Big Boy and friend in the Yak in the 'yard' next to mine. I didn't want to take too long at my place with fear that one of the two would make his way and graze between my front door and my car - thus leaving me unable to make it back to work (this happened once to a friend of mine at Fishing Bridge RV Park when she was heading to work). Luckily both decided to head off in another direction.

Today during my lunch hour I had to head into Gardiner. I had to stop and go around a bighorn sheep standing in the road. It has been awhile since I've seen any sheep on my trips to town.

There is finally a nice layer of snow on the ground here in Mammoth but it is fairly warm so I'm sure it will melt quickly. There was about 6 inches of snow on the top of my car. Hunks would break off and slide down my windshield every time I hit my brakes (which is fairly often when going into Gardiner from Mammoth).

Currently, as I write this, the 3 wolves are laying on the hill just down the hill from Mammoth. They have been regularly seen in the area the past few days. And my lunch break is now over, I guess it's back to work for me and wolf watching later.

Gone With The Wind

I didn't blow away last night though from the sounds of my roof rattling I thought I might. There is a winter storm warning for Yellowstone and the winds have been howling and it snowed most of yesterday. I saw some limbs that had been drug off the road after they came down in the median north of the Visitor Center yesterday. The only thing left in the road was a covering of pine cones from the limbs. None of the snow stuck to the ground here in Mammoth but there is a coating of slush over the roadways. The interior and higher elevations are expected to get quite a bit of snow.

It is quite a contrast to the bright and beautiful weekend. I went to visit Patrick at Lake. We watched some canines in Hayden Valley but since they were at quite a distance we couldn't tell if they were wolves or coyotes. It seemed most of the other animals were all in hiding since we really had to search to find even a bison, though we did see some across the river from Sulphur Cauldron, one wild and angry one between Canyon and Norris. We finally found a herd heading down the road when we took a trip into West Yellowstone. We stopped at Old Faithful but without eruption info we waited about 40 minutes and decided to head off without seeing it erupt. I did watch one erupt in the distance. Bicyclists were all over the roads enjoying their weekend in the Park.

Close Encounter

The story I found most interesting (and quite scary) came from a couple guys who came into the store earlier this week. They relayed to Connie how they were tenting at Slough Creek. During the night they hear a bear clawing at their tent. They were prepared with a canister of bear spray but unfortunately as one of the men fumbled with the container he accidently gave himself a good dose of the spray directly into his face. He's not the first person I've heard of getting their face sprayed with bear spray. The other person I know who got a facefull of bear spray is a friend from Canyon who got sprayed when a friend was demonstrating to her how to use it. The friend did then mention something about that being the 3rd time she had accidently sprayed someone. Yikes!

I have bear spray, I've read how to use it but I hope that during a moment of panic I can stay calm enough to spray the bear and not myself. In the case of the men the bear eventually went away but one man had a teary memory of his close encounter with a bear where only a thin piece of nylon seperated him from the it.

The bison that met me on the road as I made my way into work on Monday.
After work last night I stopped to snap a couple of pictures of the elk in front of the Mammoth Hotel.

And of the bison grazing in Mammoth.

This is the herd of elk that I watched race around Capital Hill last month when people climbed the hill and spooked them.

Electric Peak

One problem with living in Yellowstone is the technology difficulties that I sometimes face. I printed a letter on my computer, saved it to my sandisk cruzer and headed into Gardiner to print it off at the only place I know to have a printer that I can use. Alas, the programs are not compatible and I am facing a 1 1/2 hour drive to Bozeman to find a place that can print the letter for me. Thank goodness it is a beautiful drive but I hate the idea of wasting so much time and gas to just print a letter. Maybe I need to invest in a printer for my computer.

I have started my countdown to my departure from Mammoth. Two weeks from tomorrow I head behind locked gates and into the interior. The Adventure Store is scheduled to open April 16 when the roads open to the public.

Empty Pages

Yellowstone Greetings to: Maryellen, Jonathon, Becci, Jayson & Diana. Thanks to all of you for writing! After a week of sunny and fairly warm weather I awoke to snow. Not much is sticking to the ground here in Mammoth but it is beautiful to watch it fall. It will probably snow just enough for the mud outside my place to get nice and gooey again. Such is life.

On my way to work I had to stop as 2 playful bison ran up the road. I have been constantly seeing 3 of them outside the North Gate grazing as well as the antelope and elk. They have now moved up toward the Yak by the terraces. Their huge husky bodies are all snow covered and they look very regal standing there with the terraces as a backdrop. Incredible animals.

The winter season is slowly winding down and I miss the rumbles of the snowcoaches going by and the excited tourists as they plan their trips to Old Faithful. The tours that come in always put a bit of excitement in the day and we've even had a few incredibly busy Fountain days because of photography groups coming into the Park. There are only 3 more Taco Tuesdays left. The end is in sight. I will be heading down to start at the Adventure Store April 9 and there I will start my new Yellowstone chapter. If my life was a book I have a whole lot of empty pages yet to fill!

Friends and Rodents

In the past 1+ years not only does my friend Terry get to be an extra in the movie Up In The Air (plus get to ride in an elevator with George Clooney) but he also gets to have dinner with moi and get a mention in my blog (Hi Terry!). It is always nice to have friends come to the area where I can catch up with them. Though Terry didn't get to make it to the Park I did get to have dinner with him (and try some very tentacley calamari - now that I've done that I won't need to try that again) in Bozeman. On your next business trip to the area plan on having a great tour of the Park.

I've decided some time ago that Gardiner is an interesting town to drive through. Not only do I have to watch for elk sauntering down the road but the deer also meander around town and sometimes I have to come to a complete stop on the bridge as they wind their way across it. It is a Who's Who at the local Food Farm where I seem to find people I know to visit with. I'm even driving through the Park or Gardiner having to be prepared to wave at a moments notice. I know I'm far from being from any sort of 'local' but it is a good feeling recognizing people and greeting each other.

For the past few months I have been tolerating a visiting rodent that I named Rodney. I only tolerated him since it seemed he would vacation at my place occassionally. And though I never saw him (until the other day) he left his signs on the floor about every other week and would then apparently slip off to visit another place. Then he made the fatal mistake of leaving his mark on the kitchen counter. Patrick to the rescue with the jaws of death. The kitchen counter was taking it too far. RIP Rodney.

Wolves of the Morning

Bison have moved into the Yak. Big Boy is there with a couple of his friends. They usually are lounging at the end of the road and leaving huge bison tracks in the mud by my car. I have been waiting for them. The elk move through on occasion but I mostly see a huge herd on my way down the hill to Mammoth. Yesterday morning I could hear yips and howls outside. Not sure if I was listening to some mouthy coyotes or wolves I went to my kitchen window and peaked out. There were 3 wolves in the opening enjoying themselves and doing a lot of communicating. I watched them for awhile and then just sat down and listened. What a great experience to see and hear them from my place.

With the hotel closed in Mammoth I realize how much I miss seeing the familiar faces of people who work there and come into the store on a regular basis. One thing about living in the Park and moving back and forth between locations is that a person can see people for a few months and then not see them again for months. Some of the Xanterra employees that I've gotten to know here in Mammoth will be in Canyon for the summer so I hopefully will run into them again this summer. Some I will not see again until next November. The same goes for the park service employees that I've gotten to know.

Star Gazing on the Blacktail

This past week the Marlboro Tours started again. Marlboro owns property by Livingston and their guests get to take advantage of all sorts of Montana activities. Visiting Yellowstone had been dropped from their agenda this past winter but with the lack of snow they decided to include it again. Two to three times a week a bus full of approx. 40 visitors stop to see the wonders of Yellowstone and do some shopping in the Mammoth General Store. The people are dropped off at the terraces where they visit and soon a sea of red coats (supplied by Marlboro) come floating down the boardwalk toward the store. It's almost like summer in the store with wall-to-wall shoppers. I rather enjoy it.

A man came to the store a couple days ago and laughed as he told me a story of driving up to the Blacktail and having to follow a coyote down the road as it meandered back and forth. Of course I knew exactly who he was talking about: Trotter. He still is making his roadly appearances. Last evening, with perfectly clear skies, I decided to head out to the Blacktail myself to do some star gazing away from the 'city' lights of Mammoth. My headlights reflected off a pair of eyes on the side of the road. It was Trotter. Same place, same modus operandi just a different time of the day. I hadn't seen him for awhile (because of my lack of Lamar trips recently) so it's nice to see an old friend.

I found bison tracks in the mud outside my place the other day. The weather has been very warm and the skies are a beautiful blue. The warm weather has made the ground outside my place extremely muddy and I tend to squish into it with that muddy sucking noise. I am constantly clicking my shoes (hiking boots, no ruby slippers here) together to get it off. There is no place like home.

Pictures From The Interior

First of all I need to thank people for the offers to help me recover my pictures from my snowmobile trip into the interior. As you can see they have been recovered!! (Insert huge sigh of relief here).

My friend Patrick had invited me on a snowmobile trip into the interior (to Lake to be exact). At this point in my Yellowstone adventure this has to top all my experiences thus far. My first notable sighting was a lone bison before Roaring Mountain. Could it be the Magnificent One that I had watched the last few months of summer in that area? I don't know but I've decided that I will always consider a lone bison in that area the Magnificent One.

Robyn in Hayden Valley

Robyn at the Adventure Store
My new summer home.


YGS at Canyon Village

With the snow it was hard for me to imagine my past summer here with the doors open, the summer thunder storms, watering the flowers out front and pumping out the ice cream cones to cool down the guests.

The Yellowstone River above the Upper Falls

The Yellowstone River had numerous swans swimming in it. I saw quite a few in Hayden Valley down toward the bridge by the Upper Falls. Beautiful birds! Every time we passed open water we looked for otters swimming but only managed to find one on our way back to Mammoth. We stopped to watch the otter which didn't seem to realize that it was supposed to entertain us with the normal otter antics. It just hung out under an ice overhang on the river's edge and really didn't do much of anything. But I can now say I have finally saw an otter. And of course we saw it by Otter Creek.

The Upper Falls

The Lower Falls

The Lower Falls

I remember hearing the falls in my dorm room at Canyon. I also remember thinking it sounded like an airplane. Though there is quite a bit of ice on the waterfall we could still hear the thundering sound of the falls.

Coyote in Hayden Valley

I can't imagine going anyplace now without seeing a coyote. I saw a couple on my way down to Lake but this was the only one I saw in Hayden Valley.

Beautiful Snowy White Hayden Valley

What can I say? I love Hayden Valley and it was a thrilling experience to see it in winter. There was only small bison herd in the valley and it was at quite a distance.

Hayden Valley

On our way past the Nez Perce area we had to slowly follow 3 bison who slowly ran in front of us for quite a distance. One large bull ran while two others bumped and butted each other in what appeared to be a rather playful attempt at entertainment. They eventually left the roadway and let us pass.

Heading East by Yellowstone Lake

View of Yellowstone Lake from Lake Butte

The sun was going down by this time and the sky was pink over a frozen Yellowstone Lake. What a view!!!

Robyn in the Interior

I sit here in a blogger predicament. So much to say and so little time to say it. I guess this post will just be a teaser post. I got to ride into the interior on a snowmobile this past weekend!! I saw the Upper and Lower Falls, Hayden Valley and Yellowstone Lake from Lake Butte in all of its snowy whiteness. I saw swans, bison, an otter and was on the continuous lookout for bears coming out of their winter slumber. I will post more on all of this when I have more time.

I took about 100 pictures - but the bad news - the really bad news- is that they ended up being lost when being transferred to my computer!! I had a few choice words floating around my head at that horrible moment. My first experience losing pictures and some of what I consider my most crucial pictures to me. So I will have none to post from this great experience but luckily for me I have a memory of what I saw that is akin to a steel trap. And that will have to do.

Winged Hitchikers

Today is an absolutely gorgeous day with the warm temp and the sunny skies. It is what I would consider a 'coat optional' day for those wandering the sidewalks of Mammoth. Yesterday the thermometer in my car registered 42 degrees and I'm sure that today will be at least that. If the clear sky holds out until tonight it will be perfect full moon viewing.

The Canyon pack has wandered into the Mammoth area. I listened to one of the researchers last summer when at Canyon and I recall him talking about the Canyon pack wandering between Mammoth and Canyon. I'm usually at work when I hear excited people talking about where the wolves are so I rarely get the opportunity to see them myself. I did, however, get to see some elk on the road this morning as I came down the hill from the Yak. I see the elk all of the time but I still enjoy seeing them.

I also got the opportunity to watch some antelope by the North Entrance yesterday. They are in that area on a regular basis. Some of the younger bull elk also hang out by the Arch and yesterday I watched one lay in the sun as a magpie wandered around on his back. Birds are notorious for hitching rides with the elk and bison. Winged hitchikers.

I have been hearing from a few of my friends from Canyon and we are all excited about getting back there.

The Swarm

Here is a special message to Dave: I have been informed by Jackie that you will be joining the YGS family and will be working with me at the Adventure Store in Canyon this summer. I'm looking forward to a great summer there.

I have been getting a bit antsy lately. When I get off work it is noticeably lighter outside. But it lasts just long enough for me to take a short drive with some light. The elk have been hanging out in Mammoth. Yesterday Connie and I watched a female run up the hill by the store only to watch her bounce (literally bounce) back down the hill 2 minutes later with two young bulls behind her. She seemed to be a bit of a tease as she ran much faster toward the boys than away from them. The bulls stopped for a few seconds to butt heads together before they continued on their pursuit of the vixen.

I have heard numerous reports of the Gardiner wolf pack roaming through Mammoth. One local saw them by the corrals at 9:30 the other night and one person saw at least one wolf by the Entrance Station as they drove into the Park. Two days ago as I went home for lunch I felt eyes on me. When I turned around I found Big Boy was across the road standing below a tree. I've been waiting for the bison to make their way into the Yak. I stopped for a few moments the other day to watch the elk herd run on Capital Hill. 3 people had climbed to the top and surprised the herd which immediately swarmed off at full run. They reminded me of a flock of birds that fly in unison (such as the ones I watched in Hayden Valley this summer). The elk were running toward the road and all I could see was a sheet of brown with 100 legs only to have them all turn away leaving me with a view of tan rumps. I've also heard of some bear sightings near Gardiner and bear tracks in the snow east of here.

The temps have dropped this past week. It has been in the 20's during the day and mostly cloudy with a few peaks of sunshine. We've had a few flakes falling during the day but nothing that covers the ground. Snowplowing will be starting on March 8, the same day that the Mammoth Hotel closes. There is plenty of winter left but I am really looking forward to spring.

Kaylee Marie


A few photos that I took on my travels to Bozeman. These were taken south of Livingston.

I started out my day today taking a trip to Lamar. It had been a couple of weeks since I had made any travels there. On the Blacktail I came across a bison sauntering down the road (Big Boy, is that you?) Further on about 1 mile before Hellroaring I came across a bison jam, only my 3rd this winter.

The bison stood in the middle of the road......and stood, and stood and stood. It was a small matter as I rather enjoy just watching them. As soon as one of them decided to move on the rest of the herd followed.

Unfortunately this photo doesn't show the trampled snow very well. Most areas lack an undisturbed snow as the wildlife plow, trample, hop and run through it.

A small herd of bison lounged at the curve of the Lamar River. The snow on the river also has numerous animal tracks.

A trip to Lamar wouldn't be complete without viewing the rams by the hitching posts. When everything is lacking I can always count on see at least one ram. And he appears to know only one pose.

The vegetation by the Soda Butte was rather frosty today. Bison were scattered across Lamar Valley and those close enough to the road that were laying in the snow were breathing a heavy, frost breath.

Coming back from Lamar I came across 6 bighorn sheep right off the side of the road just past the Yellowstone picnic area. I cringed a bit as I watched a man take pictures of a herd of 4 of them from a mere 15 feet away.

Further on as I approached Tower Jct. I watched a coyote mouse. He looked fairly healthy but did have some wounds on both sides of his face and a rather large open wound on his front left leg by the elbow.

Later on I watched as a ranger scared a coyote off the road. The coyote did a huge leap and twist into the ditch but as the ranger moved on the coyote very triumphantly moved back onto the road in front of me.

Last night Judy and I went out for hamburgers at the K Bar. Another reccommendation I have, it's a build-your-own type thing and they were delicious. We are all planning on going out for pizza on Wednesday to say our 'goodbye' to Jeff as his winter season as being the Mammoth YGS manager is over. It's been a good winter and I can now proudly say that I have eaten outside the Park at other places than McDonalds.

Chico

Today I am beginning to wonder if I am part snake. Last night was our big night out for dinner at Chico Hot Springs. I started off with some escargot and moved on to the prime rib...which is where I should of stopped considering that I couldn't finish it. But then the dessert cart was wheeled to the table. That is when the conversation in my head started: "You couldn't finish your meal so go right ahead and cram some more food into your stomach." which is exactly what I did. I finished with cheesecake. This is where the snake part comes in, I won't have to eat again for about 6 months. So if your in Yellowstone and are considering dining out I recommend trying the dining room at Chico Hot Springs. Great food, superb service and I guarantee you will not leave hungry.

This weekend was very busy in Yellowstone. It must of had something to do with the long weekend. Charles stopped in to say "hi" to me (I hope you got some exciting pictures) and I got an exciting e-mail from David who just got his first job in the Park. Mammoth Hotel will only be open for another couple weeks and then things will probably slow down a bit.

We are still waiting for some snow here in Mammoth. Thinking that I may be possibly jinxing any snowfall by excitedly commenting on any Winter Storm Warnings I neglected to mention the one we were in last week. I guess it isn't me because we got zilch with the 'storm'.

23/7

Since I am the Park 23/7 (23 because I go to Gardiner briefly during the week) I am never under pressure to see and do everything like those who are here for short vacations. So when I pass an opportunity to see things of interest I do so because I know I will probably have the chance to see it in the future. I had numerous people tell me about a bobcat by Phantom Lake last weekend that spent 4 hours feeding on a kill. That is something I probably will have to wait a long time to see and I wish I would of had the chance to stop and see that particular bobcat.

There was a kill at the base of Capital Hill this weekend and I saw the researchers watching with interest. I didn't get a chance to see any wolves but I did get to watch a couple eagles perched on rocks as ravens and magpies circled and landed on the kill. A large flock of ravens circling is always a good clue that something of interest is laying on the ground.

With my only two options of travel being east toward Cooke City and north toward Livingston I'm having to rely on spinning around with a pointed finger and heading in the direction that I stop at. Lately it has been north. I see huge herds of mule deer, larger than any herd that I have ever seen in Minnesota. I also have noticed that I see a lot of deer laying down. Not that is really of any interest but Minnesota is heavily wooded (at least the northern portion) and I have actually never seen a deer lying down in the wild because they are usually hidden.

I've also been seeing the antelope quite a bit. I enjoyed one day when I sat and watched 3 of them by the Gardner River. 2 were rather young and were busy bouncing around after each other and running circles around the 3rd older one. I assumed it was the equivalent of humans stopping at a rest area and letting the kids run around the outside of the building to wear off some extra energy before traveling on. I also have had a daily visitor outside my place. A raven has taken to perching itself on top of the light post outside and squawking very loudly. I named him Poe and if I use my imagination I can almost hear the word 'nevermore' in that squawk. If he starts tap, tap, tapping at my door I am out of there.

Those of us here at YGS in Mammoth are gearing up for our big dinner outing at Chico on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to a big slab of prime rib.

Yes, some days it can be a struggle coming up with anything interesting to write about. I have been fighting off the urge to write about how my microwave tends to burn my popcorn or how I sprayed foam carpet cleaner on my carpet and now I have dirty carpet with paths of clean from where the spray hit it. But since I once dedicated an entire post to chapstick this past fall I decided to pass on the boring stuff and just get right to the meat of things - so when I'm not posting for a few days it is because I haven't seen a darn thing. But talking about chapstick, Connie bought me some that is Mt. Dew flavored and it actually has a warning on the label that tells me not to eat it. I'll have to check a Mt. Dew can and see if it has a warning not to use that as chapstick.

And a side note of CONGRATULATIONS! is in order to Benjamin who just recieved his letter of acceptance to the University of Minnesota for their pre-med program. He has been accepted at all 3 universities that he applied to but the U of M is his dream. They only accept about 12% of the 40,000 applicants. With his numerous talents there was never a doubt in my mind that he would be accepted. A job well done!