Sunday, August 5, 2007

July 25-August 5


I wish I could say it's been eventful lately but it hasn't.

Had to take Spencer to the airport the other day in Bozeman, so we spent the night in a hotel and just relaxed. It was nice to get back into civilization for a while....went to Applebee's for dinner..swam in a pool and relaxed in a hottub which felt really good.

Since then, I've just been biding my time until I go home. It's now Sunday Aug. 5th. On Thursday I leave here and am going camping for a few days in the Bridger-Teton National Forest by myself.

Then Saturday night Shane, Jesse, and Paxton are coming out and we're doing tourist stuff for the next week until finally arriving home August 18th. That, then, will be the end of my Yellowstone adventure. I'm sure I'll be having a reflection post...b/c lately all I've done is reflect on my summer. What I've learned, the people I've met, and so much more.

Look forward to that. For these last few days again: Keep me in your prayers and you all shall be in mine.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

July 15-25


I know..I know...It's been 10 days since I've updated but honestly not a lot has happened!


Kourtney came out on July 17-21. It was a great trip and for those of you who are wondering, we managed to work out our differences! 5 months apart was probably one of the best things we ever needed!

She flew into Jackson, WY so we saw the Tetons and did most of the park stuff (Canyon, Lake, Old Faithful, the Falls, etc etc). We also went to Quake Lake and did the Sack Cabin near Island Park, Idaho. It really was a great trip! We also went to the West Yellowstone Rodeo...which was good as usual.

After that I've just been working....trying to get everything finished up for the summer.

Sorry this is short...but I've been extremely bored lately. It's cold and rainy today...so I'm just reading the new Harry Potter book!

Keep me in your prayers and ya'll shall be in mine!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Some Somber News


Getting back from Glacier Park.....we received a call from some friends at Old Faithful.

There was a man who worked in the kitchen at the Lodge as a server. His name was Don. Apparently, something in his motorcycle broke and he crashed into the Firehole River between Old Faithful and Madison on Thursday afternoon dying on impact.

It's been a rough few days with this. I got to know Don very well this summer and daily would go visit him at work just to hear his jokes and his stories. He attended law school, later working for the government in some sort of defense work...but after retirement he up and left.

This was his first summer working in the park. We never understood why Don had his jetski here, since you can't use it in the park. He also had a kayak that never seemed to move anywhere, as well as his truck. Don was famous around Old Faithful, though, for riding his motorcycle while still wearing his bright green work gloves.

I've never met a man as genuine as Don. He would always stop and talk to you or anyone! Many a time he got into the best conversations with passing tourists and you would find yourself talking to him for hours just to hear his stories and his jokes (Some were funny and some weren't). Don was the grandfather around here. One of the oldest employees working for Xanterra.....and everyone knew him...and everyone loved him. Being away from home it was nice having a "family member" there....a guy who, even though you weren't related, made you feel like his family.

The world lost a good one this week...a good man, a good friend, an amazing Christian.

Rest In Peace Don. We love you.

Friday, July 13, 2007

July 7-11 (with Glacier National Park!)


Nothing happened on July 7-10....I went to a rodeo and had some fun.

On the night of July 10th, Spencer and I left Old Faithful with some Colombians very late in the evening on our way to Glacier National Park. We took the wrong way there (through Missoula, MT) so it took us almost 12 hours to get there!

We camped at Apgar Campground (on the western side). I can't even begin to explain how beautiful of a park this is! The mountains are just phenomenal...the lakes are a pristine blue because of all the glacial water!

We drove to Kintla and Bowman Lakes on the western side and stopped at Polebridge Mercantile. It's this little backcountry store that had very expensive gas, but quite possibly the best baked goods I've EVER had!

These lakes were gorgeous and we had a run-in with a fox that was continually coming closer and closer. Did some nice little walks (no huge hikes because we didn't have enough time!)

There is this road called "Going To The Sun Road" that takes you across the continental divide and up through the most gorgeous mountains I've ever seen. Spencer and I stopped at Logan's Pass and hiked up the boardwalk to where we could play in the snow. This was cold, but a lot of fun! We saw Bighorn Sheeps, Mountain Goats, Deer, Marmots, etc etc. It was awesome!

We tried to make it into Canada, but apparently Colombians aren't allowed in Canada without a visa, so we had to fill out paperwork and sign things...our car got thoroughly searched (on both U.S.A. and Canadian side!)....so unfortunately we just barely stepped over the border into Alberta (Glacier N.P. stretches into Alberta to form Waterton International Peace Park!)

We saw some gorgeous lodges, swam/bathed in a glacial lake...and just really really enjoyed ourselves! I don't have a ton to type about it now, but I'm def going to be sure to put more as the days progress.

Keep me in your prayers and you'll be in mine!

Friday, July 6, 2007

July 3-6 (A few rough days!)


**Photo from the ride to Jackson, Wyoming! I love the Grand Tetons!**


Oh these last few days have been extremely eventful, some for the good and some for the bad.

On July 3rd, Spencer and I drove some Colombians, a Russian, and a Mongolian to Cody for what I thought would most likely be a fun day. Number 1, traffic sucked and it took us way too long to get there. Then, after way too long of a stay in WalMart, we walked around town and ate dinner at the local Pizza Hut. I thought that we could go to the Cody Rodeo and go swimming in Buffalo Bill Resevoir, but some people like to complain too much so we just came home. It was a waste of 5 hours of driving time.

On the 4th, we left and went to Jackson. The ride down didn't take terribly long and this time the car wasn't too full. We had a car full of Colombians again. They'd never experienced 4th of July so we thought we'd show them a good time. Jackson was nice for the day. We did some shopping (but it was extremely hot and uncomfortable to walk in) and then ate some dinner at Wendy's. We met up with other Xanterra employees while we were there and then decided to go to the Jackson Rodeo. It was a great rodeo! Standing room only because it was so packed, but fun nonetheless. We also were able to watch the fireworks from the rodeo grounds as the shot them off from the base of Snowking Ski/Recreation area. The fireworks lit the hillside on fire b/c it's soooo dry here.

Well, on the way back I got pulled over for swerving off the road and speeding. B/c I was tired and it made my eyes bloodshot, the officer asked me what I had to drink. When I said nothing, he then asked what drugs I had smoked that night. Again...none. Well, he didn't buy my story so I ended up on the side of the road in Grand Teton National Park at 2:30 in the morning standing on one foot, walking a straight line, following a pen with my eyes, and blowing a breathalizer (which I blew 0.00 if you need to know). It seems all my coworkers passed me in cars while I'm doing this, so many people had questions when I returned.

Well, we got back to find that 4 of our Colombian friends had never made it to Jackson. They tried to hitchike and got stuck at Flagg Ranch. Spencer and I stayed up all night with security and on the phone with operators trying to trace phone numbers and see where exactly they were at (to top it off, one of the girls left a bag of food for 5 weeks on her floor and there were hundreds of maggots crawling all over her floor, so we had to vacuum that). Well, just when we were about to get on the road to starting searching the area for them, they showed back up (having gotten to Jackson at 1 am and hitchiking another ride home).

At this point, we finally went to sleep to be awakened in the morning to find out that the security guard had messed up the messages to the National Park Service. Spencer and I were reported as missing persons throughout Yellowstone National Park. We spent the next 2 hours in meetings with supervisors trying to explain to them that we weren't missing and what exactly had happened.

Well, I eventually had to work that night...the vacuums weren't working and everything was so busy. So I couldn't vacuum and I awoke this morning to my boss pounding on my door to yell at me (She's mean, I don't care for her). But, after our talk and her realizing it's not my fault, she starts placing the blame on everyone else and pretty much badmouthing everyone else we work with. Blah. That sucked...so now I have to come in at 8 am tomorrow and work till noon. Then back at 6 pm to do my normal shift.

After that work fiasco, I took Colombians to Firehole River to swim b/c it was one of their birthdays and she wanted to. It was fun, but really warm!

That's all. Tired of typing. Keep me in your prayers and you'll be in mine!

Monday, July 2, 2007

June 30th-July 2nd


~The picture shown is the landslide caused in 1959 by a 7.3 Richter Scale earthquake...killing 28 people and damming up the Madison River to form 'Quake Lake~

Wow is it crazily busy around here! I have never seen so many people in this area all summer. It's 4th of July week, which is pretty much the busiest week we have all summer! There's huge 40 ft. RV's parked all over the place (even in the parking lot for our dorm...taking up almost 1/2 of our employee parking spaces!)

I can't believe how fast this summer is going. I mean, it's half over for me. I've been here for 7 weeks, and I have 5-6 weeks left (I'm not exactly sure...I leave the first week of August). I still have so much stuff I want to see! I've been making it a point to do some of that stuff. I've been rafting twice and to a few rodeos so far (with 2 more this week). I still want to go horseback riding, but need to find time to do it (maybe when Kourtney comes out on the 17th!)

I've been a little homesick lately, mostly because KidsFest is starting at OHC this week and it's the first time in 6 years I haven't had something to do with it. It's kinda sad, but my mom is volunteering and my cousin Kayla is going to be a first time camper...so there are still St. Esprit's involved!

I have the next 2 days off luckily, so Spencer and I are taking some Colombians out to show them the surrounding towns (plus I'm in desperate need of a Wal-Mart run for drinks, chips, and some computer stuff).

Honestly...not a lot has been going on. Today I hiked along Nez Perce Creek and climbed this huge hill....at the top of the hill I climbed a rock face and sat on this rock ledge high above the other hills and just was looking at mountains in 360 degrees all around me. It was a gorgeous view...I took some time up there and just did some praying. I mean, I've been granted so many good things in life and I take them all for granted....not realizing they could easily be taken away from me...so I took some time and really just thanked God for all He's given me these past 2 months being out here.

Just so everyone knows, I can receive calls and texts, so those are always appreciated! HAHA

Love you all. Keep me in your prayers and you shall all be in mine!

Friday, June 29, 2007

June 25-29


So....mostly I've been working lately and have had entirely way too many headaches this week. I don't know exactly what's been going on but I've been managing it.
Lets see, on Monday that 25th I pretty much slept all day because I was tired. It was a rough night at work because Monday the National Park Service was giving us inspections, so I had a ton to do (plus I'd been running all week with my family so I needed a relaxation day)
Tuesday Wade, Spencer, and I drove to Island Park, Idaho but there wasn't a ton there so we drove into the Gallatin National Forest to this gorgeous spring that pops up out of the ground. Its the clearest water I've ever seen! I forget the name of it though. Haha. There were muskrats swimming in the water and a mother duck with ducklings fighting a flock of seagulls while people threw food.
We then drove to Quake Lake and Hebgen Lake north of West Yellowstone. These lakes were gorgeous. Quake was formed in 1959 by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that dammed up the Madison River and killed 28 people. There's still resort houses sitting in the water from almost 50 years ago! We went to the visitor center and hiked around a little bit, then drove back into West b/c I wanted Subway. I've been craving it and I don't know why!
Wednesday was a boring day. Wade quit and moved to West to work at Bullwinkle's Bar and Casino, so Spencer and I drove him to town to move his stuff out.
Finally thursday came! Spencer, Sandra, and I went whitewater rafting. We went with Montana Whitewater (like I did last week) except this time we did the Lower Gallatin River. This is class III-IV whitewater. The river had also dropped, so there was more rocks and stuff sticking out. We entered a place called the Mad Mile which is a full mile of class IV rapids. I almost fell out. It was awesome. I was getting whitewater in the face and getting thrown around.
I would love to be a river guide (along with a ton of other things...so I have to find a way to combine my loves which is why I guess I am an outdoor recreation major).

A huge forest fire has started. The other day it was 850 acres and today the newspaper said it's up to 3,000 acres with only 5% being contained. They're having trouble b/c we're in a major drought here with stronger winds than normal. West Yellowstone is in danger of being evacuated and the whole valley leading into west is filled with smoke.
Driving south on 191 from Bozeman, you can see the smoke from about 20 miles away and there are helicopters and planes flying everywhere carrying water to dump on it. It's crazy.

Today I took an easy day just surfing the internet. haha. Sometimes you just need to take it easy!

Keep me in your prayers and ya'll shall be in mine!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

June 16-24 ( A long time..I know!!!)


Sorry everyone that it took me so long to finally write another blog! I've been crazy busy since the last one. I took the week off of work because my family began arriving on the 16th, so I've been staying with them.

My dad was the first to arrive on the night of the 16th and I met up with him the morning of the 17th at Madison Campground (on the west side of the park) where I camped with him for a couple days. We did a lot of fishing (pretty much sucked) and we did an overnight backpacking trip into Grebe Lake (near Canyon area) where we fished and cause some nice rainbow trout and arctic grayling (1st time I've ever caught any of these!).... Grebe Lake is this blog's picture! Hope you like it! I'm trying to get more pictures up on other sites, but it's slow internet everywhere!!!

I "worked" Wednesday night, although I hurried it up so I could get to West Yellowstone b/c my dad had gone to Bozeman, MT to pick up my mom and sister. I surprised them b/c they didn't know I was going to be there! They thought they weren't going to see me until the next morning. (I got there early so I could sit in the hotel room and watch tv, my first tv in 6 weeks!)

Pretty much since then we've done tourist things. We spent Thursday in Jackson and came up through Targhee National Forest and through Idaho and stuff...which was really nice. We ate at this little restaurant in Ashton, Idaho, but it ended up being one of the best meals I've had in sooo long. I got new cowboy boots in Jackson b/c I had outgrown my old ones.

The next day we did tourist things in the park and went swimming at the Firehole River. Sandra, Andrea, Julio, and Susan were there, so I spent time with them and introduced them to my family and stuff. haha.

After Firehole, we drove back and got ready b/c we met Matt and Spencer in town and ate dinner at Bullwinkles (a restaurant/bar/liquor store in West Yellowstone). After dinner, we went to the W. Yellowstone Rodeo, which was really good. The rodeo clown made some dumb jokes and it was a smaller crowd but the riders definitely put their heart and soul into what they were doing.

Saturday we hiked the DeLacy Creek trail down to Shoshone Lake and spent the afternoon on the lake shore. I just read and relaxed and ate some food...spent some good quality time with the family. Megan and I hiked back in our bare feet (3 miles..which makes a 6 mile round trip for the day) just b/c we wanted to prove we could do it!

We then visited Firehole Lake Drive and saw some sweet geothermal stuff.

Today my dad, sister, and myself drove through the Gallatin National Forest near Big Sky, MT and went whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River with Montana Whitewater, Inc. We rafter about 10-11 miles through some Class II-III. It was a good time. Luckily I didn't fall out but def. got to see some good scenery and meet some good people.

Well, the summer is halfway over and I still have a huge list of things to do, so hopefully the blogs will be getting a little more interested as we progress towards the last few days (I'm done August 10th).

Keep me in your prayers and ya'll shall be in mine!

Friday, June 15, 2007

June 15, 2006


So, I love this whole not having to work until 6 pm at night thing! Last night I had the first day of my new job as the Night Porter at Old Faithful Lodge. It wasn't that bad at all! I deep cleaned a few bathrooms, swept a few floors, and emptied a few garbage cans...it really wasn't that bad at all! I'm supposed to work from 6 pm - 2 am but I was definitely done by 10:15 pm...so I sat on a chair in the Porters Closet and read the newspaper for an hour and finally clocked out around 11:30 or so.....it was great. I can't believe I'm getting paid even more than when I was shift lead to do this sort of work!

Today was a great day. After a not so good lunch at the Employee Dining Room (EDR), Dan and I went down to the Firehole River to swim. I was there the other night with some people, but today was definitely warmer and the water was down a little bit so the swimming was a lot better! We met some people from Massachusetts and chatted with them for a while...they were doing a trip all across the country (Grand Canyon, L.A., etc etc). Firehole is awesome! The water is pretty warm (mid-80's) and it's just in the canyon where you can jump off the cliffs (even though you're not supposed to!) and the rocks have been worn pretty smooth so it's kinda like a natural waterslide...there was a good amount of people there today but I know come mid-July or so (when Kourtney comes out to visit July 17-21!!!!!!!!!!!) that there will be like 400 people there, so I'm enjoying the peace and quiet now while I can!

So, I've decided that pretty much I want to live out here. I've been thinking about it alot lately. I'm in love with this western culture..as many of you know, I've always been a fan of Civil War and Old West history....and cowboy culture comes right along with that. Also, growing up with horses and goats...spending time in 4-H and around the fairs and horseshows...I've just learned to love this western culture and I get so mad when I think that I went through a phase where I didn't want to be around the horses and stuff, so we leased them out to other people. I decided when I get home that I'm going to get back into riding (especially as I want to work on a Dude Ranch out in Wyoming next summer!). This area is just amazing. I loved driving in Cody, WY the other day through the Absaroka Mountains and looking eastward and seeing the Bighorn Mountains.

A lot of the locals you meet are so nice..and I love driving and passing the ranches. It makes me wish that I could have this life. I mean, I'm an outdoor recreation major and I totally love everything outdoors....but I was talking to my mom today and boy do I miss having the horses around...so I'm going to take some lessons when I get home this fall (I've never had formal lessons...it was always just more me riding with what other people told me!)

My life out here reminds me of this song by Jason Aldean called "She Loved Me":

And I'm living for the minute
Loving every second of it
Fearless...wild and free
Nothing could stop us


It's just so true. I mean...I've loving every single second out here and honestly, I'm not looking forward to having to come home in the fall. I want to stay out here as long as I can. I'm looking forward to hopefully one day moving out here. Like I said, I could spend the rest of my life in Cody, Wyoming!

Well, my dad comes out tomorrow with my mom and sister meeting him on Wednesday....I cannot wait to see them! It's been over a month and I do miss them terribly! We're going to go to Jackson and see other things in and around the park. It's going to be such a blast! I'll be sure to update when I can over the week, but definitely be sure to check back for pictures!

Keep me in your prayers and y'all shall be in mine!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

June 11-14



The picture is Old Faithful b/c I realized I haven't shown any pictures of that!

I'm sorry that these updates are coming so few and far between! I've been extremely busy! On Monday, the 11th, I had my last day as the Shift Lead at the Bake Shop/Ice Cream Parlor. Thank God to be done with that place! That night I just went to a bonfire and hung out with some people and called it a night early (I got 12 1/2 hours of sleep!!)

Tuesday was when all the fun began! Spencer, Dan, Wade, and myself went down to Jackson, Wyoming for the day to look at the ski resort for possible winter jobs (For those who don't know, I'm considering doing the fall semester at school and moving back out here in mid-December to work at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort for the winter). After the resort, we hung out in town and grabbed a quick bite to eat and did some "touristo" things such as shopping, girl watching, and laying in the grass in the park (no grass at Old Faithful..haha and we were walking and were tired so we decided to just lay down). There was an Old West shootout song & dance type of number going on in the streets and it was really funny.

On the way home, we stopped along Jackson Lake in Grand Tetons National Park and watched the sunset...then trucked on home

Wednesday, Wade, Spencer,and myself went to Cody, Wyoming. We hit up the Walmart (you don't realize how much you miss it until you don't have it!) Then we ate some Chinese food (again, you miss it when it's not there) and then just walked down the main street and went into some of the shops. We also went into the Buffalo Bill Museum (5 Old West museums fit into one building...we get in free w/ our Xanterra ID's!) This was mainly to kill time until we went to the Cody Nite Rodeo. It's one of the longest running rodeos in the country and they have it everynight in June, July, and August. It was awesome! There was team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback bronc, jr. steer riding, barrel racing, and some other events. For you all that know me well, I am a huge rodeo fan and could pretty much watch rodeo all day long and be perfectly happy!

After these past 2 days of driving throughout Wyoming and seeing the Absaroka Mountains, Big Horn Mountains (where Brokeback Mountain was filmed), Grand Tetons, and some more awesome scenery...I just feel like Wyoming in a place where I would eventually like to spend the rest of my days. I don't know how that makes anyone else feel back home reading this, but you just have to see it to believe it! It's gorgeous

Today, I begin the new job and am just doing laundry and stuff! Nothing exciting, but always a good time in Yellowstone!

Keep me in your prayers and ya'll shall be in mine!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

June 7-10

More and more work...it's all I've been doing lately! I've had no time for hikes, fishing, or anything....totally not fun! I've been stressing out about it and not enjoying it...so I changed positions.

I gave up the shift manager position in order to be a Night Porter. I work at 6 pm cleaning the Old Faithful Lodge. Most nights I'll be done by 11 (but can stay clocked in until 2!), which is nice because my friends aren't done at work until 10 so noone hangs out until later!

I turned in my volunteer application for the National Park Service and am just waiting to hear something back! I really hope they take me as a volunteer. I mean, as a recreation major there is so many benefits that can come out of having that I volunteered with the National Park Service on my resume (more so than saying "I managed a bake shop and ice cream parlor" haha).

My dad comes out in 6 days...I cannot wait! I have 3 days off with just him and then a few off with him, Megan, and my mom! I cannot wait to see them! It'll have been over a month and I miss them so much! Too bad Shane can't come out, I really wish he could. It was great driving cross country with him and I think he might be driving me home too (there's a battle raging on that one, so I'd rather not make any false promises!)

Apparently there's been a lot of bear sightings lately, but I have not yet managed to see a grizzly! That is my ultimate goal and I really really am hoping that I get to see at least 1! That and wolves! Last night Charlie, Jefferson, and myself went hiking around sunset and we hear a pack of coyotes on the way back that were howling...which was totally awesome! I've never heard that!

We got a new girl in the bake shop who is completely horrible. She has Tourrets (or however u spell it) and will just randomly twitch and swear. I feel bad...but it's bothersome. She told customers her dad thinks she's a lesbian and called our boss a prick to his face....she salutes me and screams all the time. I dunno what to do!!

Gotta go now though...sry no picture! I haven't taken any good ones lately!

Keep me in your prayers and you'll all be in mine!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

June 5-6 (My Two Days Off!)


So I've had my 2 days off recently....which I must say I enjoyed immensely! I mostly just sat around, did some laundry, cleaned some stuff, bought my fishing license, some books and bought some fishing flies because I planned on going fishing today (6th).

Last night Matt, Spencer, Wade, Kenny, and myself went down to Grand Tetons National Park and soaked in some hot springs near Flagg Staff Ranch (I think thats what it is called!) The mosquitoes were crazy and I have bites all over my legs, face, and arms...but it was really cool to soak in a river that is 105 degrees all year long.

Then we drove to some lake on a big back road, ended up getting back to Old Faithful pretty late...ordered some food from the Pub and then just went to bed early.

Today, I just did a few loads of laundry, interviewed with the manager about doing another position (housekeeping night porter in the Old Faithful Lodge making more money with better hours...I might do it!)

Here I am now on the internet....just surfing around sitting with my friend Dan. Gonna go fishing tonight...except they're calling for 7-10 inches of snow tonight, so we'll see how that goes! Haha. Well, I don't have much else to say..just relaxing and enjoying my time!

Keep me in your prayers and you'll all be in mine!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

June 4


Today, I had to work from 6:15 until about 2:30...but I decided to take a 45 min lunch break and walk in a few circles while I was still on the clock. I worked with Marco from Serbia and Sergio from Colombia.....which kinda sucks because 1. They don't know what they're doing and screw up orders and 2. They don't speak english well so I basically didn't utter a word for almost 8 hours.

After that, I decided it best to hike to Fairy Falls. I didn't do the whole loop as it's like 20+ miles, but I did the 2.6 mile hike out to the falls. It was a gorgeous hike through some regenerating lodgepole pine forests (naturally reseeded after the 1988 Yellowstone Fires that burned over 40% of the park!) and crosses a couple streams until you finally hear the mighty sound of rushing water.

This waterfall seemed to be over 100 feet high and just cascaded down into this huge pool at the bottom before eventually flowing off again into another part of the Lower Geyser Basin. I just took a few minutes to walk up right next to the falls where you could feel the wind and moisture rushing off of the waterfall. The water was really cold and the pool it fell into was full of some really slimy algae (I don't really know exactly what it was).

Then I took the opportunity to sit on some fallen logs over the stream and just take some time to myself. I saw some marmots, 3 cow elk, some chipmunks, and some sort of falcon that was flying overhead while screaching. So that was def. a good time.

The elk actually stepped into the trail on the way back and wouldn't move until I got to within about 10 yards of them. Then they casually trotted away like there was really nothing there. Thats why I love this place! There is so much wildlife, so many waterfalls, thermal pools, geysers, etc (but there also is so many people which I don't necessarily enjoy all that much).kk

I'm really enjoying my time out here for those that are wondering (if you can't already tell by just reading my blog! I mean, after I got done with the hike I took a quick nap, ordered some food from the Pub and then I stayed up until 3 am just talking with my friends. It was just a good time and I enjoy nights of just getting to know more people and just sharing a few laughs. It's been so long since I've had the opportunity to just sit and laugh with people without a care in the world...b/c I know we'll get to do it again the next day and the day after that so we're in no rush.

Life is kind of in it's own little dimension out here. We, as employees living in the park, realize that we have 3 or more months to explore the park and that we also have to work...so we do things on a slower pace. We don't have a week to rush and see everything, so we take a lot of time to just stop and enjoy the views around us...to enjoy the people, the places, and the things that make Yellowstone special.

I have the 5th and the 6th off, so I'm looking forward to fishing and stuff. You'll be hearing from me.

Keep me in your prayers and you'll all be in mine!

Monday, June 4, 2007

June 2-3, 2007


HA, I'm sorry to report but there has not been anything big to happen these past 2 days! Again, I've been sick (stomach flu is still going around)...but I've just been hanging out w/ people and working a ton! I'm trying to learn how to do all the cool things that Shift Supervisors get to do.

Today, Matt, Ingrid, Jess, Tanner, and myself tried to go swimming at the Firehole River, but it was closed so we just drove around and listened to music. Tanner was a little bit "over-indulged" in alcohol and decided to scream at tourists (Tourons) out the window that "It's just elk.....get back in your cars!" because there were people all over the road and stopping traffic.

So, otherwise...I work from 6:15-3 tomorrow (my first official day as Shift Supervisor) and then I have 2 days off so I am going to do some fishing and some hiking by myself! I cannot wait!!!! It is going to feel so good for 2 days to just do whatever I want!!!

Well, I don't really know what else to update....so for now, keep me in your prayers and you'll be in mine!

Friday, June 1, 2007

Good News!!!

Today, while working at the Bake Shop from 1:30-7:30, I was offered to be a shift supervisor! It's a pay raise and I get to do all the things managers get to do and some other cool stuff....so yea, I'm very happy!!!

May 29-June 1


I felt like I should probably update something...but honestly nothing big has happened lately. For the past few days, I've actually been sick so I haven't done any hiking (I know, it's killing me too!). I've spent most of my time hanging out with the Colombians as more and more arrive everyday. I find myself now picking up more and more phrases. Where as before they spoke too fast for me to understand, I am now able to hear certain words and roots of words (many of which are the same in English and French, which I took 5 years), so I can get a general understanding of what they are saying.

We've been hanging out at the Employee Pub a lot, which is fun. Payday was this wednesday, so everyone cashed their checks and went there to drink. It was really busy and very funny to watch all my bosses get totally wasted.

I went to Gardiner with Julio and Monica (both from Bogata, Colombia) the other day because he had to pick up things from his friend who is working for Xanterra up there right outside of the park. It was kind of a boring drive as they kept speaking Spanish, so I just listened to music and enjoyed the views. Saw some nice bull elk with massive 6x6 antlers, as well as plenty of bison. We passed a coyote den where the pups were playing outside, but I didn't manage to see them. There were about 150 photographers lined up, so I stopped to ask a Park Ranger what it was.

The weather has finally seemed to turn warm. For a while, it was snowing and raining but the past couple days have just been beautiful. Today there is not a cloud in the sky and it's in the mid-70's. I finally had another sweatshirt sent out, so I have something to wear when it is cold. I would really appreciate all the mail you can send! You can find the address on YellowstoneJobs.com.

Anywho, thats all for now! I have errands to run and work 1:30-8:30 today in the Bake Shop. I still need to get a fishing license and get my car registered...as well as do laundry so I'm a pretty busy guy!

I love you all! Keep my in your prayers and you'll be in mine!

Monday, May 28, 2007

May 28th!


Today was yet another great day in Yellowstone. Besides the fact that I had to work from 6:30 until noon (and my boss, Merlin, is an idiot and is mean for no reason and has no clue what he’s doing), it was an amazing day.

After I got off work, I met up with Spencer while he was on his lunch break and then I picked up Maria-Paula and off we went to explore Yellowstone. She doesn’t have a car, so I drove her around. We started off the day by going to Canyon and checking out the Lower Yellowstone Falls from Inspiration Point and Artists Point. These are great places to see a truly amazing and spectacular waterfall. It’s so huge and the canyon is just full of these yellow and red rocks that have been dyed by the chemicals inside of the thermal features that line the canyon walls.

We then moved onto the Upper Falls near the “Brink of the Upper Falls” region and took some good pictures. We saw an amazing rainbow coming in off of the mist. It was a great time there!

Then we decided that, instead of just going back, we were going to finish up the Grand Loop so I decided to take her down the east side of the park towards Lake (where Nydia, Spencer, Nate, and myself were yesterday). We ate dinner at Lake Hotel then walked down to the lake to take some pictures together.

Then we continued to drive onto home. I mean, there wasn’t a ton that went on today but it was just an awesome day. Later on, the Colombians are teaching me to dance Boganato (no clue how to spell that???) and how to correctly drink Tequila. HaHaHaHa, I really love these kids. They’re so much fun.

It was amazing that out of 6 hours spend with Maria-Paula today, we only have probably 3 minutes of silence the whole trip. We talked about everything and she’s just really cool to talk to. She’s definitely a good friend and I’m going to enjoy getting to know her (and all the Colombians!) throughout the whole summer.

I can’t even explain the talks we had today….but they ranged from poverty in Colombia and Americans trying to help, to September 11th, to a range of other things. It was just a great day! I’m looking forward to so many more good times with all the awesome people I’ve met.

Keep me in your prayers and you shall all be in mine!!!!

More and More Updates!


May 27th, 2007

Today I had to call off work because I was sick (ok, so maybe I partied a little too hard with my Colombian friends the night before)! It felt really good to finally be able to sleep in and not have to worry about working from 6:30-11:30. I mean, the shift isn’t bad at all. It’s only 5 hours, but my boss, Merlin, has been an idiot lately and just sits there and makes fun of the other employees behind their backs and I don’t find that really cool. I believe if you have a problem you need to tell the person to their face instead of just making fun of them.
But, today Spencer, Nate, Nydia, and myself did the Mystic Falls hike. It had just opened in the past couple of days, so everyone here has been really excited to do it. This hike is a 4-mile loop trail back through the Biscuit Basin, a little north of Old Faithful area on the Grand Loop.
The trail starts out on boardwalk and then cuts off on a trail to continue the loop. You can take one of two ways. The first takes you up a steep switchback trail to an observation point. We made sure that we took a ton of pictures up there and threw some rocks off of the cliff and watched them shatter when they hit the ground.
We then continued on through a regenerated lodgepole pine forest (a majority of the forests in the park were destroyed in 1988 by a fire that burned throughout most of the park. This fire was started mainly by lightning, but also by careless campers) until finally descending down upon Mystic Falls. It was awesome to see a big waterfall that also had thermal features popping up all around it. We took the opportunity to take pictures and continued on to a point where we could just go sit by the creek for a little while and talk.
After our hike, we went back and grabbed lunch at the Geyser Grill (like our form of McDonald’s at the Old Faithful area), filled up on gas, and then continued on down to Yellowstone Lake, Lake Area, and Fishing Bridge. We were really just scoping out the area and took a short walk down along a volcanic sandbar that jutted out into the lake. The water was very very cold, although I am still going to go swimming someday just to say I did it (like I did 6 years ago when I was here last).
Got back from our journey to the lake, Nydia had to go to work so I took a nap. I missed a meeting that I had to attend, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Then I went and played pool at the Pub for a couple hours with Julio, Spencer, Matt, and a kid named Thomas from Washington. I also met 2 more Colombian’s. Their names are Camillo and Ana. They, much like the rest of them, are from Bogotá (which is the capital of Colombia). They invited me over tomorrow night for Tequila and Salsa dancing, which should be fun. They don’t work for Xanterra; they work for Delaware North, which is the company that runs the Yellowstone General Stores.
After that, I walked back with Julio and hung out with him, Jefferson, and Sebastian for a little bit. Then I sat in the break room and talked with Crystal, Jessica, Ben, and some others for a while. Now here I am! Tired as hell, but tomorrow should be a great day!

Keep me in your prayers and you’ll all be in mine! God bless!

Saturday, May 26, 2007

May 25-26


I just managed to get a few minutes to come online and I decided to bring noone else with me so this way I can just surf the internet for a little bit and get a dose of some technology.

Pretty much nothing big has happened since you last heard from me. It's been very cold and snowy these past few days, so I have spent a lot of time just hanging out with friends. I've made a ton of them and, honestly (and not to piss off anyone at home!!) they're becoming some of the best friends that I ever have met! It's awesome to have met people from all over the world. I've made friends from Poland, France, Jamaica, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova (???), and especially Colombia.

Let me tell you all something about these kids from Colombia. I have been hanging out with these kids so and we all go to the pub together and spend, pretty much, every waking minute together. The ones I am closest too are named Jefferson, Carlos, Julio, Sebastian, Diana, Catalina, Nydia, and Maria-Paula.

I took them out the other night for a midnight snowball fight on the continental divide...but mostly we just sit and talk. I've been learning many Spanish phrases and I like it. I think it's funny.

For those who are wondering...yes, I have met a girl. Her name is Maria-Paula. Most nights we just sit up talking until about 4 am (which sucks when I have to be up at 6 am most mornings for work), but, even with the culture barrier, I have never met someone that is so similar to me. We are both practicing Christians, we like a lot of the same music and activities...it's just been really funny. I know that in 3 months I'll come back to Pittsburgh and she'll go back to Colombia but for now it's really nice to be able to just sit and talk with someone without a care in the world.

On Monday, Maria-Paula and I are going out and I'm going to show her parts of the park (like the Lower Falls and Inspiration Point) because she doesn't have a car here. We're also going to go out to dinner at one of the restaurants at Canyon, which I am really looking forward to!

It's also cool that all the Colombians are really really good dancers (when I say dance I don't mean like bumping and grinding, I mean like Dirty Dancing Havana Nights type of dancing)! Last night they threw some Colombian music on the stereo and just started dancing. I, unfortunately, did not because it was late and I was tired...but Maria-Paula said it is her goal this summer to teach me to dance. And I like that :-) (Maybe I can show you some skills when I get back)

Other than that, I've just been working. Xanterra offered me an internship next summer organizing recreation programs and there is also a chance of me being promoted to shift supervisor pretty soon. My bosses are all really cool...I was actually partying with 2 of them the other night. They are pretty crazy!

I'm really enjoying myself and am having the time of my life! I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer. I do miss all of you, but to be able to live this dream and to live with such amazing people...it is prob. one of the most amazing feelings I have ever felt. I feel free and, for one of the first times in my life, entirely happy (although tired from all the work!!!!)

I am learning so much about myself and who I am as a person. I am becoming a stronger person both mentally and physically. I have energy, I have a purpose, and I cannot think of a better way to spend the next 3 months of my life. I love meeting new people, jamming on the guitar, going hiking, watching geysers go off, and just hanging out with awesome friends.

Even though we've only known each other for 1 1/2 weeks, it feels like a lifetime. To live, work, eat, sleep, and play with these people...you get to know them like they are your family. Their problems are yours and you share so much. I love this.

As always, keep me in your prayers and you shall be in mine!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

More and More Updates! (May 24, 2007)


May 19-21

Oh the days are definitely still crazy in Yellowstone. Xanterra has all of us working crazy hours that I’m really not excited about. It’s about 55-60 hours a week of standing in an ice cream shop with half of the machines being broken, so customers aren’t really all that happy, but it’s not prime tourist season yet so it’s been pretty slow.
We are still doing a ton of hiking and the other night Matt, Jessica, Ingrid, and myself went to West Yellowstone for the night. This is kind of a drab down right outside the West Gate to Yellowstone in Montana. It seemed to have about a thousand hotels and gas stations and not much else, but we did manage to make it to a few stores before they all closed. I had to get some much needed supplied since pretty much everything that Xanterra and Yellowstone General Stores sells is about 3 times the price as at home (Gas is about $3.40).
Yesterday, Matt, Jessica, Tanner, and myself took it upon ourselves (since we got out of work early due to a broken ice cream machine) to do the Ice Lake/Wolf Lake loop hike. The bugs were crazy around the lake and (after a few wrong turns) we emerged on top of the hill above Ice Lake only to be blasted by a hail/snow storm that lasted for the next 25 minutes. Needless to say, none of us had any rain gear with us.
After a little more hill climbing and fording some rivers, we came to Lower Gibbon Falls. Set below regenerating Lodgepole Pine forests, this set of falls is big and loud. I swear it seemed to be at least 70-80 foot down. We continued to hike down to a meadow where we came across 3 elk, a swamp (I had tennis shoes on and not my Gore-Tex boots so my feet got wet), and 2 of the biggest bison I’ve ever seen in my life. Quickly after this the hike was over, but this wonderful 4.2-mile hike is definitely worth an afternoon, even with all the bugs!
Today (May 21), Matt, Jessica, and myself all had the day off together, so we took it as a great opportunity to do some hiking! We started out the day at Old Faithful visitor center to ask the ranger where to go and finally decided to hike the Slough (pronounced “slew”) Creek Trail through the Lamar Valley in the northeast part of the park. Our timing was not the greatest and the first 2 1/2 miles of the hike were spent on a road trying to get to the trailhead (due to wolf activity they’re trying to keep automobile traffic down in the area). After finally getting to the trailhead, we began a quick 500 foot climb to the top of the mountain (not sure exactly what it was called), but after this climb we descended down into the valley that has Slough Creek running through it.
It’s hard to see the creek while coming down through the woods, but after hitting the valley floor we were quickly in awe at the mountains surrounding us and the meadows and river valley that we would spend the next few hours hiking in. Continuing on the trail, we came across a huge bison sitting along the trail chewing on his cud in close proximity to the backcountry ranger cabins. We decided this was worth a picture because of the size of this monster.
We also came across a dead fox with a radio collar on it, but we didn’t know what to do about a carcass with a radio collar so we left it be for the backcountry rangers to find. We hiked a little past the 5 Km. sign and then, after looking through my field guide to find out what certain wildflowers and varmint were that we were seeing, took the hike back to the car. 12 miles after leaving the car, we were back…tired…but still doing extremely well after a wonderful day of hiking through Lamar Valley. I definitely recommend this hike to anyone looking for a nice 3-4 hour hike.
All in all, we saw tons of elk and bison, 4 black bear (a sow & 2 cubs and then an additional one just walking down the road), a pronghorn antelope, some ground squirrels, some sort of hawk catching some thermals on the mountains above Slough Creek, and people were watching the Lamar wolf dens, but we couldn’t see any of these. It was an awesome day, but I definitely am so tired and ready for bed.
It’s tough working 10-hour days and then hiking 3-4 miles every day and then, on my day off, doing a 12-mile hike…but living in Yellowstone you have to take advantage of the opportunities that surround you. You have to take advantage of all that you are offered because not many people can say that they have had the chance to live in the world’s first national park for 3 months. As always, keep me in your prayers and you’ll be in mine!

May 22-24, 2007

Well it’s been another few crazy days here! I finally started working at the Bakery, which has me getting up at 6 am and working 6:30 until 1 pm. It’s not a bad shift, although we’re really busy with all the tourists wanting some sort of breakfast. But I can’t complain. There is talk of me being able to take on a supervisor position. My supervisor is going to recommend to his boss that I become a supervisor because of my experience, hard work, and positive attitude. That would be great! It’d be a pay raise and some more responsibility.
On the 22nd, Matt, Ingrid, myself (and eventually Tanner) decided to hike the Delacy Creek Trail to Shoshone Lake. This is a nice 6-mile hike down through a lodgepole forest that eventually opens up onto a meadow with Delacy Creek winding its way down through until eventually pouring out into Shoshone Lake. The hike was fun…but was made harder by the fact that it had been snowing all day. We received 4 inches of snow that day and it was so freezing cold! We didn’t really get a chance to see a ton of wildlife on this hike (I think all we saw was a quail), but the scenery was great. It was made even better by the snow falling all around us.
I’m tired. That’s logging 22-miles worth of hiking and 20 hours of working over the past 3 days. I am so dead tired, but I must say that I find myself having way more energy than I have ever had. I’m just so awake and ready to face the world. I’ve definitely been getting in shape and find myself being able to do a lot of things that before would have caused me to tire out quickly. I really enjoy being able to get out. Fishing season opens on the 26th, so I cannot wait to get out with my friends!
More and more workers are arriving every single day. I met a kid who goes to Grove City College today and is working doing ministry in the national parks. He seems pretty cool. There are definitely a ton of Colombians working with us and I’ve managed to become pretty good friends with a group of them. We hang out pretty much every night and last night we went out really late and had a snowball fight on the continental divide. They don’t really get a chance to go out because none of them have cars here and they work all the time. They are so cool and they are teaching me some general Spanish so that I can get by with simple phrases.
It’s funny to watch all the drama playing itself out here. People hooking up everywhere, little relationships coming and going, etc. You all know how it goes. I’m trying to stay out of it, but I can’t lie. I’ve met some really awesome people and some people I really enjoy hanging out with.
My family comes out in the middle of June and I cannot wait to see them! I’ve seen so much stuff already that I cannot wait for them to see. It’s a totally different feel to live in the park than it is to just visit like we did 6 years ago. We get to see all the places the tourists never have a chance to see.
I’m in the process of filling out an application for volunteering with the National Park Service to do security and stuff around the geysers. That’d be really cool because eventually it’d be nice to work for them for a while.
I must say that coming out here was the best decision I ever made. It’s hard work but it is definitely paying off. I can’t imagine a better way to spend my summer or better people to be spending the next 3 months with.
I can receive calls and texts (no photo texts though) so I really would appreciate hearing from you all! It’s a 2-hour time difference (I’m 2 hours behind you all), so make sure you account for that!
I’m really sick of seeing bison, but the bison traffic jams are starting already (though the park service says the numbers are really low for this time of year). I’ve seen a ton of elk still every single day (yet another animal I’m sick of seeing). It’s my goal to see wolves, grizzly bears, and some moose (saw some 6 years ago, but I love seeing them so I want to see more). It’s awesome to see such huge animals just roaming free and living in their natural environment.
One thought that constantly bothers me, though, is the same idea I wrote my H.S. Senior Paper on. Tourists are loving the National Parks to death. Look to the right on this page and you see Morning Glory Pool. Brilliant colors…but barely noticeable anymore. Thanks to the millions of tourists that see this thermal feature every year and decide to throw a ‘lucky penny” or other garbage into it, the NPS has now issued a sign at the pool that says “Fading Glory”. The colors are no longer as strong, which is this way in many of the other pools all over the area.
Geysers have been stopped due to trash being thrown into the hole and many animals have been hit by cars speeding throughout the park, especially at night. I understand that people are enjoying the chance to see a vast “wilderness”, but with the millions of visitors that come every year, I believe Yellowstone is becoming a tourist trap. It’s no longer about preservation/conservation, but it’s about how people can make the most money. Everything here is extremely expensive and there are people everywhere. It’s good to see people enjoying the outdoors, but also sad to see what this landscape has become.
A question to ponder: Should the National Park Service put a cap on how many people are allowed in certain national parks throughout the year?

Once again, keep me in your prayers and you all shall be in mine. I love you all.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Another update! (May 17-18, 2007)

Ok, the workdays here are like scarily long! We're totally understaffed here so we're putting in 6 days a week, 11 hours a day...but everything I get to do outside of work has made up for it.
I've made a really good group of friends out here. They're from Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, and all around. I originally started out working in the pantry doing prep cooking in Old Faithful Lodge. With this job, I pretty much just made 350 salads, 150 sandwiches, and cut tons of melons all day long. BUT!!!!!!! I found out that I wasn't supposed to be put there so they moved me to the Bakery/Ice Cream Shop in Old Faithful Lodge and this is a lot better! I get to work with my friend Jess (an outdoor rec major from Minnesota) and it's just a lot of fun. I get to walk around now (cause I also bus tables) and don't have to stand in one place.
I'm actually very sick of seeing Old Faithful go off. After the 15th time, it just gets old. HaHa. Work gets very busy right after the geyser ends, they called it the Geyser Rush.
But enough about work, I'm having an awesome time. The past 2 days, after working for 11 hours, my friends and I all went out and did 3-4 miles of hiking. I can't say I'm not tired, but these views are amazing. It's scary to be hiking thru the woods and come across a bison and calf (they're very protective of their young), elk, and come across back country thermal pools (the ground around these pools can be only 2 inches thick and you can fall in and get burned b/c they are about over 250 degrees).
Today we hiked to the Keplar Cascades and hiked down some of the cliffs and it was just a great day. We had a good time and hiked back after dark. Tried to do it without a headlamp, but we got to a spot where the bison where so I decided to turn my lamp on eventually. It's just gorgeous views and I'm going to try to get my pictures up within the next few days. I have Monday off so I'll try to get on, but Matt, Jess, and myself are going hiking in Lamar Valley looking for wolves and bears. They call it the Serengeti of the United States.

Just know I'm enjoying myself eventually and spending a lot of time with good people. Yesterday we sat by Castle Geyser as it went off and Ingrid, Matt, and myself just talked for an hour about everything. It's been so much fun!

So keep me in your prayers and I'll keep you in mine! God Bless!

Updates from Yellowstone!!

May 15, 2007

So Shane and I, having finally arrived in Gardiner the night before, found ourselves at the door leading into Xanterra’s Check-In point. At this point, a million and half thoughts are running through my head. You can imagine what would be running through a 20 year old’s brain at this point in time…I’m 2,000 miles away from home, I have just traveled all the way across the country with my twin brother, I’m going to be gone for 3 months and will not see my family. Needless to say, my mind was totally racing.
At the check-in (which they hadn’t received my paperwork that my mom had overnight Fed-Ex’d a week ago!), the employees began hounding on Shane because he was going back to Pittsburgh and wouldn’t be spending the summer in Yellowstone. They said they had open spots and that he could easily sign up and work here for the summer. I guess it wasn’t for him.
All that check-in stuff was boring. Got an employee card and uniforms, filled out more paperwork, attended an orientation session in Mammoth, ate lunch at the EDR (employee dining room) with Shane (we bought him a coupon for a few bucks). After all that, it was time to head down to Old Faithful area to check in.
There really was not a lot going on for me today after this point. I checked in, got Shane situated so he could stay in my room for the night, moved all my stuff into my dorm (Columbine) and then just began to meet a bunch of cool people. Shane and I went hiking around the geyser basin and just enjoyed seeing some of the wildlife.
We ate dinner at the Old Faithful Inn and just really took in the sights of such an amazing building. I’ve heard it said it’s the largest wooden structure ever built. If you haven’t seen this building, it is huge. It seems to have about 7 stories, all made out of logs (it’s a huge log cabin, looks “Adirondack” if you know what that means). There are all these little nooks and crannies with which you can hide yourself away and lounge on these chairs. There is also a huge stone fireplace (it actually has 4 fireplaces in it). We also grabbed some ice cream and then I talked to some of the National Park Service rangers about volunteering with them so that I can get some experience with them (seeing as how I’m a Parks and Resource Management major, it would help to have a foot in with the park service).
After it got dark, Shane and I took a walk down by the creek with Tanner (from Texas) and Matt (Iowa) who were some guys that I met during the training today. They’re really nice guys and Matt is a really good Christian and so we had some good conversations about that. We were watching a mother bison and her calf play down near the creek. On our walk we met up with some other guys and heard that there was a bonfire being held by some people in our dorm, so we went to that for a little bit. There was a guitar player and a man on a drum playing together and it sounded so cool (like an African tribal type music). After this, we just pretty much went to bed.

May 16, 2007

Today I began my official training. It started at 8:30 in the morning with some safety training over in the Employee Pub. This was really boring, but I got to meet some awesome people. We then moved over to Old Faithful Lodge to continue more specific training for our jobs. I got placed in the pantry doing prep cooking. The work sucks, but the people I’m working with are really great. I’m working with my roommate, Nate (Minnesota), and other people: Brooks (Michigan), Dan (New York), Ingrid (Iowa). They’re all really cool and I enjoyed getting a chance to talk to them all day long.
They served us prime rib for lunch because they’re testing out some recipes and making sure that all the different cafeteria stations know how to do their jobs. I met a really awesome girl named Jessica, who is a recreation major at a college in Michigan, but is from Minnesota. She was interesting to talk to because we’re studying the same thing at school and are interested in a ton of the same activities.
Work pretty much sucked. I cut cakes, plated them, wrapped them, and stored them. I also did fruit cups, salads, etc. I’m going to be asking for a change of position soon. I really would like something that allows some sort of interaction with the guests (with this job I’m stuck in the back of the kitchen).
After work (and returning all my phone calls from the day), Shane, Matt, Nate, and myself drove 2 hours down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was a great drive down through Yellowstone, the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Highway, and Grand Teton National Park (which we got some great pictures!!) We dropped Shane off at his hotel, after driving around Jackson for a little bit not being able to find a hotel. This town is really neat! It’s a lot bigger than I thought it was and a few of us are going to spend some of our long weekends down there. There seems to be a lot to do. It’s a bigger town with theatres, stores, malls, outdoor recreation stuff, and a lot more. I think it’d be awesome to spend at least 2-3 days there exploring the town.
On the way back, after dinner at Wendy’s, I almost hit a whole herd of elk. We were driving back through Grand Teton National Park (and yes, I’ll admit I was going way too fast), when I heard Matt scream “Stop!” I look ahead in my headlights and I see 8 elk crossing the road. I slam on the brakes and the tires start squealing, the anti-lock breaks click in, and we finally come to a stop about 2 feet from one of the cow elks. Close call.
We continued the drive just talking the whole way. They’re really great guys and I had a good time talking with them. Easy to talk to and I can see them becoming really good friends this summer. Now here I sit in my bed. It’s 11:55 and I need to be up at 8:30 to continue some training and get to work. So for now...goodnight! Keep me in your prayers and I’ll be sure to keep you all in mine! God Bless!

Monday, May 14, 2007

May 14th, 2007 (Arrive in Yellowstone!)


Today was yet another day on the road! Leaving Rapid City, SD early in the morning, Shane was yet again driving to start out the day (is anyone noticing a trend here??). He drove for a good amount of the day and I began driving once we hit Montana.

We stopped at a really crazy rest stop today. It was literally a store in the middle of nowhere with old fashioned gas pumps and it was also a motel and RV park. Totally crazy. This was somewhere in Wyoming and it started to turn really cold. While yesterday was really hot, today was in the 60's and it turned colder the more we got into the mountains.

It was awesome today witnessing real ranch cowboys herding their cattle from horseback, cattle blocking the roads, pronghorn antelope all over the place, and (I especially like this one) the exits off of the highway that are just dirt roads with cattle grates so that the cattle won't run onto Interstate 90.

We finally arrived at the exit off of I-90 and turned south on 89 which took us all the way into the happening town of Gardiner, Montana. It's a small town that you can tell was really meant for tourists. Checked into a Best Western on the outskirts of town, found out where I'm supposed to check in tomorrow, and then headed into the park (got Shane and I in free because I'm a Xanterra employee). We stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs and took some pictures and then proceeded to drive into the park some more.

We got out and saw some elk, some bison, and some guy saw a grizzly bear but we didn't see that one. Got some great pictures and we even got to throw snowballs! The mountains still have a lot of snow and it's really cold out.

Right now it's about 10 pm (mountain time) and is probably in the low 40's or maybe even the 30's. Who knows!

We ate dinner at a really nice restaurant in Gardiner called the Yellowstone Mine. Had some good chicken and fish and then just came back here to crash. It's been a long 3 days of driving, but finally the real adventure begins in the park. It's gonna be up early for us tomorrow, checking in, driving to Old Faithful and unloading all my gear. Shane might head into Idaho for the day and I'm going to do whatever I need to do for Xanterra tomorrow.

May 13th, 2007


I’m having to update the blog a little later than I actually type it due to the fact that the wireless internet here at the hotel isn’t really working, but as I am typing this I am sitting in the AmericInn Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota. Shane and I arrived here earlier this evening after a long day of driving from last nights stop in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Today we trucked all the way across Minnesota and most of South Dakota. Both of these are fairly boring states for the most part (of course I can’t say much for Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, or Ohio either…what can I say, Pennsylvania born and raised). We saw way too much tumble weed and witness way too many bugs hitting our windshield, which Shane took it upon himself to be the official “bug scraper” of the day. The drive was fairly routine. Interstate 90 was very flat, straight, and boring for most of the day…we would crest a hill only to find another 20 miles of flatness and straightness…it makes “cruise control” become a blessing from God.

Shane again started out the driving, but I eventually took over when we hit South Dakota. This part of the drive was hot. It was around 90 degrees today and in the car (2004 Ford Escape) the gas mileage sucks if you use the air conditioning, so we road windows down at 80 mph for a good part of the day (Did I mention that the highway speed limits here are 75 mph? So cool).

After a lot of driving, we stopped at Wall Drug, which is the biggest tourist trap I’ve ever been in, but I still find it a necessity to stop. It’s a spot where in the 1800’s during the gold rush and people moving out west, a family came and dug a well. Out of this well they would supply travelers with fresh water for free. Today it is little shops and candy stores, but you can still get your free ice water (and 5 cent coffee!) so Shane and I made sure we stopped here.

After that little endeavor, we headed into the Badlands, but turned around once we found out they wanted 15.00 to enter the park and that this little detour was actually an additional 95 miles added to our trip. We’ve been to the Badlands before, but still managed to see parts of it today (as well as our first Pronghorn and Prairie Dogs of the trip!)

Then came more driving until we got to Rapid City (which is a bustling town of over 60,000 people which suddenly pops up on your after driving for 6 hours with nothing more than the occasional gas station and dirt road). We checked into our hotel, making sure to use our AAA discount this time (sorry mom), and then headed to Mount Rushmore. It was awesome to pass all the sites we had seen 6 years ago while traveling through this area…things like Bear Country, USA Wildlife Park, Mystery Mountain Campground (where we stayed in 2000 with the Flamos’s), Crazy Horse Monument, and other things.

Finally coming upon Mt. Rushmore, we found out that tonight was the first night that they were lighting it up for the season! We didn’t feel like staying for an hour and a half, so we took our pictures (saw some mountain goats too!), walked through the museum and read a ton of stuff, and off we went. We purchased a yearlong entrance pass, which is helpful as I’ll be coming back through this way in August and will be sure to stop!

Xanterra runs the concessions at Mt. Rushmore too, so I managed to get my first view of the trip into Xanterra operations, uniforms, etc (can’t say the uniforms are good looking by any means). At this point, dinner came at a 24 hour Perkins, then the hot tub and the pool…and here I am now. Shane’s reading the new AP Magazine about Anberlin and I’m typing and playing around with some photos.

I’m missing my family today. It’s only Day 2, but I don’t like being away from them…especially my mom on Mother’s Day. I really love my parents and I thank them for giving me the financial needs to make this trek out west. I really think they’re the best. They try so hard to give us everything they can, while also teaching us the value of working hard for what you get.

Listening to music today, I came across a Rodney Atkins song entitled “Watching You” that goes:

“I wear cowboy boots and camo pants. We’re just alike…Ain’t we Dad? I wanna do everything you do because I’ve been watching you. I’ve been watching you Dad, Ain’t that cool? I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you…”

It’s a great song and really got me thinking about this whole trip. My dad hitchhiked out west in the 1970’s and here I am, 30 years later at 20 years old, driving 2000 miles across the country with my twin brother…seeing the sites and experiencing a ton of things that I’m sure my dad did when he did his trip.

It makes me really think about how much I look up to my parents. I think they’re the greatest people I know and I really miss them so much. I know this is going to be a great experience for me, but already I can’t help but miss home. This is such a step out of my comfort zone, but I need to do this in order to grow. I’m 20 years old and it’s time to find out exactly who I am and what I want out of life.

As usual, keep me in your prayers and you shall all be in mine. Getting into God’s country…some beautiful lands and I’m thanking Him everyday for these gifts and talents He’s given me and for the great land He’s blessed us all with. I advise everyone to save up and just drive across the country…it’s amazing the things you’ll discover.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

First day on the road!

So today began the first day of our 1,900 mile drive across the country. Shane and I left Harmony today around 8 am. He began driving and, for anyone who knows me well, I slept for the first 4 hours. Something about being in a moving vehicle puts me to sleep.

Ohio was very very boring as usual. Just a straight boring driving and passing the occasional weird person. I saw a lady driving dressed up as a pirate.

For being a Saturday, we still hit major traffic when we got to Chicago. It took us about an hour to travel 5 miles, but Chicago is a good looking city right on the lake so we enjoyed looking at it while stuck in the great concrete jungle.

Shane drove till about 6 pm. Don't ask me why he drove for 10 hours, but he did. He said he enjoys driving, so I let him go! We finally stopped for dinner and a quick Wal-Mart run (trying to get a better iPod radio thingy) in Beloit, Wisconsin. Kinda a drab town that reminds me way too much of Cranberry Twp, PA. The people there were extremely weird and had weird accents. They kept looking at us (it could have been the Penn State and Pittsburgh gear that we were wearing).

I took over the driving after Beloit. We passed a lot of stuff I remember from our cross country trek 6 years ago, especially a gas station where my mom and Patty Flamos got hit on by a very dirty old trucker. Good memories.

So as of now, we're sitting in La Crosse, Wisconsin in the Baymont Hotel. Watching TV and just chilling......you shall all be hearing from me soon! I can promise you that one! There's a storm rolling in over the plains and it's dark and windy. We're just gonna hunker down for the night and enjoy our rest after a looong first day.

Hoping to make it to Rapid City, South Dakota tomorrow. It'll be about 13 hours of driving, but the driving here is easy. For now, Peace!

Pray for our safety and our strength in this journey and for me throughout the summer! I will be praying for all of you back home. Love you all!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The time is drawing near!

Well, it's almost about that time to up and leave home for 3 months. I'll be leaving Saturday...about 4 days away. It seems that noone else is driving out with Shane and I and he's not going to be meeting up with Josh, so he's going to hang around Yellowstone for a couple of days and then I'll take him up to Bozeman, Montana and he can fly home out of there.

I'm so terrified and so nervous about going. It seems at some points I don't even want to go, but I know it's just nerves. I need to just leave and get out there. Experience all that this wonderful land has to offer. I know it's going to be hard to leave home...to leave all that I know and love, but in the long scheme of things, it's only 3 months. But at times I look at it and it seems like "Wow, 3 months. Thats a very long time". I'm hoping it will fly by. Not because I want to get out there and then just come home, but because I want to be having fun, meeting new people, and enjoying myself...knowing that I have a ton of stuff to look forward to when I get home.

I've been preparing my tents and camping gear. I'm taking a 3 person dome tent and a single person Eureka Solitaire backpacking tent. I'm really excited to get to do some overnight hikes. I think it'll be a good time. I got a new digital camera and have been taking some great pictures. Got a new cell phone b/c my old one was becoming really crappy.

There's so much changing, but I'm looking forward to this adventure. I'll be moving away, then when I come home I start a new school...just sooo many new things going on. But I've been putting my faith into God. Been spending a lot of time in prayer and in the Word to just see exactly what He has in store for my life. There's moments where you look at your surroundings...sitting on a mountain top or next to a quiet stream...and you just cannot deny the fact that there is a creator. A man who loves each of us so much and I'm looking forward to spending some time in His wonderful gifts.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

To start things off....

I figure it's best if I start this blog off the right way. This summer, I was accepted a position working for Xanterra Resorts in Yellowstone National Park. Xanterra has been contracted out by the National Park Service (NPS) to run the lodges, food services, horseback riding stables, and other services throughout different parks.
From May 15 until August 20, I shall be working for Xanterra and living at Old Faithful. I will be working Kitchen Crew at Old Faithful Lodge as well as hopefully volunteering with the NPS. As a Parks and Recreation major, I feel it'll be such a good opportunity to work closely with the NPS as someday I would really like to work for them.
Throughout the summer, I'm going to be updating this as much as possible. I will have some limited computer access while I am living at Yellowstone, so I will probably try to update this at least twice a week.
For now, I am going to be spending the next 2 weeks until I leave getting all of my gear in order and making sure that I have everything I need. That's pretty much about it for now, so keep checking back for more later!

Cory