"Addie, if all of your friends jumped off a bridge into frigid water...in the dark...you would do it to wouldn't you?" These are the words that came our of Brian's mouth as Bryce and I meet him and Kim at the St. Mary Falls bridge around 10pm. This was the biggest spur of the moment plan we we had though of yet. Bryce and I had gone to Kim's campground evening program and afterwords she said, "Brian and I are going to jump of the St. Mary Falls bridge." We then decided to join them. At the begining I had every intention of chickening out when I got there. It was already starting to get dark and we could barely see the trail. We arrived to find out that Brian and Kim had already been in twice and they decided to stick around and go again with Bryce and I.
I had seen it done before...but never in the dark. This bridge is maybe 2 stories high and when one jumps off of it you are landing in what looks like a swirling vortex of water. The current is not that strong however and the current generally pushes you to shore where you can just walk out. The fact that I was dark enough that I couldn't really see the current put me at ease a little bit more. I decided to go first because I knew that if I watched everyone else i would not end up jumping. I was more worried about the water being so cold because it is feed by 3 different glaciers at least.
I climbed up on the railing and looked down...bad idea. I started to get nervous. Finally I just let lose, stepped up ontp the top and jumped off. I had twisted my body in such a way that I was able to stare at the bridge as I was falling. When I hit the water it didn't really feel cold. I was so hyped up about the jump that I didnt really notice it. I had to lean my head back far to look up at the top of the bridge where Bryce was about to jump off. As he jumped I could only see his siloutte as he too made the plunge. Byran and Kim followed soon after him. The we preceeded up the trail and out to the car and made our way back.
The trail was quiet and there was just enough moonlight for us to see the light colored stones on the pathway that were guiding us out. I thought of a great idea for a centenial program for next season...a midnight hike. That would be so cool. You are forced to use your other senses and I experienced a trail that I have been on probably 80 times in a whole new way. We are definetly going back to do that again and dragging others along for the ride. Maybe this time we will start earlier.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Good Medicine
The season has been in full swing for many weeks now. For the past couple of days all the campgrounds in the park have been filling. Last year the campground in St. Mary would fill a handfull of times. This season we have been filling every night which is refreshing. I was talking to one of the employees who works at the resturant at the Lake McDonald Lodge and he told me that their sales are down from last year. This leads me to believe that people are scaling down this year and moving from expensive hotel lodging, busting out their tents and hitting the campgrounds. Attendance for our campground evening programs have been outstanding so that is a good thing. I have been able to get out and see programs this year and recognize and appreciate all of the hard work that my fellow rangers and our interns have done. There is a lot of amazing talent here this summer and it has inspired me to make my programs even better as well.
I have the privaledge leading an all day hike this year to Siyeh Pass. It has been an interesting experience where I am able to really get to know the people that I am hiking with and am with them for 8 hours. I lead them up the highest maintained trail in Glacier National Park and discuss the geology, ecology, and the cutural history that they are able to discover along this 11 mile journey. I do have some pictures from this trail to put up that I took when I hiked this trail with coworkers before my first program. It rain but was still good. The view from the top is spectacular. I have learned a lot from the people I have been hiking with. On my second hike we were walking down from the pass and there was silence from my group for a little while. Right as we stopped for water on of the women sighed looked around and said, "This is good medicine."
We have generally been lucking out with the weather for the past couple of weeks. Temperatures have been reaching the 80's and it has been pleasent to be outside. We do however get those rainy days where Logan Pass is completely socked in and the entire visitor population tried to cram themselves into the tiny little visitor center at the top of the Continental Divide. On days like this I just want to tape the weather report to my forhead, sit in a chair, and let the visitors help themselves. When they ask "is it going to rain all day" I start to say..."yes."
Adrien and I hiked Dawson and Pitamakin Passes on on of the most beautiful days of the summer so far. I had never done the hike and was very intimidated by the fact that it was 18 miles long. We got to the trail head at 7 am and were out by 4pm which was not bad. This fantastic hike was followed by dinner at Serrano's (a really good mexican resturant in east glacier) and the Amy's campfire program in the Two Medicine campground. Everything about the day was just perfect. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the peaks in the distance looked crystal clear. After reaching Dawson Pass the view only improved as we walked along the ridge. The sights were enough to take your breath away. Being the only ones on the backside of this high altitude trail made it feel like we were doing something illegal. It was that good. Niether one of us talked as we made our way across the narrow pathway. My mind started to wander...and I thought about what that woman had said to me on Siyeh Pass a week 4 days earlier. "Good Medicine" This place seems to have to ability to heal in a lot of different ways. It is amazing to think of something having that much power. But as I stared of into the distance to was greeted by a wave of tranquility. Standing there on what seems like the top of the world listening to nothing but the wind and the sounds of melt water running over the rocks i let myself zone out. Places like this are special. They have the ability to tranform you, give you different outlooks. The medicine you get from experiences might be better than anything from your doctor. And maybe they it can do more than we think...give you hope, disguise illnesses, mend broken hearts, ease stress, and leave you wanting more.
I have the privaledge leading an all day hike this year to Siyeh Pass. It has been an interesting experience where I am able to really get to know the people that I am hiking with and am with them for 8 hours. I lead them up the highest maintained trail in Glacier National Park and discuss the geology, ecology, and the cutural history that they are able to discover along this 11 mile journey. I do have some pictures from this trail to put up that I took when I hiked this trail with coworkers before my first program. It rain but was still good. The view from the top is spectacular. I have learned a lot from the people I have been hiking with. On my second hike we were walking down from the pass and there was silence from my group for a little while. Right as we stopped for water on of the women sighed looked around and said, "This is good medicine."
We have generally been lucking out with the weather for the past couple of weeks. Temperatures have been reaching the 80's and it has been pleasent to be outside. We do however get those rainy days where Logan Pass is completely socked in and the entire visitor population tried to cram themselves into the tiny little visitor center at the top of the Continental Divide. On days like this I just want to tape the weather report to my forhead, sit in a chair, and let the visitors help themselves. When they ask "is it going to rain all day" I start to say..."yes."
Adrien and I hiked Dawson and Pitamakin Passes on on of the most beautiful days of the summer so far. I had never done the hike and was very intimidated by the fact that it was 18 miles long. We got to the trail head at 7 am and were out by 4pm which was not bad. This fantastic hike was followed by dinner at Serrano's (a really good mexican resturant in east glacier) and the Amy's campfire program in the Two Medicine campground. Everything about the day was just perfect. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the peaks in the distance looked crystal clear. After reaching Dawson Pass the view only improved as we walked along the ridge. The sights were enough to take your breath away. Being the only ones on the backside of this high altitude trail made it feel like we were doing something illegal. It was that good. Niether one of us talked as we made our way across the narrow pathway. My mind started to wander...and I thought about what that woman had said to me on Siyeh Pass a week 4 days earlier. "Good Medicine" This place seems to have to ability to heal in a lot of different ways. It is amazing to think of something having that much power. But as I stared of into the distance to was greeted by a wave of tranquility. Standing there on what seems like the top of the world listening to nothing but the wind and the sounds of melt water running over the rocks i let myself zone out. Places like this are special. They have the ability to tranform you, give you different outlooks. The medicine you get from experiences might be better than anything from your doctor. And maybe they it can do more than we think...give you hope, disguise illnesses, mend broken hearts, ease stress, and leave you wanting more.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Better than Ice Cream
We all made it back from West Glacier in one piece. My camping trip to the North fork had to be postponed due to car trouble…not with my car at least. I decided to drive my own car over so that I would be able to go camping after training and get some groceries. I had driven the white government van over to the west side the day before for orientation and took it on route 49 which is a narrow road with many twists and turns. One wrong move and a car could easily end up over the edge. I remembered saying to one of my co-workers, “I wonder how long they are going to keep this crappy van…its beginning to scare me a little bit.” I laughed at the end of the next day when we left the broken down van sitting in the gas station parking lot in East Glacier. Sierra had been driving the van just behind me and when I reached the end of route 49 I pulled my car over because I did not see them behind me anymore. I waited 5 minutes and started to get a little worried. After about 7 minutes I decided to turn around and go back for them. No sooner had I turned around did I see them coming around the bend very slowly, turn the corner and roll in to the gas station. Apparently the van was making some interesting noises and since there was no mechanic in town we had to ditch the vehicle and cram as many bags and people into my car and Amy Maries little Subaru and my Escape as well. We made it there eventually, 40 minutes late for training and with one less car. It must have been serious enough because it was towed and we still don’t have it back…
More and more people are arriving now and all divisions should be fully staffed now. Saturday morning I woke up hoping to possibly get out on the trails at some point before our second week of training and work begins. I looked out the window to see a fresh 3 inches of snow. Well so much for that I thought, and went back to bed. I did eventually get up and outside to take some pictures as the snow started to melt out. We all could feel the front moving through the day before as the wind began to pick up. Some of the visitors were warned about the snow but they didn’t seem to believe us. I wonder how they are doing today as they crawl out of their tents. Some tourists from Florida were taken by surprise as well.
We now have a bear trap in St. Mary because of a problem bear that we have been having in the housing area. Audrey told me that we had a bear on our front porch this past week and he went barreling off into the bushes as soon as she opened the door. Living in the trailer loop definitely has its perks. As much as I miss the dorm it is a nice change to have my own space, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Now I have a whole lot of room to throw my stuff around in and not just one room. My Wii has become quite popular and I am glad considering that is why I brought it. I am in the dorm quite often though as we have quite an interesting group this season. Last year training seemed very quiet compared to this year. We have strong and outgoing personalities this year in the interpretive division and so far have been really enjoying myself. At the end of the day I can leave the noise and head back to a more secluded area to unwind. I think I have found the best of both worlds.
I hear rumors of more movie showings at the St. Mary Visitor center. We recently saw V for Vendetta as a group. Why not? We have this amazing new surround sound system so why shouldn’t we enjoy it for ourselves once in a while? We watched the Wizard of Oz last week before training that lead us into our theme for this year. In many ways Glacier National Park is like the wonderful Land of Oz…. Visitors to the park can relate to Dorothy because they are visiting a magical place where there are all sorts of interesting this to see and experience. When they return home they will be forever changed. Home might be the same physically but this place does seem to have an effect on people. One they get to this park many different things lay in their path that interpreters are trying to help them find. We provide them with intellectual connections that help them to understand the meanings of the resource (Scarecrow…he is the symbol of intellect). They will hopefully also make emotional connections (Tin man). As interpreters we are taught to use the resource and our creativity to bring about these emotional connections. This will allow visitors to care about Glacier then hopefully care for Glacier. And finally courage is what makes this all possible (Lion). We must have the courage to try new things, break out of our comfort zone and allow ourselves to be surprised.
After the snow on Saturday a few of us decided to go on a trek up to Scenic Point in the Two Medicine area. We knew that it was going to be snow covered but we welcomed the adventure and started out early on Sunday morning. We saw a cinnamon black bear and a moose on the drive up and another black bear on the drive out. One might think that that would be a great day in itself but the hike and some time by the lake were spectacular. We ran into more and more snow on the trail as we climbed in elevation. At one point we missed one of the switchbacks because the snow was so deep that we couldn’t see the trail….we figured that since Scenic Point was at the top I was pretty hard to miss. Eventually we rejoined the trail and made it to a large rock at the top. Scenic Point was in view but a large snow drift kept us from going all the way. The drift was on a ledge…Bryan was convinced that we could make it but after looking at it closer he was eventually outvoted. I told him that I think we are recognizing limits and respecting them. After the Mt. Jackson incident last summer I am beginning to respect those limits more often.
The view was incredible with all of the snow covered peaks in the distance. We had lunch on the top. Food always tastes better after a long hike. Bryan continued to say, “There is nothing better than an apple at the top of a mountain. That first bite is better than ice cream.” Sierra, Shari, and I completely agreed and enjoyed the view for about half an hour until heading back down. We then spent another hour on the shore of Two Medicine Lake. There were then 15 attempts at a picture of us jumping in the air followed by a short swim. I thought they were crazy but they went in and I just took embarrassing photos which I will not post at this time in an attempt to keep the friends that I have made.
It was my first shift in my full park service uniform today. I came into the visitor center at 8am and as people came in for training and computer use I was greeted with, “Awwww look at you.” I guess I failed at the attempt to look like a bad ass. Haha…just kidding. Sarah then insisted on getting about 5 pictures of me behind the desk. The visitor center has been slow and I can honestly say that I was bored today. Hence the pictures….and sneaking in to watch bear training…and looking at mountain lion pictures. Soon enough the VC will be flooded with visitors and programs will commence. I applied to my first winter job today as well…seems really soon but it will be here before we know it.
More and more people are arriving now and all divisions should be fully staffed now. Saturday morning I woke up hoping to possibly get out on the trails at some point before our second week of training and work begins. I looked out the window to see a fresh 3 inches of snow. Well so much for that I thought, and went back to bed. I did eventually get up and outside to take some pictures as the snow started to melt out. We all could feel the front moving through the day before as the wind began to pick up. Some of the visitors were warned about the snow but they didn’t seem to believe us. I wonder how they are doing today as they crawl out of their tents. Some tourists from Florida were taken by surprise as well.
We now have a bear trap in St. Mary because of a problem bear that we have been having in the housing area. Audrey told me that we had a bear on our front porch this past week and he went barreling off into the bushes as soon as she opened the door. Living in the trailer loop definitely has its perks. As much as I miss the dorm it is a nice change to have my own space, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Now I have a whole lot of room to throw my stuff around in and not just one room. My Wii has become quite popular and I am glad considering that is why I brought it. I am in the dorm quite often though as we have quite an interesting group this season. Last year training seemed very quiet compared to this year. We have strong and outgoing personalities this year in the interpretive division and so far have been really enjoying myself. At the end of the day I can leave the noise and head back to a more secluded area to unwind. I think I have found the best of both worlds.
I hear rumors of more movie showings at the St. Mary Visitor center. We recently saw V for Vendetta as a group. Why not? We have this amazing new surround sound system so why shouldn’t we enjoy it for ourselves once in a while? We watched the Wizard of Oz last week before training that lead us into our theme for this year. In many ways Glacier National Park is like the wonderful Land of Oz…. Visitors to the park can relate to Dorothy because they are visiting a magical place where there are all sorts of interesting this to see and experience. When they return home they will be forever changed. Home might be the same physically but this place does seem to have an effect on people. One they get to this park many different things lay in their path that interpreters are trying to help them find. We provide them with intellectual connections that help them to understand the meanings of the resource (Scarecrow…he is the symbol of intellect). They will hopefully also make emotional connections (Tin man). As interpreters we are taught to use the resource and our creativity to bring about these emotional connections. This will allow visitors to care about Glacier then hopefully care for Glacier. And finally courage is what makes this all possible (Lion). We must have the courage to try new things, break out of our comfort zone and allow ourselves to be surprised.
After the snow on Saturday a few of us decided to go on a trek up to Scenic Point in the Two Medicine area. We knew that it was going to be snow covered but we welcomed the adventure and started out early on Sunday morning. We saw a cinnamon black bear and a moose on the drive up and another black bear on the drive out. One might think that that would be a great day in itself but the hike and some time by the lake were spectacular. We ran into more and more snow on the trail as we climbed in elevation. At one point we missed one of the switchbacks because the snow was so deep that we couldn’t see the trail….we figured that since Scenic Point was at the top I was pretty hard to miss. Eventually we rejoined the trail and made it to a large rock at the top. Scenic Point was in view but a large snow drift kept us from going all the way. The drift was on a ledge…Bryan was convinced that we could make it but after looking at it closer he was eventually outvoted. I told him that I think we are recognizing limits and respecting them. After the Mt. Jackson incident last summer I am beginning to respect those limits more often.
The view was incredible with all of the snow covered peaks in the distance. We had lunch on the top. Food always tastes better after a long hike. Bryan continued to say, “There is nothing better than an apple at the top of a mountain. That first bite is better than ice cream.” Sierra, Shari, and I completely agreed and enjoyed the view for about half an hour until heading back down. We then spent another hour on the shore of Two Medicine Lake. There were then 15 attempts at a picture of us jumping in the air followed by a short swim. I thought they were crazy but they went in and I just took embarrassing photos which I will not post at this time in an attempt to keep the friends that I have made.
It was my first shift in my full park service uniform today. I came into the visitor center at 8am and as people came in for training and computer use I was greeted with, “Awwww look at you.” I guess I failed at the attempt to look like a bad ass. Haha…just kidding. Sarah then insisted on getting about 5 pictures of me behind the desk. The visitor center has been slow and I can honestly say that I was bored today. Hence the pictures….and sneaking in to watch bear training…and looking at mountain lion pictures. Soon enough the VC will be flooded with visitors and programs will commence. I applied to my first winter job today as well…seems really soon but it will be here before we know it.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Brains, Heart, and Courage in the Real Land of Oz.
Adrien and I took a 9.5 mile trip out into the Red Eagle Valley yesterday for a bit of an adventure. Much to my own detrement I am now really sunburned and have started the infamous ranger tan. Not that I have really gotten the chance to wear my new uniform yet but the sleeve line is in the same place that it will be all summer. I have finally cured my hat envy that I had all last summer because I now have a beautiful new stenson hat of my own and can't wait to wear it on the job very soon.
Training has started officially and I will be off to West Glacier again tomorrow to start the first week of training. During our second week of training at Many Glacier I will be in and out of the valley, attending training on some days and working the St. Mary Visitor Center on others. Our training theme this year is Brains, heart, and courage in the real land of OZ. I can't wait to see what Mark has cooked up for this. I know one thing for sure...I will be bringing my camera because Mark tells me that there will be some YouTube worthy sessions. I look forward to training because you never know quite what to expect and everyone enjoys themselves at least some of the time whether they expect to or not.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Road Trips and Warm Weather...
So...I graduated on Saturday (May 23)...drove home on Sunday...packed the car and headed for Glacier on Monday. I drove out with one of our new interns who lives near Syracuse as well so as least I had some company. It was defintley a whirl wind couple of days. We drove from Syracuse, NY to St. Mary Montana in just under three days. This included stops at Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. They have put up a new memorial at Mount Rushmore which is a large granite archway including a column for every state with the state flag hanging from each column. Visitors walk through this as they the come upon the viewing area for Mount Rushmore itself. We watched many visitors taking pictures of this new addition with the presidents faces falling in the center of the structure behind it. I felt that a project this size kind of takes away from the sculpture itself. I was unimpressed. I don't like when people try to make something grander when the original is already enough to make you stare in awe.
On our the third day of our journey I was ready to leave the car and walk the rest of the way just so i could get the feeling back in my legs. However, As I saw the mountains come into view to the west I forgot all about my legs and my heart started pounding with the excitement of being back in St. Mary again. We arrived and quickly picked up our keys and unloaded half of the luggage when I got a call from Jamie asking me if we had made it yet. We left the rest of the baggage in the car and headed up to Sun Point to join the group at St. Mary falls. We met up with Jamie, Mark, and Elizabeth whom I was so happy to see again. I then we introduced to the rest of the St. Mary interp crew. I was imressed with how outgoing all of the new interns are. We are going to have a great season there is no doubt about that.
When entering the visitor center I noticed that we now have a variety of brand new signs. One is on the outside of the building and includes the NPS arrowhead. We have beautiful signs inside the visitor center that help visitors to distingush between the information and backcountry desks as well as a new sign for the Glacier Association book store. As I went upstairs to check my mail I found the letter that informed me that the program that I submitted last year certified. As I read through the comments I began to smile. After only a few suggestions for improvement the statements ended with the words , "Nicely Done!"
The weather has been unusually warm for the past few days on the east side of the park. When I drove up I was expecting 60's and maybe some rain. It has reached the 80's for three days in a row this week, but looking like it might cool off a little bit this weekend. The interns seem to be making a fast adjustment to life in the park and we are still expecting the last member of our crew to arrive later this afternoon. It is definetly a sea of change in St. Mary. Besides Jamie, Sarah, Elizabeth, Adrien and myself I am seeing new faces all around me, not just interp but in Law Enforcement, Entrance Station employees, and Backcountry as well. I look forward to meeting new friends as the summer progresses and also catching up with old ones. Adrien and I have planned our first hiking excersion for tomorrow and should be nothing short of entertaining. I am also looking forward to our potluck tonight which will bring everyone together for a good time. Stay tunned for more updates soon...
On our the third day of our journey I was ready to leave the car and walk the rest of the way just so i could get the feeling back in my legs. However, As I saw the mountains come into view to the west I forgot all about my legs and my heart started pounding with the excitement of being back in St. Mary again. We arrived and quickly picked up our keys and unloaded half of the luggage when I got a call from Jamie asking me if we had made it yet. We left the rest of the baggage in the car and headed up to Sun Point to join the group at St. Mary falls. We met up with Jamie, Mark, and Elizabeth whom I was so happy to see again. I then we introduced to the rest of the St. Mary interp crew. I was imressed with how outgoing all of the new interns are. We are going to have a great season there is no doubt about that.
When entering the visitor center I noticed that we now have a variety of brand new signs. One is on the outside of the building and includes the NPS arrowhead. We have beautiful signs inside the visitor center that help visitors to distingush between the information and backcountry desks as well as a new sign for the Glacier Association book store. As I went upstairs to check my mail I found the letter that informed me that the program that I submitted last year certified. As I read through the comments I began to smile. After only a few suggestions for improvement the statements ended with the words , "Nicely Done!"
The weather has been unusually warm for the past few days on the east side of the park. When I drove up I was expecting 60's and maybe some rain. It has reached the 80's for three days in a row this week, but looking like it might cool off a little bit this weekend. The interns seem to be making a fast adjustment to life in the park and we are still expecting the last member of our crew to arrive later this afternoon. It is definetly a sea of change in St. Mary. Besides Jamie, Sarah, Elizabeth, Adrien and myself I am seeing new faces all around me, not just interp but in Law Enforcement, Entrance Station employees, and Backcountry as well. I look forward to meeting new friends as the summer progresses and also catching up with old ones. Adrien and I have planned our first hiking excersion for tomorrow and should be nothing short of entertaining. I am also looking forward to our potluck tonight which will bring everyone together for a good time. Stay tunned for more updates soon...
Monday, December 15, 2008
Santa Claus is coming to town
I saw Santa Claus today as I was driving into Walmart. This guy was heavy set, with long white hair and a beard. To top it all of he was wearing a red shirt and a santa hat. As I drove in I could just imagine what all of the customers under the age of eight must have been thinking. All of them pointing and tugging at their parents jackets saying, "Mommy, mommy its Santa!" And later that night they will be asking, "Dad, how come Santa drives a Ford?"
One my way home on the interstate A tan Dodge Intreped sped past me and I had to do a doubletake. Fastened to each side of the roof were reindeer antlers (obviously fake). People take Christmas seriously in Syracuse.
One my way home on the interstate A tan Dodge Intreped sped past me and I had to do a doubletake. Fastened to each side of the roof were reindeer antlers (obviously fake). People take Christmas seriously in Syracuse.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Good Luck.
Today I unwilingly woke up early to deliver an application to the post office. I never realized just how much I hate the cold until this morning. I've decided that I am moving south next winter. The snow scraper seemed to have little effect on my windshield and I could hear her groan and she struggled to start. As long as I am moving south, I might as well get a new car while I'm at it. Zola is on her last legs. Once i finally got all of the snow off of my windshield and got the car started I headed down to the post office.
I walked in the door, waited in line. When I finally got to the counter the women there was very friendly. She had on reindeer antlers. I think she is one of those people who gets overly excited about the holidays. I am not one of those people. I simply smiled and handed her my envelope addressed to the National Park Service. She weight the envelope and sent it on its way. She handed me my reciept and smiled. "Good Luck!" she said to me. I was actually quite shocked that she new that it was an application. I grinned back and thanked her. This has to be a sign right? Well I will keep telling myself that it is.
Good luck? Yeah. I need that for my finals.
I walked in the door, waited in line. When I finally got to the counter the women there was very friendly. She had on reindeer antlers. I think she is one of those people who gets overly excited about the holidays. I am not one of those people. I simply smiled and handed her my envelope addressed to the National Park Service. She weight the envelope and sent it on its way. She handed me my reciept and smiled. "Good Luck!" she said to me. I was actually quite shocked that she new that it was an application. I grinned back and thanked her. This has to be a sign right? Well I will keep telling myself that it is.
Good luck? Yeah. I need that for my finals.
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