A Slightly Different Direction for the Summer

I know where I will be this summer.  I decided to do something a little different.  I will not be in interpretation.  I will not be manning a visitor center desk.  I will not be leading tours.  I will not be guiding hikes.  I will not be conducting evening campfire programs.  I will not be roving trails.  I will not be stressing over cramming every last detail of a new park into my head before I'm put in front of the public with a very recognizable hat that automatically makes visitors think I know everything.  I will not be stressing over researching and writing new programs.  I will not be stressing over giving those programs for the first, second, third, nth time until I feel I'm finally connecting my visitors to the resource.  I will not get yelled at by stressed out visitors.  I will not be directly putting up with tourons (moron tourists).  I will not answer the same question over and over and over again with a smile on my face, acting as if I have never been asked that question before.  Don't get me wrong, I love my job.  My offices over the past ten years (started at Grant Khors in May 2004) have been in some of the most beautiful places.  I truly believe in the park service mission.  So what am I doing?

 

I will be doing what I went to six years of school to do.  Finally!!  I can't tell you how over and above excited I am.  So thrilled.  Exstatic.  Over joyed.  I can't wait.  I will be working in the resource management division, researching to better understand the visitor experience while at the same time monitoring the resource so we don't love it to death.  Awesome, I know.  Try not to be jealous.

 

The big question, however, where will I be doing this.  I will be approximately 150 miles from two major-ish, or at least recognizable cities, in the US.  Let's see where this angle fits...

It's not Acadia National Park.

It's not Arches National Park.

It's not Big Bend National Park.

It's not Yellowstone National Park.

It is.... Yosemite National Park. 

Like I said, try not to be jealous, just come visit.

Best View in the Park

I had another great day of adventuring.  My hiking buddy Isabelle and I headed west this time.  Our first stop was Stovepipe Wells for breakfast and then we drove to Emigrant Canyon to look at more of the many holes in Death Valley.  It had been over a year since I'd been on that road and I had forgotten how beautiful it is.

Our first stop was the Skidoo mine.  The original name was 23-Skidoo which is slang for 'leave' or 'get out of here'.  (I think I need to incorporate that into my house tour.)  However, the 23 was dropped because the post office wasn't going to allow it for the mailing address.  Skidoo was a very successful gold mine.  

Awesome remains of the mill.

More of the mill remains.

On the way back to pavement, we ran into some other holes in the ground we needed to check out.

Evidence we weren't the only ones to travel the backcountry roads.

Pete Aguereberry, who mined diligently but not terribly successfully in Death Valley, said this was the best view of the valley.  I agree.  It was awesome.  Cold, but awesome.

I love this view of the valley.  You can almost see geology at work.  You get a tiny glimpse of some of the colors to be found out here.  You can also see where sediment has started to absorb the mountains and hills that are down slope of the Panamint's ridgeline.

Investigating another hole.

We haven't had a spectacular wildflower bloom this year.  It's been pretty dismal.  But, there were some very vibrant Indian paintbrush blooming up by the Cashier Mill.  Stunning against the cream rocks and blue sky.

It was a great day.  It's always fun to get out and explore a new place and Isabelle is a dear friend and great company.  We ended the day back at Stovepipe Wells for soft-serve ice cream.

This is kind of unrelated but I had to post it.  We are in the thick of spring break in the park.  It has been busy and crazy and wonderful.  However, it means gas prices in the park are going to go up.  If you find yourself wincing as you drive by gas stations in your area, I thought this might make you fell a bit better.

Interviews for summer have started and there might be something in the works...stay tuned for where my next adventure will take me.