Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I have been teaching myself to play the guitar since I've been in Houston.  I am definitely a beginner.  My camera picked up some wicked feedback.  Regardless, enjoy! 

50,607

For the fourth year in a row, I wrote a 50,000 word (and then some) novel in the month of November.  I finished around 10am this morning.  How thankful I am to be done.  Now I can focus on more important things...

...like finding a job....

33!

My favorite number since I have been young has always been 33.  I have always liked palindromes.  Perhaps having 11/22 as my birthday may have something to do with that.  Growing up I always had 33 as my sport's team jersey number. 

 

Today, November 22, I turned 33.  11-22-33.  Love it!

 

I usually don't broadcast to folks that it's my birthday, and the day tends to be pretty low key.  But, I'm excited about this one.  I have a feeling this next year is going to be awesome.  To quote one of my top five favorite Broadway musicals, "Somethings coming I don't know what it is, but it is, gonna be great.  The air is humming, and something great is coming!" ("West Side Story")

Scotty's Castle and the 100-year Flood

Sunday, October 18th, a storm passed over the northern end of Death Valley National Park.  The cell dumped almost three inches of water in the Scotty's Castle area.  That is more rain in one event than the park averages in a year.

Flooding and mudslides caused amazing amounts of damage to some of the buildings on the Castle grounds.  Mother Nature picked up a large portion of the road leading to the Castle and moved it somewhere else.  Miraculously, the Castle itself sustained minimal damage.  Talking with a ranger friend I've worked with the last three winters at the Castle (she's already out there for her season), she fully believes the visitor center and swimming pool saved the Castle.  The swimming pool, which was never finished and never filled, is now filled, though with mud.  This formerly glaring unfinished project turned out to be a blessing 85 years after construction stopped abruptly.  I will never look at that swimming pool the same.

For photos, I will direct you to the Death Valley National Park Facebook page.  Also, National Parks Traveler has an article and short video clip.  The rest of the park was also impacted, but not like Scotty's.  I almost cried when I saw the footage from the inside of the visitor center.  The link for the video is:

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/10/flooding-runs-counter-death-valleys-image-remakes-national-park-landscape

I was scheduled to return to Scotty's Castle in three weeks for a fourth winter season.  At this time, although the option was still available to return to Death Valley (to do what, I don't know), I have decided not to return.  Trust me when I say it was a hard decision.

What now?  That's still unknown.  I will be in Texas until further notice.  I have friends I haven't seen in a long time, new babies to meet, tap dance classes to attend, plenty of hours of piano playing to complete, and plenty of projects.  Road tripping, traveling, camping trips, piano playing, dancing, visiting, running, scrapbooking, crocheting, who knows....It's always an adventure, right?

North Dome and Indian Rock

My season is fast drawing to a close.  My list of hikes I still need to complete is exponentially longer than the weekends I have left to do them in but I'm going to try my best anyway.  I had Columbus Day off and headed to North Dome.  I surprisingly easy hike with awesome views of Yosemite Valley and surrounding vistas.

Part of my hike went through an area that had a fire come very close to it.  I was intrigued by the sudden pink hue from the fire retardant that was dropped in the area.  Thankfully for you, I'm only posting two of the *cough* pictures I took of pink stuff.

 After some slight trail confusion, I found my way to the top of North Dome and enjoyed having the top all to myself the whole time I was up there.  There are perks hiking early in the morning and during shoulder season.  A view of the valley looking west.  You can just barely make out the Merced River flowing down there and the smoke of a fire on the south side of the valley above Bridalveil Fall.

I realize I must post a lot of photos of Half Dome from different angles in my blog.  Please don't be critical of this; it's the most easily recognizable rock in the park.  (And it is not the most frequently photographed rock in the world.  Plymouth Rock, Rock of Gibraltar, tons of southern Utah, and even Dome of the Rock and Rockefeller Center all appear on a Google search before Half Dome does.  I'm simply boosting rock self-esteem.)

Panoramic video from the top.

 See, I really was there.

 Even with all my caving experience, I don't think I could fit through this.

 On my way down, I took a side trail to explore Indian Rock.  I ate my lunch up there and highly enjoyed this random rock formation.

 Under the arch.

 TEXAS!  Oh yeah!

 And Half Dome again.  You can tell there was an elevation change from North Dome, yes?

All in all, a lovely day.  I love this park!  It's going to be hard to leave in a few weeks.

Bear Sighting

There are lots of things people want to do or see when they visit Yosemite: hike Half Dome, visit at waterfall, and see a bear, to name a few.  One thing I really wanted when I first started last summer, was the latter, to see a bear.  Oh man.  Last summer a mother and two cubs walked by me.  The sighting lasted a total of maybe five seconds.  I was thrilled.  I was jumping up and down and yelling at my coworker, "a bear, a bear!"  Did I have my camera for this oh so brief encounter?  Nope.  And those three were the only bears I saw in a little over six months.

This summer, my desire to see a bear increased.  On a hike, I startled a bear and saw its hind-quarters.  Not satisfied.  While driving, I saw a bear cub, absolutely adorable, playing by the side of the road.  But I was driving and couldn't stop and didn't have my camera anyway.  Then again, driving, a bear ran across the road in front of me.  While I've had more sightings, nothing where I felt I could really watch and enjoy and observe and photograph the animal.

A few weeks I go I went for a run.  As I ran by the vegetation office, I saw a bear trap.  There were people congregated and pointing.  A bear!  Not wanting to lose daylight, I ran my fastest bit-over-three miles ever, grabbed my camera, and came back and spent a glorious 20 minutes watching a 6 year old female eat acorns in a tree.

 Yes, these are horribly blurry.  I know I need to work on my photography skills.  You'll have to simply trust that it's a bear.  She even had the bear hind leg swagger I absolutely love.

I was able to get five seconds of video when she decided to climb out of the tree.  Again, yes, I know it's sideways; I'm obviously challenged in more than one way.

It was a wonderful event and I feel satisfied in checking off "see a bear" on my list of summer goals.

And the sunset from my front porch that night wasn't so bad either.

Camp Hollywood 2015

I have always enjoyed dancing.  I believe I get it from my grandmother on my dad's side who would spend her nights dancing at Saltair in Utah.  Three years ago when I started my first winter season in Death Valley, a coworker, Chris, invited all us new folks to go swing dancing in Las Vegas.  I went.  I learned the steps as best I could.  I continued to go when I could the rest of the season and my next two winter seasons in Death Valley.  I tried my best, had fun, but was never very good.

The last two years Chris had attended a swing dance camp in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend.  Before he started a new NPS job in Moab, he said I should think about attending Camp Hollywood 2015.  

I thought about it.  I begged my supervisor for the time off (and on one of the busiest weekends for the park).  I went.  I loved it!  I will go again.

I got to LA late Thursday night.  There's a lot of people down there.  Registration didn't start until 8pm Friday night so that day Chris and I went to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA.  What an amazing place.  I could spend another three days there.  The collections are amazing.  The art is overwhelming.  The gardens were beautiful.  I took a lot of pictures of the gardens.

No clue what this is but I love the color.

Again, not sure the actual name, but I call them the really big trees I would think I would find in Africa.  Huge, towering trees.  Oh, and there was grass.  Real grass.  Full, thick, lush, Houston-type grass.  I may have walked barefoot on the grass.  Simple pleasures, right?

We spent a lot of time in the desert garden admiring the succulents.

Friday night was registration and a dance.  There were dances Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night.  I went to all of them.  Over the course of the weekend I also attended 12 dance classes and learned the basic Lindy (and finally got my swing out!!), balboa and collegiate shag basics, and so much more.  I watched some of the competitions as well.  It was amazing!

At the end of each class the instructors reviewed what was covered and allowed the participants to record them.  Below was my first class Monday morning.  The step is the mini-dip.   I can do it.  So fun!

Monday afternoon was collegiate shag.  Also very fun.  Usually this step goes a whole heck of a lot faster.  I may have shagged my way across a few bridges the last few days I was in the high country hiking trail....

(and yes, I know it's sideways...I'm technologically challenged.)

Two ranger friends from Death Valley (who just got engaged!!) were in town and we were able to go to dinner together Monday night.  It was fun to see them outside of a work setting.  Taylor, Carrie, Chris, and me.

You'll notice I added 2015 to the title of this post.  I do that in the hopes there will be many more years of Camp Hollywood to come.

Comp Service Date

Occasionally a job application for the NPS will ask for your comp service date.  I had no idea what this was until five years ago.  As a seasonal, I often don't work fully year round.  In the early days I didn't have a winter position. Now, between winter and summer jobs I might have two weeks or a month off.  Your comp service date adds all the time you have worked for the NPS and then counts that time back from your current start date for your current position.  Clear as murky pond water?

Today, August 28, I celebrate five years of government service.  There's a "Five Year" framed certificate.  It's taken me eleven years and thirteen seasons with the NPS to reach my five year mark.   I know I'm a seasonal, but I'm going to get my framed certificate, I tell you! 

I decided to take a stroll through memory lane of my past thirteen seasons.  (Note: some of these pictures are repeats from previous posts.)

My first season was at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge, Montana.  How I love that place, the people, the town...who knew you could become so attached to a place in such a short amount of time.  The main ranch house is pictured below.

My second summer was also spent at Grant-Kohrs Ranch.  However, I don't have any work photos but tons of photos from our summer musical "Singin' in the Rain"  That's me in the middle.

My third summer was my last in Montana.  Again, no work photos but a picture from the dream sequence in "Calamity Jane".

After two years off for grad school I found myself working for Big Thicket National Preserve.  I was not at the preserve itself, but working on the Texas A&M campus in the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, or CESU.

Summer 2010 was spent at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  The picture below is me and my parents on the balcony of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse after I had given my full moon lighthouse climb program.  That's the moon in the background.  Loved that summer on the beach. 

 Great Basin National Park.  Near and dear to my heart Great Basin.  What a truly magical place.  Wonderful resource, wonderful friends.  Sitting on the top of Wheeler Peak my first summer in the park.

 At the top of Lincoln Peak my second summer and Great Basin.

 I finally landed a winter seasonal position winter 2012-13 at Death Valley National Park, working at Scotty's Castle.  Below I'm giving my Castle tour, in costume, and we're in Scotty's room.  "Scotty was born in 1872 in the backwoods of Kentucky..."

 My ninth season landed me at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  Every time I went down (or up) the natural entrance to the cave, I was always overwhelmed by the shear size of the space.  Amazing resource.

 I returned to Death Valley for season ten.  The desert had really grown on me and I find that park absolutely beautiful in its own unique way.

 And then came my eleventh season.  My dream job, a social scientist position.  Oh my, could I be any more thrilled.  It was an added bonus it was in Yosemite National Park.  I had a truly amazing experience that summer.

The cub reporter was resurrected for a third winter in Death Valley at Scotty's Castle for my twelfth season with the NPS.

Season number thirteen has yet to disappoint thus far.  Hard to believe I've been here only four months.  It seems so much longer, but in a good way, in a "I belong here" kind of way.  

I have been so very blessed to have worked in these wonderful places, interacted with all sorts of visitors, and have made some very dear friends along the way.  Here's to eleven five years.  Bring on the next five!

That's a New One

My dad has often said he and my mom had three criteria when they were choosing names for their children.

1. Something that did not have a nickname and/or couldn't really be shortened
2. Something everyone could spell and pronounce
3. Something that would easily identify the gender of the child

I'm so happy my parents named me Kate.  I think it suites me well.

I had a long hiking day for work on Saturday.  It started to rain on me as I was approaching the trailhead on the way to the car, and then it hailed!  Fast, hard, pellets of hail!  From Saturday to Saturday I calculated I'd hiked about 65 miles.  The last thing I wanted to do was go home and cook dinner.  Plus, I desperately needed to grocery shop.  I decided to do something I have never done in my life just for myself.  I went two miles down the road to one of the hotels' restaurants and ordered a pizza.  The server asked for my name.  Apparently, criteria 2 was not met and Kate is hard to spell.

Kaiht.  That's a new one.

Clouds Rest

 Another hike!  It's been a lot of long hiking days for me lately.  A long hike to Ostrander, rest day, a longer hike to Clouds Rest, a long hike for work, a rest day, a short hike for work today (but it's straight up a long flight of stairs and I was running late and ran it so I'm counting that on pure exertion), a long hike for work tomorrow and again on Saturday.  As much as I love this park, I'm utterly exhausted.

Back to Clouds Rest.  An old friend from my parents' single days (that's going back a bit) lives in the Bay area.  He contacted me seeking advice on hiking Clouds Rest.  I attempted it last year and ran into snow and never made it to the top.  I had the day off and asked if they wanted company.

So bright and early, we met and drove to the trailhead.  We stopped at Olmstead Point on the way to take a quick photo.  Thanks Jim for sending the following to me!  Jim (friend of both my mom and dad) and his two sons.  Look at that sky!

The hike is long, about 14 miles round trip.  There is a fairly lengthy and steep section near the beginning that might deter some folks.  Not us!

A pond along the way.

Wildflowers!

 No clue what this is but I think it's beautiful!

Another up-hill and narrow stretch.  Nearing the top though!

 The view from the top was amazing.  There was a little wildfire smoke haze but it didn't hinder the view.  Here I am contemplating the canyon leading up to Merced Lake.

 Looking west/southwest to Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley.

I don't do this often so I hope it works.  A 360 degree view from the top.  It is beautiful.

Although my legs are saying no more, fellow hikers always welcome!

Ostrander Lake

I got out this weekend.  It was wonderful.

 

This time I drove part way up the Glacier Point Road to the Ostrander Lake trailhead.  When I left my house the temperature was in the mid 60s.  When I got to the trailhead, Little Car said it was 41 degrees.  Amazing what a little elevation can do.  I was wearing shorts and a lightweight cotton shirt.  I had my very lightweight rain jacket in my pack but I still hiked some pretty fast miles for the first few hours until it warmed up. 

 

The hike was a little over 12 miles round trip.  There was a point near the middle where there were two options for getting to the lake; I took the west way in and the east way out.  I have a lot of trail to cover still in the park.

This sign is posted at the trailhead.  Umm....

There wasn't a spot of snow to be found.  However, the wildflowers are going crazy at this elevation.  The picture doesn't show it, but in the early morning light, this meadow was absolutely stunning with blues, purples, reds, oranges, yellows, and greens.

The trail to the lake was up.  Up, and up, and up.  I finally got to an elevation where the trees thinned out and I reached a ridge.  The view was amazing.  I fell in love with Yosemite all over again. 

Slight trail confusion.  I have found distances on trail junction signs are quite accurate.  Between the skiing route sign and the trail sign, we've got almost a half mile difference (3.5 and 3.9 respectively).  That's got to be embarrassing to someone.

About three hours after I started I saw the lake peaking through the trees.  It is a beautiful place.

There is a ski hut at this location; the front porch looks right out onto the water.  Awesome views.

Lunch!  I passed a backpacker who said he went for a swim.  I stuck my feet in and decided I would not be swimming.  It was really cold!

I love how from this angle it looks like the lake would spill over if any more water was added. 

I had the lake pretty much to myself and loved every minute.  It's hard to believe I'm already halfway through my season.  When I got home I made a list of hikes I still want to take and put them in order of preference (or time required before the days get too short).  Too many hikes, not enough weekends!

Fellow adventurers always welcome.