a day in the road trip life

Phew, yesterday was A Day. You know, like when you get to the end of it and can’t believe that all

those things that happened could have possibly occurred on one April 24^th, 2015.

Started off with a walk down nostalgia lane—we slept in Wind Cave National Park, SD. I spent three weeks there on a SCA summer crew right after high school. I strolled through our old campground in the early morning, reminiscing with myself about the spigots we used for a waterfight that one time, and the firepit we gathered around on the first night to play butt darts. Then I got to the visitor center right when it opened so that I could finally get my Jr. Ranger badge, six year later.

Prairie sunrise

We went on a scenic drive, stopping to gaze at some adorable prairie dogs and grazing bison. Then it was nearing lunchtime, and I really needed to go to the Purple Pie Place in Custer for old times sake. So we drove the windy road back out of the park, keeping our eye out for rogue road bison.

A few minutes into our drive, we spy a NPS person walking on the side of the road. My first thought/hope was that it was Ranger Dwayne-- the man, the myth, the legend. My SCA crew had been mildly obsessed with him because we got to spend a day wandering around the hills with him as he tracked elk populations with radio telemetry. So he approaches us, and we shake hands, and I say: “Uhhhhh are you Ranger Dwayne by any chance?” Lo and behold, he is! He was checking on an eagle nest. Casual day at the office.

We chat about what he does, and the fire that just occurred in Wind Cave, and then we talk about where Emily and I are headed (to camp). And that’s how I ended up giving my camp brochure to Ranger Dwayne. Self fiiiiive.

We keep driving, and encounter a herd of bison on the road! Up close and personal.

Then the day continues. We start driving to Custer, as it begins to POUR. Got myself some warm blackberry pie and huckleberry ice cream, and then we kept driving. I had to stop in Hill City, because six years ago it had the best corny postcards I have ever encountered. I bought 49, but like, who’s counting.

Then the sun comes out for our drive to Wall Drug. The build up is worth it—so many life-size replicas and stuffed things to take pictures with, the free ice water and the 5 cent coffee is REAL, and the corny postcards are there in fair numbers (but I’ve seen better).

Then it was time to drive to Badlands while blasting Badlands-- the song. We drive in and immediately see a group of bighorn sheep grazing on the hillside. Bighorn sheep sightings in Death Valley are quite rare, and maybe they’re not quite as rare in South Dakota, but still worth a freak out. So after that excitement we keep driving, with the plan of finding a campsite and a sunset viewing point. 

Bighorns and impending storm of doom.

But then the storm caught up with us. Two hours of torrential downpours interspersed with blue bolts of lightning over the prairie and the badlands. Pretty glad I’ve already been to the park, because I really didn’t get to see anything—it was terrifying out. Needless to say, we scrapped the camping plan and I slowly drove us out and eastward. Right when we got to the eastern edge of the park, we got to witness a break in the storm and a double rainbow. I drove for about another hour, into the storm, and then we saw a magical hotel sign for a Best Western in Murdo (tried to ignore how it sounded a lot like murder), and here we are. Hot breakfast and lots of coffee, and it’s time to drive to Minnesota. Onward and upward, through this foggy gray day.

Badlands or really anywhere where it's raining.

The Road Trip Dilemma

We first encountered The Road Trip Dilemma whilst traveling through Zion National Park. There is this terribly scenic road that winds up the mountains and through a tunnel, and every bend is breathtaking. I think we only stopped twice, because shoot it was past 4 pm and we had to drive and find our campsite for the night! Actually, that’s a lie. We definitely stopped 5 times. 

One issue is when you’ve stopped to take a picture of one cool thing, you keep driving and then shortly find another spectacular view and think, ‘Aww, this one is better.” So you feel like you have to stop again even though it’s really only mildly different. But still, different. And like, when else will you be driving in Utah?

Another issue is that sometimes the driver just needs to look at the yellow line and not anything else, but then she needs to enjoy the views too! So you gotta stop and take a picture! Schedule? What schedule?
Luckily, we have a flexible road trip schedule with only a couple places with actual time obligations. Plenty of time to pull off and admire some rocks. Or decide spur of the moment to ditch Arches and try for a Phoenix/ Durango/ Denver route instead. If I type it here, does it mean we have to stick to the plan?

traveling alone

I'm currently on my first ever solo trip. Camping on my own, in my car, in a new place. I have once again not followed through on my blogging promise-- things just got too busy over in Death Valley. But now I'm away in the Eastern Sierras, with lots of time (well, two days) to reflect on my winter and share some snippets with you. But first I'll share about this whole solo-tripping thing.

The pros:
I did not have to plan in advance whatsoever
I can stop wherever I want
I can camp wherever I want (mostly)
I can listen to whatever I want (ahem, Harry Potter and country music)
I can smell bad
I can let my car get super messy
I can change my "plans" without checking with someone
I can just say things and sing things
Two people wouldn't fit super well anyway in the back of the car with all of the shit I have piled in there
I'm more willing to talk to people to get advice

The cons:
No one to share magnificent views with
Gas is getting expensivo
Didn't have anyone to freak out with about the full salsa bar last night
Camping alone is sort of scary/ I'm really good at scaring myself
I don't push myself to get out and hike that much, hence why I'm currently lounging in a coffee shop
Basically surviving on digestive biscuits

So, it does seem like I have more pros than cons. But wow,  I am SO excited to travel with a buddy for the road trip back across the country. Solo-tripping is something that I'm sure I'll do a lot more of, and I'll definitely appreciate it when I do it, and vice versa for buddy-traveling. Gotta have both experiences to appreciate the ups and downs of each.

on the radio

I’m going to be honest-- I came into this job with few expectations or goals for my three months here. Sure I hoped to learn about the management of the 3.1 million acres of wilderness in the park, but I didn’t really give a thought to what else I’d be learning or doing. I’m kind of glad about that-- it’s all been a surprise, plus I really think you can’t go wrong by living in a national park for free for a season. But, turns out am am learning a ton! Who woulda thunk it?

Aside from driving a truck, the most tangible skill I’ve gained here in Death Valley has been how to use a radio. I always carry a handheld radio for work, and the radio always has to be on while driving government trucks. Just by driving for an hour, which is typical for a morning here, one can get a great sense of all important park happenings. There’s a little list in the truck of all of the call numbers of employees here, so if someone calls in you can check your little list and find out exactly who is saying what to who. It’s the ultimate place to go for your daily dose of gossip. And at 9 a.m., the Morning Report gets broadcasted! With all the important weather information and road closure info that you ever needed! 

For those who don’t know how a radio system works (like I didn’t), I’ll give some background. There is a central dispatch that you call in order to get help, give information, and get information. They are called San Bernardino-- that is their call number. My call number is 275. The 2 is for the Resources division of the park, the 7 is for Wilderness, and the 5 is just cuz. You also have to say which transmitter you’re closet to, and have a good enough sense of where you are to turn your radio to the appropriate station. So here’s a sample of what I would say if I was going off the pavement for a day (as I do most every day). 

Me: San Bernardino, 275, on Rogers.

SB: Go ahead.

Me: Myself and 5 Americorps are heading into the backcountry at Copper Canyon, should be out by 17:00.

SB: Showing 275 and 5 Americorps in service at Copper Canyon.

And that’s about it. Then all I have to do is call in when I get back on pavement and tell them that I made it out alive. Easy peasy. 

The only problem is that I hate hate hate the thought of everyone hearing my voice over the radio. Especially when something embarrassing happens, like if I have to call in to San Bernardino to ask for the Mile Marker of the canyon I’m trying to get to. True story. Everyone heard that I had no idea where I was going and didn’t have a detailed map and was driving aimlessly. But all public humiliation aside, the radio is probably the most important tool I use, and I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to get practice using it. Also when I'm not thinking about how everyone can hear me, I feel pretty dang cool using it.

Death Valley's cabins

Death Valley has dozens of abandoned cabins within its borders, in various states of disrepair. Our group typically sees two cabins per week, which is way more than the average visitor sees. We’ve spent the past couple of work camping trips cleaning up trash and piping from around a couple of these cabins. Many of the cabins have names, sometimes relating to the last person who inhabited the cabin, and sometimes for an unknown reason. We’ve been to Weston Cabin, Rita’s Cabin, Madeline’s Cabin, Rebecca’s Cabin, Claire Camp, Hunter Cabin, and many more that are related to mining that I didn’t catch the name of.

Aside from tetanus and dehydration, our biggest health worry on these work trips near the cabins is Hantavirus. It’s spread by inhaling dust from rodent droppings, which are abundant in cabins. Luckily, there has not yet been any death linked to the Hantavirus in Death Valley. Unluckily, there is no cure. All Hanta worry aside though, it’s been exciting the explore the cabins, with our mouths and noses covered. It’s fun to imagine what kinds of characters decades ago decided to build a ramshackle home in the rough desert and live in total seclusion. I tip my NPS Volunteer hat to them for trying to make it work for at least a little while. But still, did they have to leave so much trash?

Here we are with all the junk we backpacked up from the Weston Cabin. Lots of piping, propane bottles, magazines, and even a couple of chainsaws in fair condition!

Home #5

As I was driving back from Vegas on Sunday, I realized I was looking forward to going home to Death Valley. Right on cue too-- I had just passed the three-week mark of living here. I suppose the list of places that I can call home will only grow now-- it’s looking like I’ll lead a pretty seasonal life for the next couple years. The magical thing about living a seasonal lifestyle in a park is that everyone who I live with is doing the exact same thing. I don’t get the same quizzical reaction here when I discuss future plans, or lack thereof. No one here quite knows what is coming next in their career, but they know that they’ll end up in a beautiful place with a solid community of people who are pursuing similar national park dreams. That’s the mentality I was chasing when I left DC. It’s good to be here.

a week in the life

I've been here for about three weeks, and I can safely say that this is the most unpredictable job I have ever had. Things I have control over/ can predict:
-my lunch and snacks for the day (alllll of the beef jerky)
-how much water I bring/drink
-I'll probably have to drive the truck to the site
-I'll always have to grab the sat phone, my radio, and work gloves
-it's going to be sunny

Aaaaand that's about it. Every day here is completely different. I'll write out my past week to give you a sense of how I spend my days. A bit of background: My boss and I work with a group of 12 Americorps members pretty much every day. Sometimes the numbers fluctuate, sometimes I'm "in charge," and sometimes we're working with random other park people who need assistance for the day.

Monday: 7:30 am, I drive us on very windy roads with crazy drop-offs, down a dirt road with beautiful Joshua Trees, onto a 4WD road, and then switch with my boss and he takes over for the intense last bit of the 4WD road. One conservation I had with Charlie, my boss goes as follows:

Charlie: How did that driving go for you? 

Me: Pretty well, I think! Uhhhh how do you think it went for me? 

Charlie: I think it went well, but you drove like a 90-year-old grandma!

Despite my driving, we made it to our worksite for the day: a plane crash clean-up! The plane crashed in the 80's, and we were tasked with picking up the bits of aluminum that were scattered a huge distance along the hillside. We carted it out in backpacks and buckets and sorted out the trash, then drove back.

Here is a portion of the aluminum debris we collected.

Tuesday: Organized the aluminum and other metal recycling with Charlie, then loaded up 2 trucks and drove them to Pahrump, NV to weigh and recycle the metal. We went out for Japanese food and then drove back.

Wednesday: Drove out an hour to a hillside in the south part of the park to cull invasive Sahara mustard with a couple of invasive management employees. Transect the hillside all day long and pull out any Sahara mustard we find (our group won!), see lots of lizards!

Thursday: I'm kinda in charge, so I lead the group to work with pulaskis and McClouds to hack up some burm on the roadside that we're trying to turn into a trail. Then we get a tour of Scotty's Castle, a big tourist attraction in the park. We drive to Ubehebe Crater and pick up trash along the edges, then drive the hour back home.

Friday: Big day-- we're off at 7:30 to meet up with a large group of Sierra Club volunteers. Drive up a pretty rocky 4WD road to the mouth of a side canyon where at an undisclosed location a couple of miles up, there is a marijuana grow site for us to clean up. I radio in with a law enforcement ranger who is at the site for directions, as I am in the lead with three Sierra Club volunteers. I almost lost one of them, and I learn how to use my radio in the process. We pack out a lot of irrigation tape and hike it back out, and drive back. I get invited to the Sierra Club potluck afterwards, where they feed me and ask lots of questions about my life in front of the whole group (my favorite pastime).

Weekend: Backpacking trip with friends from the dorms! We hiked up a beautiful canyon that turned into a smooth slot canyon. Played frisbee, ate chocolate, and slept under the moon. And got back in time for the halftime show, of course.