Grizzly RV Park is full almost every night for July and August. Norm and I talk to many of the campers and a question we often hear is, "How long does it take to see everything in the Park?" Our answer is, we have been coming to Yellowstone for almost 35 years and we haven't seen everything, yet. They respond with, "Well, we drove the entire Park in a day (or two) and we've seen it all." Okay...
Last night we took one of our favorite drives to see animals. A pair of binoculars and a camera is a must. We started at Tower Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall cascading between very large pinnacles. Each area has its own village/campground, gift store and anomoly. For the last couple years we have observed a pair of osprey soaring around the canyon feeding their chicks and repairing the nest. It is quite a sight to sit and watch.
Continuing down the winding road we are surprised to see cars, trucks and motorhomes pulled onto the shoulders. A by-stander pointed out a large Grizzly Bear sleeping in the sage. Apparently he had killed a baby elk that morning and after a big meal laid on top of the carcass for a little power nap ! A carload of people sped by not even seeing the bear. So sad...
Roosevelt is the next lodge we pass. (They have the best chuckwagon dinner out in the meadow here! We have reservations the end of August so I'll save that for another day.) More cars are pulled over, and sure enough a momma Black Bear is trying to keep tabs on her very mischevious twins. They are romping over logs, chasing each other and even nursing. Something you don't see everyday! Another vehicle races by missing this event.
Mammoth is the home of Minerva Terrace, a large formation of alkaline water flowing down a step like hillside. It also is home to a small herd of elk. They love munching on the manicured lawns and having their photos taken. A super way to spend some time. If we leave this area around 8:00 pm our chances of seeing more animals on our way to Norris increases. There were elk, buffalo and even antelope that were close enough to photograph. The scenery is also gorgeous.
Norm thought he saw something so we pulled over to 'glass' the area. Yup... another Grizzly ! It was fairly young but still a BIG BEAR ! He got close enough for us to see his paws and the nails on that big boy were humungous! We watched him till it got too dark. I can't begin to tell you what an incredible experience that was! Another group of cars slowed down and maybe got a pic or two, but missed so much.
So to the lady who said she had been here four times and never saw a bear, I say...Chill...Take time to smell the flowers...Look and listen to what and who is right in front of you...Remember that life is a Journey.. .Enjoy your time here.
I read a great card - ADVICE FROM A RIVER
Go with the Flow
Slow down and meander
Delight in life's adventures
around every bend
Go around obstacles
Stay Current
The beauty is in the Journey !
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Vacationers vs RVers
Well, my friends, this has been a very long work week for us ! (All four days of it!) School is now out and everyone is in the vacation mode. The managers here at Grizzly RV Park have been telling us for weeks that the "Peak Season" will hit soon. This week it hit and the park is full every night. (We have 220 sites.)
On my first day this week we had a group camping in 3 tent sites and 1 cabin. There were 4 adults 2 older boys and 9 little kids. The parents enjoyed the camping and the kids all headed to our conference room, drinking and spilling 3 pots of hot chocolate and to our game room which they thoroughly trashed. Each had to be closed early for cleaning and to keep the damage minimal. A young lady came to the front desk with a toddler and said she found the child standing in the street . The parents didn't seem at all upset about it and later that day the same child was again standing in the street with no one around. I guess when some folks go on vacation they think baby sitting is the Park's job!
There have been some very amusing incidents, too. For those of you who are not familiar with RVing I'll try to explain some do's and don'ts. We have had alot of guests who are new to camping and rented RV's for a week or so. One of the first questions is, "Do we have hot showers ?" and the second is, "How do we dump the sewer?". One fellow didn't want to appear ignorant so he tried the sewer 'dump' by himself. If you have ever seen the movie "RV" with Robin Williams this was not far off. There is a specific hose to use with specific end attachments. One end is hooked onto the pipe of the coach and the other is fit into the sewer drain pipe located on the ground of the designated 'dump' site. When the "black water" (icky sewage) valve is pulled, the tank empties and all is successfully and neatly drained. This gentleman didn't connect to the ground pipe and......well, you can only imagine the mess! An RVer has probably had this happen once, but, I can guarantee it never happens again! Vacationers do it over and over. Needless to say this man did ask and found the hot showers!
In parks that have wildlife and scenery, RVers have a tow car that gets them around all the sights. We often sit in pull-outs to 'glass' or 'scope' the area. Vacationers show up in the rental RV and park on the scenic side blocking the view totally unaware they are in everyone's way. We have watched many an argument between the two! Nobody wins!
Parents have planned the perfect trip all year are trying so hard to show their children all there is to see and do. Meanwhile the kids are really not 'into' the nature thing and would rather be playing video games. Vacation lasts about 2 weeks so the entire trip is planned to the minute. The family is together 24/7, on the go all day. Mom and dad are exhausted , no one is on their usual schedule, the food is different and being around one another is driving them nuts. When they arrive to check-in, the kids want to buy everything in sight and Dad goes bullistic! The room goes completely quiet except for Dad's tirade. The look on his face when he realizes everyone is looking at him in amazement is unbelieveable.
RVers are usually retired and not on a strict schedule. Their only schedule usually revolves around lunch and the next RV Park. Driving the coach is kept to just a couple of hours to the next destination. Lots of "down" time and alot of their entertainment comes from watching the new guys.
It's fun to see a newly arriving RV backing into their site. The wife is behind the coach trying to direct hubby. He can't see her (she's directly behind) and she can't see him. They also cannot hear each other! The frustration of both is unreal. She's yelling at the top of her lungs and he's just hit the utility post causing a dent in the fender. Yikes! As soon as they realize they have an audience we all run and hide!
My personal favorite is the white hose vs. the green hose. When taking on water the usual procedure is, the white hose is used for drinking water and the green hose is for rinsing the sewer hose and to keep coiled outside in the event of fire. On one particular trip a man had just emptied his 'black water' (sewer) tank. He had his vinyl gloves on for sanitary purposes and was being careful not to get anything on himself. The fresh water tank, with the white hose, was full so he disconnected it and then shoved it inside the sewer hose to rinse it out. YUK !!! :( But...he did have on his gloves! (We see this all the time!) Or...the couple that put non-potable water in their fresh water tank. Lots of trips to the commode tonight for those two!!
As you can see we really are easily amused. The nice thing is, we will never lack for entertainment. This lifestyle is not for everyone....and for that we are grateful !
On my first day this week we had a group camping in 3 tent sites and 1 cabin. There were 4 adults 2 older boys and 9 little kids. The parents enjoyed the camping and the kids all headed to our conference room, drinking and spilling 3 pots of hot chocolate and to our game room which they thoroughly trashed. Each had to be closed early for cleaning and to keep the damage minimal. A young lady came to the front desk with a toddler and said she found the child standing in the street . The parents didn't seem at all upset about it and later that day the same child was again standing in the street with no one around. I guess when some folks go on vacation they think baby sitting is the Park's job!
There have been some very amusing incidents, too. For those of you who are not familiar with RVing I'll try to explain some do's and don'ts. We have had alot of guests who are new to camping and rented RV's for a week or so. One of the first questions is, "Do we have hot showers ?" and the second is, "How do we dump the sewer?". One fellow didn't want to appear ignorant so he tried the sewer 'dump' by himself. If you have ever seen the movie "RV" with Robin Williams this was not far off. There is a specific hose to use with specific end attachments. One end is hooked onto the pipe of the coach and the other is fit into the sewer drain pipe located on the ground of the designated 'dump' site. When the "black water" (icky sewage) valve is pulled, the tank empties and all is successfully and neatly drained. This gentleman didn't connect to the ground pipe and......well, you can only imagine the mess! An RVer has probably had this happen once, but, I can guarantee it never happens again! Vacationers do it over and over. Needless to say this man did ask and found the hot showers!
In parks that have wildlife and scenery, RVers have a tow car that gets them around all the sights. We often sit in pull-outs to 'glass' or 'scope' the area. Vacationers show up in the rental RV and park on the scenic side blocking the view totally unaware they are in everyone's way. We have watched many an argument between the two! Nobody wins!
Parents have planned the perfect trip all year are trying so hard to show their children all there is to see and do. Meanwhile the kids are really not 'into' the nature thing and would rather be playing video games. Vacation lasts about 2 weeks so the entire trip is planned to the minute. The family is together 24/7, on the go all day. Mom and dad are exhausted , no one is on their usual schedule, the food is different and being around one another is driving them nuts. When they arrive to check-in, the kids want to buy everything in sight and Dad goes bullistic! The room goes completely quiet except for Dad's tirade. The look on his face when he realizes everyone is looking at him in amazement is unbelieveable.
RVers are usually retired and not on a strict schedule. Their only schedule usually revolves around lunch and the next RV Park. Driving the coach is kept to just a couple of hours to the next destination. Lots of "down" time and alot of their entertainment comes from watching the new guys.
It's fun to see a newly arriving RV backing into their site. The wife is behind the coach trying to direct hubby. He can't see her (she's directly behind) and she can't see him. They also cannot hear each other! The frustration of both is unreal. She's yelling at the top of her lungs and he's just hit the utility post causing a dent in the fender. Yikes! As soon as they realize they have an audience we all run and hide!
My personal favorite is the white hose vs. the green hose. When taking on water the usual procedure is, the white hose is used for drinking water and the green hose is for rinsing the sewer hose and to keep coiled outside in the event of fire. On one particular trip a man had just emptied his 'black water' (sewer) tank. He had his vinyl gloves on for sanitary purposes and was being careful not to get anything on himself. The fresh water tank, with the white hose, was full so he disconnected it and then shoved it inside the sewer hose to rinse it out. YUK !!! :( But...he did have on his gloves! (We see this all the time!) Or...the couple that put non-potable water in their fresh water tank. Lots of trips to the commode tonight for those two!!
As you can see we really are easily amused. The nice thing is, we will never lack for entertainment. This lifestyle is not for everyone....and for that we are grateful !
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Many Amazing Animals
The end of another work week and now three days off ! YAY !! We have talked with many 'vacationers' the last four days. Things like, " How long does it take to see the entire park?". (Yellowstone has 2.2 million acres which is larger than the states of Rhode Island & Delaware combined...how long would it take to see all of that ? ) "Where are the bears?". (Anywhere). "Are there things for kids to do?"(Yes, lots) "Which way to Old Faithful", (Thirty miles that way). "Is it flooding there?" (We're at 6500 ft elevation and everything runs downhill!) Needless to say a few days away will feel good.
Everyone coming to Yellowstone wants to see as many animals as possible during their stay. We are no different and go into the Park whenever we get a chance. The 14 miles from West to Madison Campground usually allows us to watch eagles, elk and buffalo. The snow on the higher mountains is melting and many rivers are flooding causing the meadows to become very shallow lakes. This moves the animals to the more off-road locations and makes them less accessable to viewing.
We packed a lunch and set off to see animals that were not in the usual settings and take the perfect photos. I was really in that mind-set and scoured the landscape hoping for SOMETHING to present itself. Well, be careful what you wish for because to my surprise of all the animals we saw and there were many, bear, elk, buffalo, pronghorn antelope and even the elusive badger, the one that continually amazed me was the Human animal!
I don't know why I found that odd ! We pulled over at a "jam" (cars that have stopped to view a particular animal and ties the traffic up for miles) and a nice gentleman told us they saw a mother grizzly with her cub a few yards away. Our binoculars are out and we finally do find where the bears are...but it's difficult to see them, there is a large boulder blocking part of our view. There must have been 50-60 people all watching but the thing that really stuck out were the scopes and camera lens' all pointed at that boulder ! Each lens had to be anywhere from 6" - 24" long and some were up to 8" across There had to be at least 35 of them just where we were!
My perspective changed. I began to listen and watch this Human animal and found them most amusing. I talked with a man who watched and photographed a badger and pronghorn antelope for 10 hours! (I could only imagine his wife sent him out for the day and he wasn't to go back till nightfall!) Norm stopped at a turn out to look at a mother buffalo nurse her newborn and a carload of people pulled right in front of our car, blocking us. Buffalo are often lumbering down the road and someone will honk and try to pass them. We saw a man taking close-up pictures of an already irritated buffalo, only to have it jump over his SUV, damaging the hood but making a clean escape ! Families are so intent on "enjoying" the perfect vacation... you can hear Dad yelling at the kids . Kids don't want to stand still and have another picture taken and Mom is frustrated with the whole thing.
My favorite, though, is my own Husband. He will find the most remote spot (with nothing in particular to see) walk out to the edge of the field with his camera and binoculars, scan the landscape.. just to see how many cars and people he can get to pull over ! He gets such a thrill at this! I have said it many, many times...Everyday with this man is an adventure!
If I can figure out how to post pictures here I'll post them to prove my point.
"EXPLORE WITH-IN...BUT VENTURE OUT !!
Everyone coming to Yellowstone wants to see as many animals as possible during their stay. We are no different and go into the Park whenever we get a chance. The 14 miles from West to Madison Campground usually allows us to watch eagles, elk and buffalo. The snow on the higher mountains is melting and many rivers are flooding causing the meadows to become very shallow lakes. This moves the animals to the more off-road locations and makes them less accessable to viewing.
We packed a lunch and set off to see animals that were not in the usual settings and take the perfect photos. I was really in that mind-set and scoured the landscape hoping for SOMETHING to present itself. Well, be careful what you wish for because to my surprise of all the animals we saw and there were many, bear, elk, buffalo, pronghorn antelope and even the elusive badger, the one that continually amazed me was the Human animal!
I don't know why I found that odd ! We pulled over at a "jam" (cars that have stopped to view a particular animal and ties the traffic up for miles) and a nice gentleman told us they saw a mother grizzly with her cub a few yards away. Our binoculars are out and we finally do find where the bears are...but it's difficult to see them, there is a large boulder blocking part of our view. There must have been 50-60 people all watching but the thing that really stuck out were the scopes and camera lens' all pointed at that boulder ! Each lens had to be anywhere from 6" - 24" long and some were up to 8" across There had to be at least 35 of them just where we were!
My perspective changed. I began to listen and watch this Human animal and found them most amusing. I talked with a man who watched and photographed a badger and pronghorn antelope for 10 hours! (I could only imagine his wife sent him out for the day and he wasn't to go back till nightfall!) Norm stopped at a turn out to look at a mother buffalo nurse her newborn and a carload of people pulled right in front of our car, blocking us. Buffalo are often lumbering down the road and someone will honk and try to pass them. We saw a man taking close-up pictures of an already irritated buffalo, only to have it jump over his SUV, damaging the hood but making a clean escape ! Families are so intent on "enjoying" the perfect vacation... you can hear Dad yelling at the kids . Kids don't want to stand still and have another picture taken and Mom is frustrated with the whole thing.
My favorite, though, is my own Husband. He will find the most remote spot (with nothing in particular to see) walk out to the edge of the field with his camera and binoculars, scan the landscape.. just to see how many cars and people he can get to pull over ! He gets such a thrill at this! I have said it many, many times...Everyday with this man is an adventure!
If I can figure out how to post pictures here I'll post them to prove my point.
"EXPLORE WITH-IN...BUT VENTURE OUT !!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Our first official Workamper experience is taking place at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, MT. Upon our arrival, the third week of May, we were both ready to turn around and return to the Coast. Four feet of snow greeted us, daytime temperatures in the 30's, and nighttime temperatures in the teens. No siree...this is not what we signed up for!
Seven couples are hired each season and we live in this Park. The schedules are the same each week and we have three consecutive days off. The guys do outside maintainence and the girls are in the Office taking reservations, checking folks in to the Park and doing retail in the store. There is little training for the guys, they just do yardwork and keep the grounds looking fabulous. The girls must learn to work the computer program, "Campground Manager" and their retail program. It has taken me two weeks to feel some-what confident. I have managed to make just about every Boo-Boo there is but our Manager, Brenda, says there's nothing that can't be fixed. She's GREAT !!
Our first week was not fun. Being the newest couple, Norm had to establish his place with the guys. Three of them are returnee's. They gave him most of the 'grunt' work and it was pretty physical. After two weeks, Norm does his own thing and the guys ask him what should be done next. He's a great delegator ! Then, of course, the weather has played it's part. Cold with snow! Not sure we're going to continue with this.
The weather has started to warm up (to the mid 40's) so we drove into Yellowstone Park. The entrance is about 6 blocks from here. Lots of Bison and Elk even though the snow is melting and causing the Madison River to overflow it's banks and flood parts of the meadows. It was evening and Norm stopped at a pull-out to watch the herds. As we scanned the area, an Elk came within about 100 yds from us and birthed her baby! Talk about an incredible sight, WOW !! Hard to top this !! She nuzzled it, it got to his feet and wobbled for awhile, nursed breifly then jumped around in the grass. Mom walked off a short distance and grazed on some new grass shoots, looked at baby and seemed content that Jr had finally curled up in the tall weeds.
The sun began going down so we packed up to head back. OMG ! The entire road was full of groups of Bison and their babies. Baby Bison are a reddish color similar to an Irish Setter and are called 'Red Dogs' by the locals. We watched as they meandered toward the fresh grasses near the Madison Campground. Each group had about 15 to 30 bison. It took us an hour to go 7 miles !
Our second week of work was a bit better than the first. Each day the temperatures would warm. We finally had a few days in the high 60's and low 70's. My computer skills are improving and so far I haven't put two rigs in the same spot. I am having to bone up on my knowledge of the Park though. Guests are asking all kinds of questions and I.m trying to give accurate answers. (Although, sometimes I've had to wing it !) A lady asked me the other day "When do they let the animals out so people could see them?" Another asked, "When was the last time for Old Faithful to erupt in the evening?", as they didn't want to miss it . And still another, "Do the geysers go off all year?".
Yesterday, on our day off, we drove to the Mammoth area and out to the Lamar Valley. This is Norm's favorite place to fly-fish. Right now, the river is too high so he has been fishing on the Madison and Firehole Rivers. We were lucky enough to see three grizzly bears in the area and a momma grizzly with two cubs near the Roosevelt area. Really is spectacular to observe them on their own turf! On our way along the Madison River a large brown furry object caught our eye. Sitting in the water near the bank was a huge beaver gnawing at the base of a pine tree about 8-10 inches across. We pulled the car over and watched him chew through that tree! It fell with a loud splash into the water. Again, it was a sight we have never seen before! Incredible !
So very much to see and experience here in Yellowstone. Work is still work, but the days we have off to go out and play are worth it. I'll try to relate more of our adventures as the weeks progress. Let me know how I'm doing, OK ?
Seven couples are hired each season and we live in this Park. The schedules are the same each week and we have three consecutive days off. The guys do outside maintainence and the girls are in the Office taking reservations, checking folks in to the Park and doing retail in the store. There is little training for the guys, they just do yardwork and keep the grounds looking fabulous. The girls must learn to work the computer program, "Campground Manager" and their retail program. It has taken me two weeks to feel some-what confident. I have managed to make just about every Boo-Boo there is but our Manager, Brenda, says there's nothing that can't be fixed. She's GREAT !!
Our first week was not fun. Being the newest couple, Norm had to establish his place with the guys. Three of them are returnee's. They gave him most of the 'grunt' work and it was pretty physical. After two weeks, Norm does his own thing and the guys ask him what should be done next. He's a great delegator ! Then, of course, the weather has played it's part. Cold with snow! Not sure we're going to continue with this.
The weather has started to warm up (to the mid 40's) so we drove into Yellowstone Park. The entrance is about 6 blocks from here. Lots of Bison and Elk even though the snow is melting and causing the Madison River to overflow it's banks and flood parts of the meadows. It was evening and Norm stopped at a pull-out to watch the herds. As we scanned the area, an Elk came within about 100 yds from us and birthed her baby! Talk about an incredible sight, WOW !! Hard to top this !! She nuzzled it, it got to his feet and wobbled for awhile, nursed breifly then jumped around in the grass. Mom walked off a short distance and grazed on some new grass shoots, looked at baby and seemed content that Jr had finally curled up in the tall weeds.
The sun began going down so we packed up to head back. OMG ! The entire road was full of groups of Bison and their babies. Baby Bison are a reddish color similar to an Irish Setter and are called 'Red Dogs' by the locals. We watched as they meandered toward the fresh grasses near the Madison Campground. Each group had about 15 to 30 bison. It took us an hour to go 7 miles !
Our second week of work was a bit better than the first. Each day the temperatures would warm. We finally had a few days in the high 60's and low 70's. My computer skills are improving and so far I haven't put two rigs in the same spot. I am having to bone up on my knowledge of the Park though. Guests are asking all kinds of questions and I.m trying to give accurate answers. (Although, sometimes I've had to wing it !) A lady asked me the other day "When do they let the animals out so people could see them?" Another asked, "When was the last time for Old Faithful to erupt in the evening?", as they didn't want to miss it . And still another, "Do the geysers go off all year?".
Yesterday, on our day off, we drove to the Mammoth area and out to the Lamar Valley. This is Norm's favorite place to fly-fish. Right now, the river is too high so he has been fishing on the Madison and Firehole Rivers. We were lucky enough to see three grizzly bears in the area and a momma grizzly with two cubs near the Roosevelt area. Really is spectacular to observe them on their own turf! On our way along the Madison River a large brown furry object caught our eye. Sitting in the water near the bank was a huge beaver gnawing at the base of a pine tree about 8-10 inches across. We pulled the car over and watched him chew through that tree! It fell with a loud splash into the water. Again, it was a sight we have never seen before! Incredible !
So very much to see and experience here in Yellowstone. Work is still work, but the days we have off to go out and play are worth it. I'll try to relate more of our adventures as the weeks progress. Let me know how I'm doing, OK ?
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