Carcass

One thing we have to do as rangers is keep animal carcasses away from the road because they attract aggressive bears. If you don't already know, aggressive bears and visitors are a bad combination. Above is a picture of Ron and I after we just hauled a carcass up a hill. We took it to a place called Gut Road where we dump carcasses so the animals can still eat them, but away from humans so no one gets hurt.

Jackson and the Tetons

One of my weekends off I took a trip down to Jackson. It was one of the most fun adventures I have had here this summer. I started my 3.5 hour long drive down to Jackson right after work. I reached Grand Teton National park two hours later. When first arriving in the park, not far from the gate, I encountered a growing forest fire just 300 yards off the road with the Teton Fire crews trying to control it. I parked by the side of the road for only a couple minutes, but got to see a helicopter with fire retardant hanging from it take off to the fire. I then rounded a bend which allowed me to look out over Jackson Lake and see my first view of the Tetons.

Hobo Party

We had our second annual Hobo party in which we dress up as hobos and have a potluck dinner. The reigning champion of the king of the Hobos prize (Amanda) took the crown again. You can see her outfit (which included the dog and the sign) above.
Towards the end of the party Brady (above) and a few of the other musicians and I jammed. Jim, our volunteer, it was his last night, and he made up a song to which his cousin (an excellent guitarist) and I accompanied him.

Fires and Training

While I haven't been able to do any official fire training this summer, Colette managed to get in a small unofficial training session so I could learn a little bit about our engine and how to work the hydrants/hoses. I got to shoot the hose off a few times, open and close the fire hydrant, and learn a tinsy bit about the pressure system in the engine. Earlier that day the other rangers and I were called to a fire alarm at Roosevelt lodge (turned out to be a faulty heater which smoked just a little bit, no harm). I was called to bring the Ambulance and treat the other rangers/firefighters if there was any problem.

Getting Chilly

It's August. All of us here can feel the end of the season creeping up on us. One of our rangers and one of our volunteers have already left us. The nights are starting to get below freezing again, and the bears are becoming more and more scarce. Not necessarily because its close to winter, but because their food source is now in the higher forested elevation, so there are less bears being seen by the road and by people. Therefore, with less bear jams, I must find other things to do with my time on the job.

Rodeo

Not only are there fun things to do in the park, but there are also fun things to do outside of the park. Recently, four of the other rangers and I went to the Livingston Professional Bull Riding Rodeo. At the beginning of the rodeo, the riders all came in with their chaps and cowboy hats and lined up. Then there was a helicopter that flew in some of the more famous bull riders and landed in the middle of the arena, and the bull riding began. So the basic rules of bull riding are as follows: