New blog host!

Greetings!

After having recurring troubles with Blogger, I've moved Midlife Ride to WordPress. Google seemed to have no interest in resolving the issue. They merely directed me to a User Forum that consisted of frustrated people telling each other what they'd tried unsuccessfully. One that read suspiciously like ad copy said we should start using the Chrome browser instead. Nice try, Google.

Here's a copy & paste thingee in case the link doesn't work for you:
http://midliferideyellowstone.wordpress.com/

Happy travels!

May 28-29 The Mallard Days, as they say…

During the May 28 staff meeting, it is revealed that the contractors have moved out of the Mallard dorm, but left a mess. Jan and I were to go over there for the remainder of our shift. Also, I was not to do a late shift, but instead report to Mallard at 9 the next day to continue.

We gather cleaning supplies from Goldeneye, then take the paths through the woods. I'm still accustomed to hearing aircraft overhead constantly, so I don't think much when I hear the helicopter. After a few seconds, I remember. The only ones that come here are medivac choppers. Later I learn that it took out someone who was injured in a car accident.

It appears that the contractors felt no obligation to follow Xanterra's housing rules. There are nicotine stains and beer cans everywhere. We start cleaning room by room, but that moves rather slowly. We only make it halfway down one hall. There are three halls to clean, plus the common areas and communal bathrooms. And we have linens to wash. Many, many linens. They're in a giant pile in the lobby.

The rooms are rather warm, especially for this kind of work. We discover that there are no temp controls in the individual rooms, or even in the halls. The entire building operates on the same thermostat. The rooms on the second floor must become stifling.

It seems a waste of energy to have it so warm just for us. The sun has already warmed most of the building anyway. After a bit of searching, we find the key to the thermostat cover. I turn it down to 60.

I drive over the next morning, despite my eco-guilt. The walk over isn't long, but it's cold and there a steady drizzle. Either one on its own would be alright, but I hate a damp chill. Taking the road has its payoff – I spot a coyote in the meadow by the lakeshore.

For the morning, I'm by myself. I don't mind this in a general way, but it's kind of creepy. This part of the Lake Area is almost deserted. It's just me and the maintenance guys, who are removing the protective plywood from the windows. They make the eeriness worse, since they're outside. From inside, all I hear are ominous clunks, and disembodied voices. Knowing what they really are doesn't help.

I switch to more of an assembly line process. First, I prop open all the doors in a hall, while also clearing out trash and abandoned books, clothing, etc. Then I check all of the windows, which are known to malfunction. (They're supposed to slide along on a track, but often get stuck or fall off in your hands.) On the next pass, all the mirrors gets wiped down, then the baseboard heaters & window sills, then the furniture. Finally, all the rooms and the hall get vacuumed. It goes much faster this way.

In one room, I find the beds pushed together. Either some of the contractors were female, or somebody went Brokeback Mountain on us. I'm sure it got very cold and lonely here over the winter.

Every so often, I glance out of the windows. The precipitation constantly shifts in intensity, switches frequently between rain and snow, and there's at least one bout of sleet.

Eventually, I come across the RC rooms. Each has a double bed, but that's where the luxury ends. The primary RC room has an attached bathroom, but it's having problems. For no apparent reason, there's no water in the toilet tank. The sink works, but has a significant faucet drip. The tub is OK, but it's just a tub – there's no shower. All three have major rust stains. Also, a towel rack has fallen off of the wall. Overall, it reminds me of photos of abandoned buildings taken by some urbexers I know online.

The other RC room has no bathroom at all. Also, the mini-blinds are mangled to the point of uselessness. There's a small sofa, presumably as a consolation prize. I think of the fact that my placement is still to be determined. If they try to put me in this dorm, I swear to god I'll drive back to Maryland. Besides having my own crappy quarters, I'd have to deal with a lot of complaints about the disrepair in the rooms. Pelican is a palace in comparison.

After lunch, we have our usual staff meeting. Roberta & I arrived a bit early and waited at the picnic table outside. As we chitchat with a newly arriving chef, we're alarmed to hear gunshots from nearby. We're told by more experienced staffers that it's probably rangers scaring off a bear. During the meeting, I'm relieved to hear that the newly incoming RCs, Trish and Robert, are slated for Mallard.

On the way back to Mallard, I stop by the ranger station to pick up my parking sticker. The interior is way cool, very rustic with a huge fireplace in the middle of the room, huge log beams, and vintage photos of the park. The ranger and I agree that it's be nice if there was a fire in the fireplace. It's gotten quite chilly over the last hour or so.

When I arrive back at Mallard, I'm quite surprised to find someone named Ashley ready to check in. I'm a bit flustered, having been unaware that it was open for business. Some of the rooms are still a bit of a mess, the communal bathrooms haven't been touched, and we have no clean linens. Fortunately, Ashley has brought her own. Also, I hadn't been trained in checking people in yet. Ashley has worked in Yellowstone before, so she tells me what to do.

Next, I discover that there are no keys for the room she's chosen. They turn out to be in the Personnel office, so Jenny brings them. This little drama concluded, we resume cleaning for awhile. About an hour or two later, a guy walks up and says, "Hi, I'm Ross, I'm here to check in." He's been forewarned about the cleaning situation, and the linen shortage. He says he's not fussy, so I find him the cleanest-looking ones I can find from the contractors' pile.

Pam and Josh swing by on their security rounds. We learn that the "gunshots" earlier were actually large firecrackers, set off to scare a bear away from the Pelican Dorm. Yep, the one I'm sitting in right now. This update reminds me to forewarn Ashley and Ross that A) a bear might be close by, and B) they might hear noises that sound like gunshots.

A couple hours after lunch, a white mini-van pulls up outside. Its driver turns out to be the new RC, Trish. She's worked for Xanterra here and at Crater Lake, and has been an RC before. She's not thrilled about being assigned to Mallard. Her first priority is unpacking the van. While she's doing this, the heaviest shower yet falls. It's not a good omen.

May 25 - Training Day

May 25, 2013 Training Day

Today will be my first shift as a Residence Coordinator. It starts at 1 PM. In the afteroon, we do most of the cleaning. Then we're off from 5 till 10. I call this period the Intermission. The rest of the day runs from 10 PM to 2 AM, and consists mostly of night patrol. Quiet hours run from 10 PM to 7 AM, and our goal is to enforce this. Also, we make sure no one has open containers of alcohol in public areas, and that no one under 21 has any alcohol at all.

Since I'm still mentally on Eastern time, and haven't yet adjusted to this shift, I woke up at 7:30. With hours to spare, part of me feels I should be out doing exciting Yellowstone things. Trouble is, it takes about a month to get used to living at this altitude. My breathing is slightly irregular. Every once in awhile, I feel compelled to exhale heavily, and expel whatever air is in my lungs at the time. Presumably, it's gotten stale. My energy level isn't great as a result. So I need to conserve what I have for work, especially today – first impressions being what they are.

Each day starts with a short, informal meeting in the Personnel Office. In theory, this is partly so we can review events of the previous day. So far, things have been quiet, and there have no events needing review. We also discuss things that are scheduled for the upcoming day, which happens to be safety inspections in Goldeneye. This isn't my assigned dorm, but I'm supposed to go along to observe. Also, you're always supposed to have two Personnel staffers on hand anytime you open a resident's door.

Basically what happens is the RC knocks twice while announcing their purpose. If no one is in the room, they use their master key while announcing their entry through the cracked door. If we hear no squeals, we check for fire hazards: furniture or décor closer than 6 inches from the baseboard heater, anything on or within 18 inches of the sprinkler, or anything that heats up that was left plugged in. We also check that everyone uses surge protectors rather than extension cords and make sure the smoke detector battery light is on.

I feel gratified to find the first violation, a heating pad left plugged in. I've established RC cred. We unplug it, and a violation gets taped to the door. If someone is present, we don't leave a note. We just explain that the blankets can't be so close to the heater, or that the coffeemaker has to be unplugged, not just turned off. The problem is, the area is prone to power outages. And devices like these have been known to overload and ignite when power is restored.

 

While we're conducting the inspection, I can't help looking around a bit. I'm surprised at how much stuff some people brought with them. Several have matching comforters & pillow shams, many have microwaves &/or mini-fridges, and one even has one of those shelving units that fit above a toilet tank. That's furniture, not just decor. I suppose if you return for multiple seasons, you want the comforts of home. Goldeneye houses a lot of retirees who come back every year.

Only one floor needs inspection, and I still have half a shift when we're done. I was told to go look for Mark once we're done. He's been an RC for awhile, so it's decided that I should shadow him for a couple of days.

Our first priority is vacuuming, but most of the machines aren't working right. As he puts it, we're vacuum-challenged. Once I get started, I can easily see why. There's no landscaping in Yellowstone, in keeping with the wilderness preserve concept. As a result, the area around the hotel and the dorms is covered mostly in sand and gravel, with some rocks thrown in for variety. You can't help tracking it in. There's quite a lot of noise when the vacuum sucks it up, a symphony of hisses and rattles and pops. It gives me flashbacks of playing with one of these: 

Thank you, mini/eng!

After awhile, something from the safety training session comes back to me. We were told never to sweep up mouse droppings. They can carry hanta virus, which can become airborne if vacuumed. The pattern of the carpet includes small black spots that look exactly like mouse droppings. If you tried, you couldn't come up with better camouflage.

At 10 PM night patrol begins. On a typical evening, this consists mostly of telling people to be quiet. You're not supposed to be able to hear anyone inside a room from about 15 feet away.

The second floor of Pelican houses people under 21, so booze is forbidden there. We're supposed to watch for that, and no one can drink alcohol from an open container in public areas. According to the manual, we should also be prepared to encounter property crime, suicidal residents, sexual assault and/or domestic violence. For major stuff, we call Security &/or the law enforcement rangers (NPS), or if anyone becomes belligerent or threatening.

On occasion, people might just need to talk. Many of them are young, and away from home for the first time.

None of that happens on this night, though. Mostly, Mark & I just sit around BSing. He's from Loudon County, which, like Columbia, is part of the extended Capital Region. We weren't exactly neighbors back home, but fins some mutual favorite places to discuss. So my first night passes eventfully.

May 24 - Settling In

The first thing I learn today – and I learn it very early – is that the blinds in my room are just short of useless. They're too short to reach the windowsill, and don't cover the sides. The window faces east, so the sun blazes in at 5 AM. This awakening occurred after a very restless night. As I'd feared, the non-fitted sheet came loose repeatedly, and the resulting discomfort woke me up repeatedly.

So that makes about 5 hours sleep on top of the altitude troubles. Yellowstone Lake is 7,732 feet above sea level, so the air is pretty thin. To my dismay, I discover that the EDR offers only instant coffee. I've never been one of those Starbucks-obsessed individuals who rattles on in pseudo-Italian, but there are limits. Instant coffee is crap, plain and simple. And it also has almost no caffeine. Basically, I'm a zombie. Amazingly, I manage to make conversation over breakfast.

I don't do so well at Safety Training, though. Mostly what I got out of it was that I should be careful with chemicals, stay away from bears, and don't be mean to anyone. (There was also a harassment segment.) They also mentioned something about pathogens, airborne vs. bloodborne. I'm supposed to not let them fight, or something. The way I felt, not dozing off & hitting my head on the table was an accomplishment.

Afterward, we're given the option to take a van tour of our area from an employee's point of view. We get paid for this, since it's part of orientation. So the tour included not only background about the spiffy hotel (the oldest hotel in the world's first National Park), but where we sign up for free tours and get discounts.

Xanterra sends us on free tours for multiple reasons. One is to keep us happy and reduce turnover. But it's also best for employees to be well-informed, so that we can be useful to the guests. A lot of us don't cross paths with guests as part of our jobs – kitchen staff, maintenance workers, etc. But if we're in view and wearing a uniform, it could happen. Of course, the free tours are on a space-available basis. We're also told that if the piano lounge lobby or lake view porch (with bar) fill up, we should move on. It's only fair, really. We're here for 3 or 4 months, and they're here 3 or 4 days.

On the orientation tour, we learn that the pretty mountains across the lake are the Absorokas. At sunset they get an alpenglow effect. I also learned why the lake is blissfully free of waverunners, waterskiers, and other noisy things. At best, the water temperature reaches 60° F. The average survival time if you fall in is 6 minutes.

The tour also takes us by the marina, the general store, and Fishing Bridge. Contrary to the name, no fishing is allowed here. In 1973, it was discovered that fishing off the bridge hampered the cutthroat trout's spawning efforts. I think they should change the name to Cutthroat Bridge. It's more accurate, and sounds kinda badass.

We also learn that our dorms are in a "high bear management" section. The rivers feeding into the lake are full of trout this time of year, and bears are hungry. Because of this, some areas are off-limits to both tourists and employees. These areas include the path I'd walked along the previous evening. Oops.

Once the tour is over, I have lunch and head for Cody. Wal-Mart may be evil, but I know they'll have sheets I can sleep on. Having seen that coffee makers are allowed, that also goes on my list. Also toothpaste and hand soap.

There's a Costco in Bozeman, but that's farther away. That route would take me through Hayden Valley, which is prone to bison jams. And I already know where the Wal-Mart is. Time is running a bit short, since it's a 2 hour drive each way, and I want to return before dark.

On the way into town, I realize that this route does look a bit familiar after all, from this direction. Still, I'm amazed at what I'd forgotten. Probably it was a combination of sensory overload and being preoccupied with the approaching snow. In any case, it's a beautiful drive.

At Wal-Mart, an impulse purchase finds its way into my cart. There's no radio reception in Yellowstone, but the small boom box I find can be used as speakers for my little MP3 player. They don't have any extra long twin sheets, but I find an extra deep set, in a pleasant shade of avocado green.

As I expected, the sheets don't fit perfectly, but they get the job done. I use the dorm ones to cover the extra bed. I also retrieve my dark gray throw blanket from the car, and hang it over the window. That night, I sleep very, very well.

May 23 - Check-in Day

The Travelodge breakfast was unremarkable, but decent. For $129, it had better be. They have various Yellowstone nature documentaries playing on a continuous loop, so at least there's entertainment.

As I expected, John called fairly early. He was concerned when he didn't find an email. Not having internet access is like missing a sense, once you're used to it. We have a nice catch-up chat. Then it's time to pack up & head to the HR office.

My plan was to arrive between 8 & 8:30. They open at 7, but I suspect that the two adjoining motels – both sold out – have housed quite a few other new employees. I expect they'll pop in as soon as it opens. Of course, I want to arrive before the bus from Bozeman pulls in, which I was told usually happens around 9 or 9:30. But on arrival, I see a bus there already, and about ten people are ahead of me in line. So my assumption is that the bus arrived early.

Fortunately, the Xanterra folks seen to have their act together. First you wait to check in, then that person gives your IDs (license & Social Security card, in my case) to the person who does your background check. Meanwhile you get your employee manual, and sit in a waiting area. I chat with two young women from Wisconsin, who drove from there towing a horse trailer. I wonder if the one who owns the horse might be working trail rides. (Our carriage driver in Acadia National Park had brought her own horses.) But it turns out she's boarding the horse up the road, and just wants to have it nearby. They've both worked in the park before, and are headed to Roosevelt Lodge.

I also notice a family of three – a couple about my age with a son who appears college age. I hadn't thought of seasonal employment as a family thing, but why not? Possibly they have an RV, or they'll have separate rooms. They're at the other end of a very crowded room, so I have no chance to talk to them.

While we're chatting, I learn that the current crowd had nothing to do with the bus. It's just busy. I overhear one staffer comment to another that "They've been lined up since we opened the door." When the bus does pull in, we know. For one thing, the driver announces their arrival with a blast of the bus horn, which sounds a lot like a bugling elk. More importantly, there's now a line out of the door.

Before long, my paperwork is cleared, and I have my ID picture taken. It's as bad as I'd feared. It appears that I gained 200 pounds, and had my head stepped on by an elephant. (John later says that it looks like the TV when the aspect ratio is set wrong.) No time to worry about that, though. I need to get my uniform and get to Mammoth Hotel for the first orientation. Otherwise, I'll be crammed in with the bus crowd.

I'd had some trepidation about the uniform. My only experience with work uniforms was two very brief stints in food service, Wendy's when I was in high school, and Bob's Big Boy in college. Both lasted only a couple days each, in part because of the uncomfortable uniforms. Both were really cheap polyester. They were scratchy and didn't breathe at all. I couldn't imagine a whole summer dressed in crap like that.

I'm very relieved to find that Xanterra's are made of a very nice cotton-poly blend. They feel soft, and won't shrink. Best of all, they don't look terribly dorky. It's basically just khaki pants and a dark green short-sleeve shirt with a "Yellowstone" logo & the outline of a bear. I have a hard time convincing the wardrobe folks that I can't use a 34" inseam. I'm tall, but mostly long-waisted. Sure enough, they drag on the ground. I'm sent off with a 33" pair they scrounged up, and instructions that another altered pair will arrive through Housekeeping.

Later I learn that the uniforms are color-coded. The dark green shirt informs everyone that I'm a Residence Coordinator. Maroon means Housekeeping, and sage green means Hotel Front Desk. We also have name tags with our first names, and the state we're from. They're surprisingly good conversation starters. "What part of Virginia are you from?...No kidding, we were near there just a year ago!"

Despite all the inseam drama, I get to Mammoth in time for the 10 am orientation. I even have time to look over the very cool map in the conference room. It's made of wood inlay, with each of the 48 states (it's a 1937 map) having its own little slab. It also shows where the National Parks are. It's an intriguing bit of history.

Since the orientation isn't specific to any job, it's largey geared to not getting killed in the park. We're told how far away to stay from various animals, and are cautioned against impaired driving. The mountain roads are an especially bad place to take chances. We're shown a slide of a fairly recent accident, in which someone died. 

There's a discussion of Ecologix, Xanterra's environmental program.  It's purpose is to reduce the production of solid waste and greenhouse gasses, and decrease consumption of water and energy. I find this enouraging. I'd had misgivings about working for a company controlled by Philip Anschutz, who made part of his vast fortune in the petro industry.

We're also advised to leave ample time for driving. The general rule is to allow at least 45 minutes between junctions. Wildlife jams or poky drivers can easily double that or more. Neither distance nor critters nor slowpokes are valid excuses for arriving late to work. Later on, I learn that my orientation was only the second time that it was delivered by that presenter. I was surprised, since it went very smoothly.

Lunch is served in the Mammoth EDR (Employee Dining Room) before we all head off to our individual assignments. I've also been apprehensive about institutional food, but find a bit of reassurance here. The pasta & eggplant dish that I chose is very tasty.

I reach the Lake Area in about an hour and a half. It feels rather odd to take a drive through the park while I'm doing work-related things. First I check in at Personnel. Everyone there is friendly, and seems glad to see me. That's refreshing, after the no-eye-contact pre-layoff phase toward the end of my last job. I'm informed that I need to go to Safety Training at 8:30 the following morning, and have the rest of the day off. I'm told I need a manual, which is in the Goldeneye Dorm. Then I have to go to Pelican Dorm, which is where I will live. (This pleases me, since pelicans are one of my favorite birds.)

I find Goldeneye with no trouble, and get the manual from Jan. She's very friendly, and invites me to join her for dinner at 5. However, it's around 3, and I'll probably still be unpacking & settling in then.

Terry, the current RC for my dorm is outside picking up litter. I've learned that I'll most likely be taking his place before very long. He wants to be a fishing guide, but couldn't change jobs till another RC was hired. He gives me my key and some sheets, and points me to my room.

The room turns out to have a lot of issues. Whoever checked out the previous resident wasn't at all vigilant. There's trash in the trashcan, and weird green stains on the bathroom sink. The shower curtain is missing, though Terry has a new one on hand. To install it, I start to stand on the toilet lid. This closer look at the toilet reveals that it's a gothic horror. So there's a little delay while I clean it with my Clorox wipes and then wash my hands about 3 or 4 times.

I don't intend to completely unpack, since I'll be changing rooms fairly soon. Thanks to my arrival, the current RC is free to accept a job as a fishing guide. I'll move into the official RC quarters once that trasition is complete. Still, I need to put some of my clothes away. When I open the drawers, I find quite a bit of unidentifiable crud rattling around. The one bit I recognize is a fingernail. Even after pulling out more Clorox wipes, I'm grossed out. Housekeeping hint: trashbags make good drawer liners.

Before arriving, I'd wondered if I hadn't been a bit flaky bringing my own mattress pad. And to save a bit of money and car space, I figured I'd try using their sheets. Turns out, I should've trusted my instincts more. Their mattress pad hadn't been washed since the last person used it. I know this because it had quite a bit of his/her hair stuck to it, along with other assorted bits of crud. I grabbed it by the smallest edge possible, chucked it under the bed, and deployed my own. Thank gods, it's waterproof and has an antimicrobial coating. Next, I discover that A) there's no fitted sheet, and B) the flat sheets are too small to tuck under securely. Tomorrow's plan: drive back to Cody to buy sheets at Wal-Mart.

The bed frame & mattress concern me at first. They look sort of insubstantial, like something you'd find at a minimum security prison or charity summer camp. But they turn out to have about the level of firmness that I like. I decide to test them by taking a short nap.

Oops, that was a mistake! I wake up at about 6:15, and dinner ends at 6:30. I have to hustle to the Employee Dining Room (EDR). I see that cereal is available at all meals, and there are salad and sandwich bars. It's good to know there are alternatives, in case the entrees du jour are unappealing at some point.

After dinner, I take a walk by the lake. The view is spectacular, and I can easily see why Union Pacific chose this spot for the Hotel. The glinting water and panoramic vista of snow-dusted mountains make me wish I'd brought my camera. I also make sighting of 3 or 4 loons. After awhile I stroll past the General Store, not yet open for the season. They'll sell mostly souvenirs, but also some groceries and practical stuff. They also have a small restaurant offering basic stuff like burgers and ice cream. 

Eventually, I reach the end of the paved road, and decide to extend my walk down a lakeside path. It parallels the shore for about a quarter mile, and curves toward a stand of trees. I'm getting tired, so I only follow it about halfway to that point. It's a very pleasant area, and I wonder why none of the other people out strolling has taken the path. I don't ponder this very long, since I'm getting tired.

Between the busy day & emotional exhaustion, I'm not feeling very lively. I return to the dorm, and read more of "City of Scoundrels". Did I mention there's no TV in the dorms? I mean NONE, even in the common areas or pub. There's no reception of any kind, even if you brought your own set. But I'm only here for a little over four months, so I can live without it.

May 22 - Bear Jam Is Not a Condiment

Since my ride of desperation got me so close to Gardiner, I had a bit of time to spare. And I'd bought that Parks pass, so I might as well get some use out of it. I decided to head for the Yellowstone, using scenic routes. I've had enough of I-90 for the moment.

The Beartooth Highway was closed at the time of our visit in 2010, and it's been on my to-do list ever since. If it's been opened, I can use the northeast entrance, and reach Gardiner through the park roads. If not, I'll make a stop in Cody, which has a Sierra Trading Post outlet, and then use the east entrance. To get there, I took US 310 south. The scenery was quite pleasant – lots of rolling hillsides and mountain views.

Along the way, I pulled off to look at some abandoned buildings that have a historical marker. Turns out, these were the remnants of the Smith Mine, scene of the worst underground coal mine disaster in Montana history. 

 The buildings were left as a memorial to the 74 men who died on February 27, 1943. Some were killed in a violent explosion, but most succumbed to poisonous methane gasses. Two of the men had time to leave a note for their families:

"Walter & Johnny. Good-by.

Wives and daughters. We died

an easy death. Love from us both.

Be good."

The investigations into the disaster revealed that cigarette smoking was allowed in the mine, and that they used matches to light their blasting fuses. Neither was a good idea in a place where methane can build up.

Eventually, I found myself in the town of Red Lodge, which has a quaint Main Street and lots of motels. Just outside of town, I found a sign informing me that the Beartooth was still closed. No surprise.

No matter, a stop at the Sierra Trading Post will be very useful. I really could use a nice long-sleeved overshirt, and some really good sunglasses. I've been getting more & more sensitive to glare as I get older. My current sunglasses are better than average, but I still squint a lot when it's really bright. I'd made up my mind to spring for a really good pair, and I expect STP will have some at good prices. For that kind of money, I want to try them on.

After bit of backtracking I found my way to US 120. It's a nice drive, and I made good time to Cody. Sierra Trading Post had exactly what I need – a nice blue chambray work shirt and extra-strong sunglasses. The ones I like set me back $80. Hopefully, they'll spare me lots of eyestrain and headaches.

After coming out, I became very tempted to steal a dog. She was in the back of a pickup that was parked next to me. A lot of dogs will get territorial about their vehicle, and bark their heads off when you come close. But this one was very sweet. She came right over  when I said hello, and I saw right away she was old and arthritic. But still, she tottered over to let me pet her, and gave me lots of kisses. I noticed that she was wet from the rain, and shivering. Now, what kind of asshole leaves their poor arthritic dog suffering in the chill while they look at clothing? It was also obvious she was starved for affection. After a few seconds, she put a paw up on the side of the pickup, like she wanted to get out and come with me. There were tags on her collar, so I guess the owner looked after her to some degree. Dogs aren't allowed in the Yellowstone dorms, though. If that hadn't been an issue, I honestly couldn't say what I would've done. Hopefully she has a better life than this encounter suggests.

With my shopping done and temptation to commit a felony resisted, it was time to hit the road again. The road to the East Entrance winds through the Shoshone Valley, which is spectacular. There are amazing cliff formations everywhere you look. 

There is also a lot of wildlife, especially once you enter Shoshone National Forest. I made a very rare sighting of a flock of bighorn sheep. Most of the year they're only found on high mountaintops. But in mid-May, those were still snowed in.

When I showed my pass at the entrance gate, I was given several warnings. One was that a mother grizzly and two cubs had been seen near the road about five miles ahead. The other was that a storm had passed through, and since then the mountains had been "raining rocks". Four cars had been damaged already, and one of them had its undercarriage pulled apart. The ranger advises me to drive very slowly, and keep an eye out for falling rocks. I agree that this sounds like a wise idea.

The bears must have moved on, but I saw plenty of rocks on the road surface. Most were fairly small, but I still don't want them bouncing around my axles, transmission, gas tank, etc. Fortunately, Avalanche Peak doesn't live up to its name while I'm there. There was still a lot of snow at the higher passes.

Not long after I reach Yellowstone Lake, I saw some cars clustered near the Sedge Bay picnic area. I was very excited to see that they're viewing a grizzly bear! I've seen a black bear in the wild, but this was my first grizzly. Its age appeared to be somewhere between a cub and a full-grown adult, probably a year or two old. It was digging around and eating something it found underground, most likely some sort of root, or maybe insect larvae.

When I first pulled up, there were about 5 or 6 other cars trying to get a glimpse & take pictures. We were joined by quite a few others, both on the shoulder of the main road, and the picnic area turnout. There were also a few that stopped on the travel lanes of the road, which made us an official Bear Jam. 

Wildlife Jams are common in Yellowstone National Park, despite being illegal. You're never supposed to stop in the travel lanes, or block them by not pulling all the way onto the shoulder. But it happens many times every day. People get excited and don't think about what they're doing. Usually the rangers shoo everyone off, unless the animal shuffles away before they arrive.

The worst snarls occur when bison decide to cross the road, or worse, use it themselves. It's easier walking there than on the grass. They'll stroll along for miles, blocking one or both lanes. Do not challenge them. You'll just end up as a YouTube search result when someone types in "Yellowstone stupid".

Anyway, I stuck around watching the bear for awhile. There was a short time when the other cars had me penned in, which made me a bit nervous. But a ranger pulled up, and people started to move along. Just as well, sunset wasn't far off and I wanted to reach Gardiner before dark.

The TraveLodge had good signage and was easy to find. It was around 9 when I checked in. the front desk clerk told me that John had called, and was concerned that I hadn't checked in yet. My estimate have been between 7 and 8 PM. I had underestimated the distances in the park. Trouble was, I had no way of calling back, lacking a calling card or working cell phone. I couldn't even send an email, since the hotel's internet had been knocked out by the same storm that had caused trouble in the park.

For $129, I was a bit miffed that they had no pool or hot tub. But it's early in the season, and a lot of places weren't open yet. It's a seller's market, really. The room was nice, at least. The only thing I didn't like was the shower. For some reason, it was shaped like a right triangle, and had the showerhead in the narrowest part. It was very hard to use.

At check-in, I'd been warned that the restaurants closed early, and I'd have to hurry to catch the one place that stayed open till 9. I was too tired to care, though, and made it another cheese sandwich & PBR night.

May 21 - A Mostly Boring Day

The one drag about the Washington Inn was that it didn't include breakfast. I did get a couple discount coupons for nearby restaurants, though. The one next door wasn't open for some reason, but another across the street advertised a buffet. Perfect, I thought.

Trouble is, in the off-season, they don't have enough traffic to support a good buffet. They only had two bread products, and both were stale. Normally I make sure to eat all I take, but normally the offerings are edible. Their idea of a corn muffin was much more like a rock. Their bacon was decent, but the eggs had a processed taste. On top of all this, juice cost extra, so the total was almost $10. I pocketed a small box of Mini-Wheats to get a bit more value for my money.

Before pulling out, I used the hotel's internet again, from the car. I finally managed to activate my SiriusXM account! I thought I had before leaving Maryland, but then it didn't work. Then I had trouble with the logistics. You have to have the radio powered up (i.e., keys in the ignition) while you're online. It's a bit tricky.

Since I was in the area, and had time, I decided to check out Jewel Cave National Park. This meant backtracking a bit, but that turned out to be a good thing. I found a spot on the road past Mt. Rushmore where you can pull off and look at George Washington's profile. That was an unexpected bonus.

Another unexpected bonus was that the route to the cave went through Custer again, and this time the Pie Place was open! (Yes, I'm obsessive about pastry.) I popped in and got a slice of blueberry for later.

Once again, my Parks pass was useless. Entering is free, but the cave tours cost money. Sigh. This time I wasn't as lucky, and had to wait most of an hour for the next tour. So I shuffled around the visitor's center, which had some interesting exhibits. 

They have samples of some of the formations found in Jewel Cave, some of which don't appear in the areas accessible to tours. I also looked over the guest book, and found an odd notation. A family that had come in shortly before me mentioned that they couldn't get on a tour, and were "very disappointed". Did they not know that there were multiple tours every day? Or did they object to waiting less than an hour? Very strange.

The tour was quite interesting, and there were quite a few large rooms to view. The passageways were also more generously sized, and the stairs were nice and even. Jewel Cave also has boxwork formations and like Wind Cave, hasn't been fully explored. The two are less than 40 miles apart, and are both estimated to be extremely long. I wouldn't be surprised at all if someday they are found to be connected.

After leaving Jewel Cave, I needed to get back onto I-90 and head further west. Looking at the map, I saw that I could take US 16 west to reach it, instead of backtracking through Rapid City. It meant missing Bear Country USA, but seemed like a better option.

I was mistaken. With the single excepting of an abandoned tourist trap, this section of Wyoming turned out to be extremely boring. The landscape is monotonous scrubland, interrupted only by identical herds of cattle. Even when you're driving at 70 or 75 MPH, it feels as if you're hardly moving. It's like one of those bad dreams where you're running down a hallway that keeps getting longer and longer for no good reason. Combine this with my general dislike of sitting still, and it's a recipe for extreme crabbiness.

It was at this point that I screwed up, and missed my chance to see Devil's Tower. To get there, I should have gone past the ramp for I-90, and stayed on US Highway 16. But I was desperate to escape the tedium, and jumped onto the interstate. By the time I realized my error, backtracking would have added something like 120 miles to the day's drive. So I kept going.

Turns out, Wyoming isn't big on rest areas, or providing tourist information. I never did find any. At one point, I saw signs for such, but they petered out at a gas station parking lot. Possibly, it was inside the station, but I was too annoyed to risk wasting time to check. So I kept going.

Eventually, I reached Sheridan, my destination for the evening. All I could see after exiting the interstate was suburban sprawl and traffic. I think I found the tourist area that's supposed to be Old Town or some such, but it didn't look much different. I didn't see any motels that looked appealing, or any place to pull off and check the AAA book. I have no interest in cowboy mythology anyway. I floated through town on the currents of traffic, and after awhile was back to I-90. So I kept going.

About this time, my gas tank was running a bit low, by western standards. The thing is, a quarter tank back East is quite sufficient to get you to a dozen gas stations. In parts of the West, they are few and far between. My first attempt was in a nameless bit of nowhere, where I got off the interstate after seeing a sign for a non-chain gas station. It turned out to have a couple of decrepit looking pumps at the far end of a vast field of cratered asphalt. I feared for both the car's undercarriage and the cleanliness of my fuel line. So I kept going.

After awhile, I spotted a Conoco station connected to the Custer Battlefield Museum in Garryowen. By this time of day, the museum would be closed, but surely a large chain would provide pay-at-the-pump service after hours. Wrong! "Card reader not available. See Attendant." Trouble was, the place was deserted. At least there was no one to complain about me using their spot-a-pot without purchase. So I kept going.

Outside Hardin, Montana, I see an Exxon, with other customers and its interior lights blazing. The first pump I approach has no nozzle, though the hose is tied into an appealing wreath shape. At this point, I would say that I circling around several times, but dodging the enormous ruts and potholes didn't allow for such a tidy shape. While tracing out a double helix, I mostly find hand-lettered signs reading "Not in service" or "Sorry out". The few operating pumps have only Premium. Eventually, another customer vacates a Regular pump, and pothole-dodges their way home. My paranoia has kicked in by now, and I don't feel comfortable using a payment card. I hand a twenty to the cashier, and ask for a receipt. Good thing I didn't try to fill up. The pump doesn't look ancient, but works extremely slowly. It took about 10 minutes to pump 8 gallons. Filling the tank would've taken an hour.

Having found a potty and filled my tank, I was able to return my thoughts to the evening's lodgings. Surely a city the size of Billings will have a good selection of motels, I thought. Once again, I was mistaken. At any rate, there are few visible from the interstate. The first one I pulled into, a Holiday Inn Express wanted $129. So I kept going.

I saw a billboard for a Best Western, and thought "They're usually reasonable". Once again, I was mistaken. After following multiple signs over several miles, I found myself downtown. Only when you reach the place does their sign inform you that it's a Best Western "Plus". Uh-oh. Sure enough, they wanted $159. So I kept going.

Driving through the city – which isn't easy, thanks to the number of one-way streets – I spotted several signs for motels. Each time, when I got closer, I saw weekly and monthly rates offered. That's never a good sign. Sure enough each one looked pretty seedy, and the area looked too creepy to leave my car unattended. The one possibly exception was one that I passed on the way to the Best Western, but could never find my way back to on the weird grid of one way streets.

Trying to find my way back to I-90, I saw a couple of motels that looked decent, but both were booked. It seems that Billings doesn't have much selection of mid-priced hotels. Odds are, you'll either pay through the nose, or risk finding a bag of severed heads under your bed. So I kept going.

At this point, I was becoming rather concerned. Billings was the last major city for miles. Back East, you find motels frequently  along major interstates, especially where they meet other major roads. That's not the case out here, however. I was already tired, it was almost 10 PM, and the nearest tourist area was a hundred miles away. Also, I hadn't eaten dinner.

At the same time, I wondered where all the truck drivers go. I know they don't spend $129 a night, and the seedy-looking places were too small to park a semi.

Then I spotted a sign for Laurel, Montana. It's less than 10 miles outside of Billings. Mercifully, it had several mid-range hotels. I ended up at the Locomotive Inn, which was located next to a huge refinery. Turns out, Laurel has been a railroad and driving hub for more than a century. It seems to be the place where many tired travelers have found refuge. So I became one of them.

I didn't even try to find an open restaurant, but just ate a cheese sandwich & munchies from my provisions. Once again, no one gave me crap about using the pool/spa after closing time. Afterward, I found a funny episode of American Dad on TV. And I had my pie for dessert. (Surprisingly, PBR pairs well with blueberry pie.) So it turned out to be a decent night after all.