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.