Hello, from Beaver UTAH

Well one and all, I've started home, and am actually already half way there. I drove nine hours today, which actually was not that bad. I didn't really get tired until about 8 and half hours in, which I found surprising.

My last week at the Campfire was good. I actually was able to work a bit, which funded my trip home. I really loved the people there, and miss them all already.

I think I miss the whether of Montana most (it was 93 when I pulled up to my motel at 5pm MST!). It was about 40 this morning when I woke up, and got the joy of watching the temperature go up a 50 degree difference in one day.

I am looking forward to getting home and seeing everyone. They've all missed me (so they have told me many, many times), and I've missed them equally as much.

I was offered a job back at campfire if I had a free summer, as well as a place called the bar-n-ranch. But, who knows where I'll be with life next summer (hopefully on my way to getting my degree, as I have planned!), but if I am available, I know I'd love to return to Montana.

I thank all of you who frequently checked on this blog. If I proceed onto another adventure with life, I shall inform all of you via this site (depending on where I go, I may start another blog). Thank you all for your support, and I can't wait to have more personal conversations about my time in Montana with any of you who ask me.

~JD

Update on Yellowstone.

I will not be going to Yellowstone, because they have "Since then however we have completed our hiring for the summer season and no longer have any openings". So...keep an eye out for whatever I'll be doing next!

Another Animal Sighting, Bad News, Changes Coming

Well hello one and all from West Yellowstone...for the last time!!

That's right. As of today, I WILL be going and working for Xanterra, starting next Tuesday (hopefully, if they still can accept me). Today, after work, my boss of the Campfire Lodge Resort cut me down to two days a week because the business has become so slow, and he had to let my other co-worker go. But all is well because I have another job lined up with the park, and if not, I'm going to look for another job around here or maybe even in Seattle! As the next week passes, I will know more.

Okay, animal sighting. I was sitting down in one of the campsites on Friday morning, reading "Decline and Fall" by Evelyn Waugh (great 20th century British Author that I highly suggest reading), and as I finished my chapter, and headed up towards my bunk house, a baby Cinnamon Bear was walking down the road! I stopped and waited for him to see me and for his reaction. He did see me after a few seconds, and then ran off down the road. It was really exciting because when my dad and I first got up here we were told about him, and a month later I finally saw him. I was excited.

Okay, time for the bad news. My clutch has stopped working. It didn't fall out or anything, but the clutch plate is stuck to the spline. In other words, I can't put it into gear when I start it up in neutral, and I can't start my car if it's in gear. I'm having it towed to the Toyota Dealer in Bozeman tomorrow. Hopefully they'll be able to fix the problem by next monday! So pray for that.

That's pretty much it for me. Check in again soon to see what happens next (I sound like a Saturday morning cartoon show...).

Au Revoir

PS-As I was cleaning a cabin today, a lady walked in asking to just look around because "it was interesting to see the other cabins". She recognized me and say "You're the young man with the blog aren't you? JD right?". I was quite tacken aback and told her I was and that I was curioud about how she knew about it. Apparently, it was posted on this website run by the park, and the pick up any blogs about yellowstone they find around the net, and that my site was posted on there! It was actually quite sureal. So miss, if you read this again, thank you for telling me. Bon Soir!

Cold, Very Cold

No, I'm not speaking in reference to the weather up here (it has actually been on the warmer side, although we did get our first rain in a week and a half last night). I am speaking, however, about the lake that I and 4 of my co-workers went to and swam in yesterday. I can't remember the name of the lake, but it is one of the most gorgeous lakes I've ever seen. The water was absolute crystal. We hiked along the edge of the lake on a path for about a quarter of a mile until we came to a rope swing. At first, my friend Mike and I were tentative about going in, let alone using the rope swing. But we eventually got in, me going before Mike. I didn't test out the water first, because I would much rather submerge myself entirely instead of sticking my toes in and going in slowly, so I went off of the rope swing first. I wish I were able to have stopped on the water, and run back to shore the second my toes hit the water, but sadly, that was not the case. I went and, and immediate struck for the surface, seeing as the water must have been at least 50 degrees. I soon, however, became acclimated to the temperature of the water, and began enjoying myself. After going off of the rope swing a few times, I grabbed one of the inner tubes we brought with us, and lallygagged about in the lake. It was a great start to my weekend (my weekends are Thursdays and Fridays, just so every one knows).

Everything else up here is fine and dandy, and I'm loving it.

An update on what I will be doing from here out. I've spoken with my boss about possibly staying with him as long as I can, because I indicated that I would like to (this would mean telling Xanterra to shove off). However, he said that if business starts slowing down for them, it might be a better bet for me to go and work with Xanterra, although he would love to hang onto me as long as he could (he really did say this). So, we will be talking again in 2 weeks, to see whether or not he'd be able to hang onto me through mid-September, or if it would be beneficial for me to go work with Xanterra on the 26th. I will update on this after my talk.

Au Revoir, friends and family, until my next update.

PS-Thank you to my Pops for putting up the pictures for me.

A bat?

Not five nights ago, I was happily asleep at four in the morning. That was until I was awaken by a fluttering around my head. Now, being scared to the point of saying not so nice things, and ducking whenever the fluttering of whatever it was (mind you, it was pitch black inside my cabin, so I couldn't see what the devil was "attacking" me) came about my head. As I frantically groped for the light switch, still trying to avoid being hit in the face, and screaming bloody murder (have you ever heard someone actually scream the words "bloody murder"? Sorry. A rant for another day), and finally finding the lights to see a six inch long bat hanging on the adjacent wall. I moved again, and it started to fly around, looking for escape. I couldn't figure out how he got in in the first place. So I swung open my door, and as he came at me again, I scooped him out with my hat. I thought I had injured him when he landed on my deck, but I saw him leave. I then returned to sleep. And that is my bat story.

JD's Place

Hi! JD's dad here. As he posted previously, I traveled to Montana with JD, and while I was there I took a few pictures around the Campfire Lodge where he is working and living.

As you head west towards Earthquake Lake and the famous Three Dollar Bridge section of the Madison River, just after Hebgen Lake you come to the Campfire Lodge.

The small sign is definitely correct - the breakfast is excellent, and popular!

The first thing you come to is the Cafe/Fly Shop/Office. In the morning the cafe is so busy you can barely find a place to park.

Right out the back door of the cafe is the famous Madison River. Sometime in the last few years a well-known fly fisherman caught a 10 pound brown trout just upstream from here.

Make a left turn and head up the road towards the bunkhouse (aka - JD's Place).

Here's the first view you get of the bunkhouse (yes, it really is only eight feet wide inside!).

There's a large deck where you can sit and read or just enjoy the view - or sleep!

And here's the inside, all newly redone. We decided to christen the place with a game of cribbage before JD took me to the airport in Bozeman.

So there you have it - JD's temporary home in Montana.

Day Hike

I went on a hike today, up the Cabin Creek trailhead. Gorgeous hike.

Tomorrow is my other day off. May go fishing, may just stick around.

I finished a great book today called "Through Painted Deserts". It's about a spiritual journey of Don Miller, and how he road tripped from Houston Texas to Portland Oregon in a POS van with his friend Paul. It's a fantastic book, very funny, very serious, and I highly suggest reading it when you get the chance.

Update with Xanterra. I sent them an e-mail telling them that I am working here at the Campfire Lodge through Labor day, and I have yet to hear from them. So cross your fingers if they decide to let me start on the 2nd or not. If not, I'll just be heading home after my time here at CL.

Update on that, I love it here. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful place to work, and fun people to work with. I'm going to miss it here when I leave. Who knows, if I like it enough, I may come back next season!

Check back in soon.

~JD

Campfire Lodge, first day

Well, this morning I moved into the “bunk house”, which is the small “cabin” for employees of the “Campfire Lodge”, 19 miles out of West Yellowstone.

Oh…did I mention I got a job!? Yes, I am now working, as previously stated, at the Campfire Lodge, below Hebgen Lake on the Madison River in the GORGEOUS state of Montana. www.campfirelodgewestyellowstone.com is the URL if you’d like to check that out. I’ll be doing whatever they need me to. This includes potentially getting behind a grill and learning to cook! Very exciting. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, 6:30 to 3:30 doing Dishes.

The CL is probably one of the most popular breakfast and lunch places in all of West Yellowstone. On a Sunday…it’s EXTREMELY difficult to find a place to park in front of the office/kitchen/eating area. I’ve never seen a place so busy.

Fishing Report: Yesterday SUCKED for fishing; I only got about 2 strikes (this term means a fish attempted to eat your fishing fly), while my dad, on the other hand, caught 2. Both, I believe, were Rainbow Trout. Today, however, was a much better day for both of us. We went down and fished the Gallatin, which is on the way to Bozeman, where my dad flew out of today. I got 3 fish, 2 Cuttbows (a hybrid between a Cutthroat and a Rainbow trout). One being in the range of 17 to 18 inches long, the other about nine. I also caught a whitefish! Weird fish to see in a stream…

I am waiting to hear on Xanterra if they’ll actually want me now or not. I let them know, that because of their schedule change with me, and us having made non-refundable reservations around Yellowstone, I came up to find a job. I found one, but I’m working through Labor Day. So I contacted Xanterra to see if they’d still want me on the 2^nd of September. If not, I’m taking my road trip early, and will be home around mid-September. So here’s hoping that Xanterra still wants me!

I’m going to now finish my glass of wine, and retire. I have to be up in 9 hours, (it’s now 10:45 MDT, and I must be up at 6 MDT, which, according to my California body clock, is 5 A.fter M.idnight).

Hope to be able to update again soon.

~JD

I got a job!

So, i was able to obtain a job through labor day. I will be working at the campfire lodge, twenty minutes out of west yellowstone. Its amazing. I'll be doing whatever they need me to do, but apparently, i'm exactly what jim (the owner) was looking for. But, its a grand a month, i get a bunk room to myself, and its fifteen feet from the madison river, where on my afternoons and days off, i'm REQUIRED to fish. Plus two meals a day. I can't complain. I'm so very excited. I start tuesday, the day after i take my dad to the airport. I'm extremely excited and blessed. Thanks for all your prayers. But as i side note. I don't have wifi or bell service. But, jim has a computer, which i may be able to access once a week maybe more. We'll see. But, i will update when i can. Check in soon. I'm actually updating this with my phone. So, i may get to update with my phone, but i can't update pictures. Again, check in soon!!! ~JD

~PS I am actually posting this on the 24th, because I was just now able to obtain internet access.

Pocatello, Idaho

View Larger Map

So this is where my dad and I currently are. It took us 14 hours in total to get here from home. It was a nice drive up. Long...but nice. Those tinted windows really came in handy while driving through the Nevada/Arizona/lower Utah drive where it was 100 degrees plus (I have a thermometer in my car), but we kept cool.

Our legs and buttocks are killing us...and we appreciate the finer things in life (such as...walking for a few hours a day as compared to sitting on your dupa for 13 hours).

But, here we are, safe and sound in the Red Lion Hotel in Pocatello, Idaho (home of Idaho State University, mind you), chilling our bottle of Shiraz that we bought at the gas station (the liquor store closed at 9PM!), ready to relax.

Tomorrow: Drive up to Yellowstone and Gardner and other such places...job hunting! Maybe a little fishing? We will see.

G'night everyone!

Bon Voyage!

I'm leaving in 14 hours for the beautiful northwestern-ish states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

I will update here within the next 5 days to let anyone know if I found a job anywhere around YNP until my start date with Xanterra.

Pray for our voyage.

~JD

Okay...new update

So, in my last post, I said that I wouldn't be leaving until mid-way through August. This, is a false statement. My Father and I are now leaving on the original date (July 17th) to go and look for work around Yellowstone until my start of term with Xanterra. However, if I do not find work until my start date, we're coming back home, and I will be leaving on the 11th or 12th of August.

That's my update, and I'm sticking to it.

Look for an update in 3 weeks.

Song of the day: Take You on a Cruise by Interpol

Frustrating News

So, I received another call from YNP today, saying that "I know we gave you the choice of when you were coming up before, but now it's mandatory that you start at a later date. The reason being, that if you came at the first appointed date, we wouldn't be able to accommodate you, and it would be difficult to find work for you".

So, ladies and gents, I am no longer leaving halfway through July, I am now going to be leaving on the 11th of August and starting on the 14th of August.

This was actually extremely frustrating news. When I got this call, I was currently telling a friend who hadn't heard of my adventure-to-be about it.

So now, I am starting a later date, and, as of this past Tuesday, have worked myself out of a second job at ECCU. So, hopefully I'll be able to find temporary work for the next month and a half so I will have some money to actually get to Yellowstone with.

Please pray I'm able to find some work before I go, because if I don't...I'm going to go out of my mind with boredom.

One thing I don't know, however, is whether or not I will still be there for 3 full months, or I will be there from August 14th to October 22nd, which is my original termination date. I'll call and find out later, and will update when I have this information.

On the plus side, I now have a bit more time to be with my friends before I go, so I'm excited for that.

That's it for this update...so...drive safely, and listen to more Elliott Smith.

"Let me tell you about my (trip)"

The quote, for most, if not all of you, is from "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", my favorite movie. I just replaced "boat" with "trip".

Anyway, on with the point. This post, is going to be about my trip, and the plans I have following.

My Dad and I will be leaving on July 17th, and will be spending 2 days up there fishing before I start work on the 22nd. I actually received a call today from YNP (Yellowstone National Park) giving me the option to start at a later date (mid-august) because the employees there at the moment aren't getting a full 40 hour work week. I told Greg (the man who called me about this option) that I truly was there for the experience, and didn't care about the work week, but I told him I'd be there till late October, so I'll be able to pick up work halfway through my "term". So, my first month and a half I'm there, I will most likely only be working 4 days a week. To be completely honest, I don't mind, that gives me so much time to explore and discover, which I'm ecstatic about. So, continue to check in for sure the first month and a half that I'm there (beginning of September) for constant updates about what I've been doing.

OK, time for the after-plans.

I convinced my Father, who desperately wanted to come up in July and fish with me after my term was over, to let me drive home by myself. I was originally going to come straight home (a 2 day drive). However, it had come to my attention that I needed a little self discovery time, and that I should make a road trip out of my journey home. I thought about driving down to Colorado and visiting "family" there. However, I google-mapped my location in YNP, and found out that I was due east of Portland, Oregon, and decided it would be an amazing experience to be completely out of my familiarity. So, I have made the decision to drive towards the coast. I will be visiting Washington, Oregon, and very possibly, CANADA. My plans at the moment are to visit the following cities for sure: Seattle, Portland, Crater Lake (I know it's not a city, but still a place I'm going to visit), San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Maria, Sulvang, and Santa Barbara. Those are the places I plan on visiting. Who knows where the road will take me? Also, I honestly don't know how long this will take me. Maybe a week...maybe a month. But the amazing thing is, I'm not going to be spending money on hotels and such wherever I visit (accept for Canada, those will be day trips), so I'll be able to be gone longer than I would be if I were staying in a hotel. I do plan on camping on a beach (if the one my Pops has talked about is still there), so I'll be spending a little on that. However, other than that, I won't be spending anything but for food, gas, and fun.

I can't wait to relay all of my stops with everyone who has visited the site so far, and who will in the future. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll update in a month or sooner, depending on what plans I make, or whatever comes up involving going to YNP or thereafter :)

And on a side note: Viva La Vida by Coldplay...is brilliant.

Au revoir, et bon soir. (Goodbye, and good night).

Welcome One and All!

To my friends and family:
This is where I shall be posting all of my adventures from my 3 months in Yellowstone and adventures to Seattle, Portland, and so on down the coast on my trip home. I hope all of you check in occasionally.

Just an FYI, I leave July 17th with my Dad, we'll be fishing for 2 days. I officially start work on the 22nd.

I love and will miss you all.

~JD