Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 6

 I am here once again sitting in the historical Jackson Lake Lodge working on this blog. I think this week the lodge hosted the economic summit for our financial experts to discuss the best way forward as it pertains to interests rates and how President Trump is killing the economy. But that is enough politics I am sure you want to know how my week was. The kids are back in school and the store is presently in the slowdown business wise before Labor day. It is normal and the managers are prepared for it, as they have reduced everyone's hours and some reduced their days worked to compensate for the revenue decrease. My hours have been reduced, but I do not mind it at all, as I am not here to make money. With the decrease in families coming to the park, it seems that the majority of visitors are foreign and tour buses. I hear many languages in the store and when I have to communicate with them I find it very interesting.  The weather has turned somewhat cold and as my grocery manager Ron says, summer is over and fall has started.  I woke up the other morning to 30 degrees and rain. We are close in temperature, that we will probably get a smattering of snow soon. We also had a very intense thunderstorm this week. It poured for several hours with a lot of lightening and thunder. When you are 8,000 feet up, the lightening can be quite startling. I managed to sleep through most of it, as I think it lulled me to sleep.

  This whole week we have been dealing with a pine marten that has decided to make our grocery stock room his home. He has been sleeping in our stock shelves and helping himself to our stock. My boss Ron used to set a trap for them and then take them far away from the store and release them into the wild. For some reason he decided to leave this one alone. We, on the other hand, decided that the guy was eating too much and making too much of a mess. He started to eat the food that we use in the employee dining room, and that was the last straw. So we surrounded the guy and with brooms and we guided him out the door and into the back area. He ran away and we were hoping he would find another place to nest and feed. Unfortunately he knows how to get back into the store and the next day he was back in our shelves and eating our stock once again.  So we are leaving him alone for now. The only problem I have with that decision is when I reach into the shelves to get stock to put out on the floor and he is there, I get somewhat jumpy. He has not shown any aggression to us working in the shelves, but I know when cornered the guy is pretty much teeth and nastiness.  His picture is below and I would imagine you think he is cute.  Well that cuteness ends when you have to clean up his poop and the mess he makes when he decides to rip into a box of moon pies. 

  It is getting to the end of the season for some, as contracts are over. We have to say goodbye to several and that is hard sometimes as you make friends for just a short while.  My boss will be getting his surgery this week and I have been praying that he will come through with flying colors and be back to work in no time. He tells me he will be on a ten pound weight limit when he comes back, and we will try to make sure he follows those limits. He is a hard headed guy and we will have to keep an eye on him for sure. The good news for him is the workman's comp came through OK and will pay for the surgery and his pay while he is off. That takes a lot of worry off his shoulders for sure.

  I have not mentioned the remodeling of the dorm I am living in for a while. Yes it is still going on and we do not think it will be over before the store closes. The workers still have a lot to finish up, but from what I have heard they have a few items that already need fixing that were installed. For instance the other day when it was 30 degrees I turned on the heater installed in the bathroom.  The heater came on and then immediately emitted a terrible sound of fan blades banging inside the unit. I turned it off and reported it to our maintenance person. He told me it has never worked since the workers installed it and it is one of many things that will be reported to the construction manager, who I hear has not been around in quite some time. 

  I will end this blog with a rest in peace to my friend and fellow church member Kenny Fiscus, who passed away this week. I have been praying for Susan and the family ever since I have heard. I always enjoyed talking to Kenny and he will be greatly missed by so many in our church.

 

 

Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 5

  Week five is in the books and the tourists visiting the store has slowed down.  It is to be expected, as historically business slows down once kids go back to school.  Business will pick up again after Labor day.  This week our stores celebrated Christmas in Yellowstone on August 25th.  You may be wondering why we are celebrating Christmas on August 25th. A popular, though unverified, legend claims that an unseasonable August blizzard once trapped guests inside the Old Faithful Inn, inspiring them to put up a makeshift tree and celebrate the holiday together. Other theories have come to light, but it really does not matter as every year I have worked here Christmas has been celebrated on August 25th. The store managers really go all out to bring a good time to the employees.  This is a great morale booster. The cooks also go all out to create a great meal for all the workers.  The night before the 25th we all gathered at the lower general store for a time to have some great finger food and they even had a white elephant gift exchange.  The store managers gave gifts and Christmas ornaments to all workers.  I told the managers several times that I really appreciated the effort that they put into this celebration.

  The weather here has turned slightly colder at night but the days are still hovering around 84 degrees.  We had a very nasty thunderstorm this week.  Lightening at eight thousand feet can been rather startling.  One bolt set off a fire nearby, but the torrential downpour quickly put it out.  The interesting thing about the rain here is that once it stops raining, it takes very little time for the ground to be dry as a bone. 

  I have included a picture of a person driving a camper and their great parking job.  I just have no idea why a person with a camper did not use the very large parking area that is available for those visiting Old Faithful. The person chose to park in front of our store in an area that really was not made to park a camper.  The store manager called the park rangers and told them that they needed to come and see for themselves the problem. They arrived and proceeded to examine the situation.  They then waited for the driver of the rental camper to come and back out of the parking spot.  They wanted to see if they damaged the car that they were no more than an inch from.  They also were preparing a ticket for the person for their parking obstruction. I did not hang around for the person to come back to the camper, but believe me there was a nice crowd around wanting to see how it all played out.

   This week has not been good for our employee's health. My grocery boss Ron collapsed in pain while moving a case of water.  He was transported to a local hospital and it was determined he has developed a small hernia.  He is on light duty and we are protecting him from lifting anything heavy. He will be meeting with a surgeon in the near future to decide a way forward. He is a tough guy and it is hard to keep him down, but he told me he does not want to experience that pain again.  We also lost William to kidney stones this week.  He was taken to Bozeman hospital and they told him the bad news about the stones.  He will be leaving in the near future for home in Texas to get them taken care of. We also are losing Eric, our lower store fountain lead, to care for his mother.  He has been recouping from recent surgery and has been on light duty also.  One thing for sure, we are an aging work force and these issues come up every year.

   On my day off I decided to head to Idaho Falls to have a zero day in a hotel.  I needed a hair cut and the truck was in need of a good washing.  Once my co-workers found out I was heading to Idaho Falls I was given many items to buy for them while I was in town. No problem doing this, as some of my co-workers do not have a vehicle.  On my way to Idaho Falls I stopped by one of my favorite spots.  Johnny Sack's cabin at Big Springs.  I have included a picture below. The place is very peaceful and if you are lucky you can spot a moose.  I have been blessed to see a mother and her baby twice while visiting there.  I like to just sit next to the cabin and listen to the sound of the springs shooting out of the ground creating the river.

  That is about it for the week. 96,000 steps this week.  That is roughly 48 miles of walking.  I thank you for reading and I hope you are well.  By the way I would be remiss to not say Rest In Peace Dolly Parton.   

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 4

   I can't believe it has been a month since I have arrived to work.  The weather has finally changed from hot to chilly.  We are getting highs in the 70's to low 80's and at night the temps dropped to the 40's.  Which makes sleeping a lot more comfortable in a dorm that is not air conditioned. Storms that have hit us recently have been quick.  The area is under drought conditions and I was reading that the local Powder River has stopped flowing around July 23rd.  That is a major river for some and from what I gather the fish have found deep pools to survive in until the river starts flowing again. It is amazing to me with all the water around me that the area can be under drought conditions. I can walk 10 minutes in any direction and reach flowing water.

  This week I met several more Continental Divide Trail hikers.  Some were heading south to Mexico and some heading north to Canada.  I still feel the north hikers will have a better chance of finishing the hike before weather gets too bad.

   I have witnessed several people stealing from the store over the years I have been here, but mostly they get away before the manager can get involved. This week we had a different story.  An under aged kid grab a vodka bottle and headed out of the store. Unfortunately for him a park ranger was at the door at the same time. He was arrested and since this is a federal park, he was transported to Madison jail to await a judge to come and hear his case.  Stupid decisions can cause a lifetime of regret and I am sure he is regretting the action as he sits in a cell for several days because judges don't reside here all the time.

  The store has seen business drop off this week.  They expect that to happen, as every year the kids go back to school.  Business will pick up again around Labor Day. So Delaware North has cut hours for several workers and has given some workers three days off versus the normal two.  

   There has been a cook crisis in one of our general stores at Grant Village. It seems that all the cooks, including the head cook left.  There was only one cook helper left to feed the entire store.  So Delaware North has asked our cooks to do double duty.  So one of our cooks gets transported to Grant Village a couple times a week to cook.  The lower store is also sending one or two of their cooks also to help out. This is a very tough issue for Delaware North, as it is too late in the year to bring in a person who can not only cook but run the employee dining room.  So far this year there has been several issues with store managers also. Our manager has to run our store and run the lower general store at the same time.  Our managers husband, who was supposed to be running the lower store was transferred to Canyon to run that store.  So Delaware North has been doing a lot to keep the general stores running this year.  I would not want to be in charge of having to staff all the general stores in this park with temporary workers.

   On my day off I decided to go see a special historical town called Three Forks Montana.  Historical for those that like history and study it.  Three Forks refers to the three rivers that converge to form another major river that was important in the United States expanding to the west.  The Madison, the Jefferson, and the Gallatin rivers converge to create the Missouri river.  It was at this spot that Lewis and Clark had to leave the river and start their arduous trek across the mountains to Oregon. The sport where the rivers converge in located in a very nice state park. The town of Three Rivers has two very nice museums and an historical hotel call Sacajawea.  I have included pictures below or the trip.  I spent a few hours in each museum and talked to the local volunteers who oversee the museums.  One was a railroad museum and one was a town history museum. Both we excellent and the staff was great to talk to. 

   Not too much else about week four other than pray for my back and my new knees.  The job has been putting a lot of stress on both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 3

 I am siting in the historical Jackson Lake Lodge presently working on this blog. From where I sit I can see the Tetons Mountain range.  The place is very expensive to stay for a night, but does allow people to come into the lodge to look at the view.  They have outdoor seating so you can watch the elk herds when the are around.  The weather today is rainy but what you see in the pictures is also smoke from the Canadian and Oregon fires. The past several days the smoke has prevented seeing how spectacular the mountains really are around us.  The tourist have been very disappointed in their visit, as the views are half the reason people come here to visit. 

  The store has been busy this week but not as busy as July.  So the managers have been letting us go early in our shift, but just a half an hour to an hour.  It seems that once school gets in session business slows down until Labor Day when it picks back up. So far I am adjusting to the altitude and the work.  I estimated before that it would take a month to really feel healthy about doing the job and I am probably going to be correct about that estimate.  So far this week I have put in 88,000 steps. That is roughly 44 miles of walking and lifting in the grocery section.  My new knees are holding up well, but I have no desire to do much hiking on my days off.  So mostly on my days off I explore outside the park.  Yesterday I went to visit the historic town of Virginia City and then explored other small towns looking at their historical buildings. Below are pictures of a very old catholic church I visited. I think it was over 120 years old.  Very nice and well maintained.

  I experienced my first major power outage and fire alarm this week in the store.  The fire alarm was understandable, as the EDR filled with smoke from a breakfast mishap.  Nothing major just smoke and it was cleared out quickly but we still had to wait for the fire department to come and turn off the alarm and verify all was ok.  The power outage was a major one and affected all of the Old Faithful area.  It took a while to get power restored.  The store has contingency plans for when power outages occur and a back up power system.  So the store stays open until the backup system fails, then they go to the old fashioned knuckle dusters to process credit cards.  The don't like to do that but it is the only way to keep the store going and selling items. I am glad we did not get to that point as it is hard on all workers.

  I was able to talk to many continental divide hikers (CDT) this week. If you are not familiar with the CDT, it is a trail from the southern border of US and Mexico and runs all the way to the US Canadian border.  Some of the hikers I talked to were heading south and some were heading north. I felt that the ones heading north had a better chance of succeeding then the once heading south.  I always ask the hikers for their trail names, as when you start a major hike you choose a name for other hikers to know you by. I have met "Chef", "Peach Pit", and "Instant Coffee", as well as a few I did not remember.  They all looked physically fit, if not fairly skinny.  They stop by the store to get supplies for the next leg of the trip.  Mostly the supplies are high calorie items, such as gummy bears and protein bars.  They also by our dehydrated hiking food packets.  We sell a variety of packets that they would just add water and get a complete meal.  They are light weight and provides a good amount of calories.

  Working in the store I get to converse, or at least try to converse, with many tourists from many different countries.  I do my best to understand what they are asking, but sometimes I have to get google translator out on my phone to understand what they want.  I have talked to people from China, France, Russia, Italy, India, England, and one from Australia.  Most are pleasant, but sometimes they get a little rude.  When that happens I just retreat to my walk in cooler and work on making sure we have enough water to be sold.   

  Not too much else has happened in the store this week.  The weather has started to cool down, which makes sleeping in the dorm and lot better.  Mornings have been around 45 degrees and by mid day it is 85. I see rain and cooling in the forecast next week. So we may be entering fall here shortly.  Thanks for reading and I will blog next week.

 

 

 

Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 2

  I made it through another week of work at the grocery store at Old Faithful.  The weather here has beenn hot and sometimes humid.  It has been continuing this trend for several days now, but relief is in site for a few days.  The forcast shows we will start to get nightly lows in the 30's and highs in the 70's.  Myself and all those living in the unairconditioned dorms would welcome the relief.   

   Not too many exciting things have happened this week at the store. Yes we had a person pass out from the heat, but that seems to happen often when the temperatures reach 80's and 90's at 8,000 feet.  The one thing for sure is at these temperatures we are selling a boat load of water in the store.  The water gets delivered once a week and we are running out of water to sell a day before the truck is to arrive.  Speaking of trucks, I get asked quite often in the store about fresh food.  About 95 percent of all the food items we get delivered here comes frozen.  The only fresh things we get for food are fruits and some vegetables (potatoes and onions).  So the sandwiches we sell come in frozen and we have to let them thaw in the refrigerator before we can put them in our display for sale to the public. We also have 28 days to sell the item once we receive it or the item gets thrown out.  Just some FYI for those interested.

  This week I was able to talk to a woman who was hiking the CDT (continental divide trail).  This trail runs from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada.  She was on her way north to Canada and seems to be making good time.  She was loading up on high calorie items for her backpack and I helped her find some items she needed.  Everyone who does the CDT has a trail name and hers was "Chef". She was very pleasant to talk to and I wished her good hiking the rest of the way for her trip.  The CDT is pretty tough to hike, but you are rewarded with some beautiful scenery.

   This week we celebrated Halloween in the store.  The store always celebrates holidays ahead of time, just to give us something to do.  In a few weeks we will be celebrating Christmas.  These celebrations usually involve decorations by the managers and some great food.  This week we had steak and shrimp.  It was very good and seems to help morale a lot.

   Not too much else to report other than I got in 87,000 steps in the store this week.  The steps are not bothering me as much as the lifting and toting of stock items.  My back and knees need the rest for sure.  I am writing this from Idaho Falls, as I will be staying the night here to watch a couple of movies and just relax for a couple of days before I have to go back to work on Thursday.

  Thanks for reading and so far it is Bison 1 and Tourist 0.   

Yellowstone Adventure 2026 - Week 1

 I am writing this blog as I sit in Idaho Falls next to the Snake River Falls.  The water is ruuning fast and high and I love the sound of the falls.  I managed to make it through my first week of work at Old Faithful Upper General Store in the grocery section. My first day consisted of training provided by Human Resources.  I had to take alcohol training again, as it has to be renewed every three years.  I managed to pass the exam with a 90 percent and now I am able to serve alcohol to customers.  Which is strange because working in the grocery section of the store, I don't serve any alcohol to anyone. I stock alcohol for the customers to buy, but I don't' server any.  The rules state that I have to be certified because I handle alcohol.  After the training was over I was released to head to the store and check in with Chanda the store manager.  Chanda is a great manager, but this year she has taken on the responsibility of managing the upper and lower stores at the same time.  I don't know how she keeps her sanity, but she does and she is always pleasant. It took me awhile to get to the store because the west entrance was backed up quite a bit with tourists trying to enter.  I managed to get to the store and found out the construction affecting the dorms has taken most of the parking for those living in the dorm.  I double parked and entered the store.  Chanda checked me in and gave me my dorm key to room 11.  I was happy that I had a room by myself, which they try to do for those who are above a certain age. My friend George was there and helped me unload my truck and get my stuff into the dorm.  George is one of the best workers, and nicest person, I know.  After getting the stuff unloaded I managed to find a close parking space to stash my truck.  I proceeded to set up my room the way I like it.  Now is a good time to tell you that Yellowstone is experiencing a heat spell that they have not seen in quite some time.  It has not only been hot, but humid, and that is not normal for being eight thousand feet up.  My room was very stuffy and I would say about eighty five degrees.  I brought two small fans and set them up first to see if I could get the temperature down.  The dorms have recently been remodeled and have replaced all the furniture.  The only problem is that they removed all the hooks to hang things and I had to buy some removable hangers from Walmart. I managed to get everything put up and headed to the store to find Ron, my grocery supervisor, and find out my schedule.  Ron was happy to see me, as he indicated the grocery section could use the extra help. He told me my schedule would be 10:30AM to 6:30PM with a 30 minute lunch break. I was to start Tuesday and then have Wednesday off before being on my permanent schedule of having Tuesday and Wednesday off.  

   My work days were filled with placing items on the shelves and unloading the trucks when they came in.  The hot and humid temperatures made the days very hard.  One of the benefits of working in the grocery section is that I have to fill the drink cooler and it is a walk in. I really enjoyed getting in there and cooling off from the heat every once in a while.  Not too much happened with the tourists this week, but we did have an unusual incident. The floor managers in the store all have walkies-talkies to communicate with the store and each other.  Well it seems that a kid brought their own walkies-talkie into the store and it was on the same frequency.  Theresa the main manager kept asking that who ever was using a walkies-talkie to please stop.  It did not help and the kid kept broadcasting and everyone in the store kept hearing the kids squeals and laughter.  Theresa was getting very upset and finally requested that all those who have walkies-talkies change to a different frequency.  That helped, but I am sure Theresa would have liked to get her hands on the kid.  I had many tourist come up to me and ask about where is the best place to eat.  I let them know of their choices in the area.  I have told people who ask me about visiting, to bring their own food in coolers before they get into the park.  Mostly because the food in the park is expensive and sometime limiting selections.  I also had a few tourists ask me when is the best time to visit the park, because they could not believe how packed the place was and how bad the traffic jams were.  I always tell people that if you cannot visit the store before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, then I would seek some place else less crowded. Speaking of crowded, with the heat so bad the tourists were smelling quite ripe. 

  Not much else happened during my first week.  My co-workers in grocery are Gary and Joey and Jack.  They all work hard, which is very nice.  But we all have our limitations.  Gary has some health issues that prevent him from going up and down stairs well.  Jack is 89 years old and needs help lifting heavy objects.  I have two brand new knees and I cannot get down on the floor anymore.  Joey and my boss Ron are both healthy and that is a god send.  Ron always makes jokes about the class of helpers he gets, but I know deep down he appreciates us all.  I would be remiss in not mentioning the employee dining room we eat three meals a day at. Is the food fantastic?  Not always, but it has been pretty good.  If I do not like a meal item I then turn to my back up peanut butter and jelly. They always have that available.  I personally do not like any pasta dishes and they make that regularly because it is cheap and easy to make.  I know they have a budget to deal with, so I can't complain on menu items. 

   That is it for week 1.  The score so far at Yellowstone is fluffy cows, aka bison, 1 and tourists 0.  I will update scores as they happen.    

Yellowstone Adventure- 2026 The Load Out

The truck has had its oil changed and tires rotated. It is ready for me to put another five thousand miles on it, which is just about what I put on a vehicle when I work at Yellowstone. Having done this work trip for seven years, I have learned what items I need to pack. Being a tech nerd, I have created a checklist on my phone that I go through as I pack. I don't use luggage, but I use two large bins, as these are better for hauling pillows, blankets, and sheets. After the first year I worked in Yellowstone, I learned that the most important item to bring is a small fan. The dorms are only heated and not air-conditioned. The windows in the dorm room can be opened, but I never do, as the dust is terrible there, and it just coats the room. I have also learned to bring my own power bank and extension cords. I also bring several bottles of water, as bottled water costs an arm and a leg if you purchase it at the store I work in.

I plan on making the trip in three days, as I don't like traveling at night. That also gives me plenty of time to see some sights on the way and to stop by Wall Drug to visit my friends that I worked with in 2020. So my first stop will be the end of Iowa, then Rapid City, and finally Bozeman, Montana. From Bozeman, it is only a two-hour drive to human resources at West Yellowstone. Also, Bozeman has a lot more places to stay that have reasonable rates as compared to West Yellowstone. Once my HR check-in is completed, I get released to head into the park and report to Chanda, the grocery store manager.

Taken off the waiting list

    I got an email from Delaware North's HR asking if I would like to work this summer until the store closes.  I accepted the offer and we agreed that my contract would be from July 20th to October 19th 2026. October 19th is when the store officially closes.  I am looking forward to this contract, as I need to get out of Indiana's heat and humidity.  I also am looking forward to seeing my Yellowstone friends again.  My contract will be to work at the grocery store the Old Faithful General Store.  I will be once again working for Ron, who I have worked for the past 7 times I have been assigned to grocery.  From what I hear the store and the dorms have been undergoing some major renovations.  The renovations are on going with the dorms, but have been mostly completed in the store.

 

 

   From what I hear the dorm changes have been progressing slowly and several things that help make living there have not been completed yet.  The rooms have been updated with new furniture, new light fixtures, three prong electric outlets, and new twin mattresses.  I have asked and was assured that I should have a room to myself when I arrive, which makes me very happy.  I have said this before in another blog post, but I would rather stay and close the store that arrive in April to open the store.  There is just too much snow still around in April and May to be able to hike like I like to do on my day off.  I also like to see the park change from fall to winter and I am a cold weather person too.

    I will be heading out bright and early July 17th following my usual route with stops in Iowa, Rapid City, and Bozeman.  I will drive from Bozeman to Delaware North HR to begin my on boarding.  I have heard it through the grapevine that I will be required to attended alcohol training again.  I have taken the training in the past and passed with flying colors and I see no reason to have to sit through it again, but HR is calling the shots.

   I will attempt to blog once a week on my days off to keep those at home informed and entertained. 

A Special Trip to Explore

    Around April 18th I decided to take an extended trip to see the desert southwest. I have been wanting to see Cero Gordo in Death Valley, as well as many other places of interest.  I also used this trip to stop and see my friends Mark and Mary in Nacogdoches Texas and my old classmate Shane and his wife Robin in Mesa Arizona. I explained to Cathy about what I was going to be doing on this trip and she decided it was not her cup of tea. Also I was going to be driving the truck because of the sketchy roads I wanted to travel.  The truck did great as I drove 6,270 miles. From Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and then back home.

    I promised the grand-kids I would visit Tombstone Arizona and the graves of several good guys and bad guys. I also wanted to visit Biosphere II and the London Bridge in Lake Havasu. I wanted to explore Soda Springs in the Mojave desert and drive up the 8,000 feet to see the ghost town of Cerro Gordo.  Along the way I saw many sites that I never expected to visit that were diamonds in the rough. One was the cave system in Arizona as the Kartchner Caverns State Park.  I could not believe how interesting this place was and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves caves and bats. I also got to see the many historical sites around Barstow California and many that dealt with being a Rout 66 stop.

   I plan on going back in the future to explore more of Death Valley and the Mojave Desert area.  It was a trip I thoroughly enjoyed and will have great memories of.