Life has definitely changed at Wind
Cave! We are only doing 8 tours a day now (down from 27!) and they are all
natural entrance tours. Everything else is shut down. Scott departed today
meaning that there are but a handful of rangers left from the group that
started the summer. I am also finding it harder to get out of the tour on time
because the groups are consisting of a lot more older people (who can come to a
national park in the middle of the week in September) who like to walk a
lot slower. Combine that with a much greater interest and a lot more
questions and it is becoming very challenging to get out of the cave on
time!
I have succeeded in catching three
of my mice roommates (one by hand and two in traps) and for now any others seem
to have gone "underground" and are not leaving evidence of their
existence. I very much hope it stays that way!
I did make a couple of significant
decisions in regard to potential employment for the winter. I decided not to
apply for the lighting crew here at Wind Cave. I really want to do
interpretation and if I can't get a job doing that I would rather take
advantage of the chance to come home and do some other things instead.
I also decided to go ahead and
apply for the interp position at Jewel Cave for the winter. I wasn't going to,
but it would allow me to stay in the area, make moving a great deal easier
because I could just leave things here and would only have to deal with the
stuff that is actually in the house in Oroville, and it is my best chance of actually
getting a job. I do have several advantages when it comes to that position so
it might me that that is my best chance of something working out. I have yet to
hear anything more from death valley and have received no other positive
response from any other park as of yet. So still waiting!
The most significant news for the
moment is that the elk have officially entered into the rut, which means
the bulls are bugling. Last night was our first elk program of
the season. I went along, saw how it was done, and got to hear the elk out
on the prairie. It is a really fun program! I will be leading that program
next week. :) I am very excited about that!
After hearing the elk last night I
decided to get up early this morning and hike out before sunrise to see
what I could find. Well.... I found a lot! I came across one bull on the trail
and since I was upwind I was able to get about 150 yards away before he even
looked in my direction. I froze and he eventually decided to ignore me and then
bugled right in front of me. Very exciting! I tried to get around to get a
better angle for a picture and he decided it was time to leave. He didn't run,
but did move away from me. I climbed a ridge in an attempt to find where he
went and actually discovered two other bulls and about 20 cows. I followed
them, which in turn led me to a huge group. I was not able to get closer than
about 500 yards to that group, but I got a good look at them with the
binoculars! There were two large bulls, several yearlings, and at least 100
cows in that group. And both males bugled several times, which was answered by
more bulls in the forest behind me. It was a powerful experience!
I was very keenly reminded of the
power of rejuvenation and of life this morning. Nothing imparts the value of
life so effectively as the temple of nature. I am reminded of the words of John
Muir and William Wordsworth...
“A single say in so divine an atmosphere
of beauty and love would be well worth living for.” –John Muir
“One impulse from a vernal wood,
Will teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than all the sages can.”
–William Wordsworth
It was a splendid way to begin
09/09/09! (even though I had to get up before the sun!) I definitely want to go
out and do something similar again, but the next few days will be consumed with
other adventure as I travel to Estes Park for the Highland Games!
Alba Gu Bra! (Scotland
Forever)
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