I've been hired!!!!! Yippee Skippy!!!

It's finally time to let the cat out of the bag. Lindsay decided to move up her wedding date to August 27th, 2011. So, I knew when I was offered a position, it was going to hinge on my availability for the summer. I wanted to be back a month before the wedding, so I was looking at the end of July as my exit date.
I was offered 2 different positions, from 2 different companies.
First, Xanterra http://www.yellowstonejobs.com/offered me Reservations Sales Agent, stationed in Mammoth Hot Springs. I found out that if I stayed in the dorm, I could start sooner, than if I was planning on staying in an RV. I said I wanted to come right away!!!! The job contract that we set was from March 15th - June 15th, for 90 days.
I could stay on until my planned date of leaving, fulfill my contract and receive the $3 a day bonus upon completion. (if you don't fufill your contract, you are not eligible for re-hire - ever.....) This job is all phone work. I would be taking phone reservations for the hotels. Eventually it would work into Campground reservations and hopefully, booking activities.
If there's work available past that date, then I will stay longer.
The next job I was offered was with Yellowstone General Stores. http://www.visityellowstonepark.com/employment.aspx First off, they were going to put me at Roosevelt (yes!!) as a retail associate. However, the contract period didn't fit in with my time frame. I couldn't start there until the end of May (oh my-May?). Then, they offered me Set-up Crew, which is just a 6 week position, beginning April 18th (a month later than the other job). This job sounded super! I would live in West Yellowstone in an apartment, be on my own for food, drive all over the park daily to areas that aren't open to the public yet, and set up all the General Stores. Canyon, Old Faithful, Grant Village, Lake, Roosevelt, Norris (?) I loved the idea of being able to be out and about, hopefully spotting some wildlife while on my way to and from.
That job would end June 3rd. Just 6 weeks. If there was another position available, I could move into that, but of course, no promises were made. They need to know who's coming when, and leaving when. Of course, I get that.

I really struggled over which position to take. I liked getting there earlier, and being in Mammoth for 3 mos, being able to observe Winter in Yellowstone, and stay through June 15.
However, the Set-up crew job is more my style, a lot of moving around, doing different things, and doing retail display, which I am good at.

I decided on the Mammoth Job with Xanterra. I can be there by March 15th, snowshoe, (freeze my butt off) cross-country ski (?) (more cold), take photos (and freeze) Hear the wolves howl & watch their pairing off - hopefully, (watch my breath freeze) and be in the park before the crowds arrive. I hope I get to see some of the first bears as they emerge from hibernation.

I'm so excited!!!!!

Looking at the long term.....here's my plan. I will work in Yellowstone for 3 months. At the end of my contract, hopefully, they will need me in another position or the same one. I will take whatever they have, unless I am too homesick and ready for my own bed again. Otherwise, my plan is to return to Oregon by the end of July, so I have a month to help Lindsay with the last of the wedding preparations.

Then, if there's anything available, I would head back to Yellowstone for the fall, after the wedding. Either way, I will be in Yellowstone the last part of September/early October, on my way to Montana for my yearly trip there. I will be applying for some other things around the park. Maybe I will get some inside scoop on what it takes to get one of those NPS jobs!!!
I'd really like to spend every season there, but it doesn't have to be all in one long run!!

So, along with my crazy desire to spend some extended time in Yellowstone, and work in the process, my One and Only daughter is getting married at the same time. Life Happens!!!!!!
Enjoy the ride!

References

I'm so excited!!! Yellowstone Service Stations has sent inquiries to all my references!!! It's a 2 page questionaire asking about my work ethic, appearance, honesty, etc. Fortunately all of the people I've chosen have worked with me in many capacities and had good things to say about me....I think.....
I've been enjoying the winter trip reports from people who took the snowcoaches in to Old Faithful Lodge, and on into the interior. In fact, there were ALOT of people at Old Faithful today when I checked the webcam. It was going going off as I loaded the site. amazing! when I need a Yellowstone fix, I head to the webcam page. Sometimes you even spot wildlife cruising across the screen. Yellowstone National Park WebCams by John William Uhler
Thanks to John for putting this site together that has them all. You can also access just the Old Faithful webcam from the NPS Yellowstone site. Yellowstone National Park - Yellowstone Webcams (U.S. National Park Service).

It's New Years Eve. I can't believe that it's been 10 years since we celebrated the Millenium!! Now we are entering a new decade. I wish that I was in Yellowstone.............however, I know that it's very cold there. I know for sure, that I'm buying a box of handwarmers from Costco!!!
I can't wait to hear the next round of hiring possibilities!!!

I guess I wasn't completely rejected....

I got this today!!!!

"You have been rated qualified and referred for the position of Fire Logistics Dispatcher, GS-04, NPS-FIRE-2011-010, in Mammoth Hot Springs, WY (Yellowstone NP)."

This is so funny. I have more experience handling money, making change and greeting people than I have being a dispatcher. However, for some reason, they classified me not qualified enough to be the gatekeeper, yet, I'm being considered for the Fire Dispatcher job. Oh well, I like the radio as well!!!! I figured because I didn't have any firefighter experience, that they wouldn't even consider me.

Also, I got a letter from the Yellowstone Gas Stations that they would be reviewing applications this week!!!!!

So now, I sit back and wait for the offers to pour in......
I'm waiting to buy my snowshoes until I need them, but I'm just dying to get a pair!!!!
Chris & Lindsay got me a 0 degree sleeping bag! now I can sleep in my van in the coldest of nights, and I will be toasty warm.......(I hope...thinking about trying it out downstairs one night just to see how warm it is.....)

Meanwhile, I'm reading blogs on Yellowstone, Trip reports and anything Yellowstone news worthy. I've also found quite alot of good programs on PBS that relates to Yellowstone.

Rejected by the National Park Service

Here's my first rejection notice. Apparently, I didn't score high enough on the requirements to be a Visitor Use Assistant. (money taker at the gate) Darn. they don't know what they are missing!!!! I really wanted to wear that NPS uniform with the patch on it. I am disappointed......I told you I've keep you informed of the good and the bad. I still have 3 other companies that I have applied with. However, my cozy house is sure nice to spend the winter in. I'm working on my big event, the Horse Drawn Christmas Caroling Wagon. That runs this weekend, Dec 17 &18. I was just hoping I wouldn't get the call to come to Yellowstone before that was over!!! Even though the park is mostly closed, they still run people in on Snowmobiles & Snowcoaches to Old Faithful. they even do a drop off at the Geyser fields so people can Snowshoe around. that sounds awesome! I've asked Santa for Snowshoes for Christmas......

Gotta start somewhere!!!

For those of you who may be reading this, this is the beginning of my blog. Some of you who know me, are aware that I have been bitten by the Yellowstone Love Bug. Yes, I am totally enthralled with Yellowstone.

I have never written a blog, but I've done some pretty extensive emailing when my Mom was alive, sharing our days adventures to each other. I do love to write.

This blog is supposed to be about my adventures in Yellowstone, once I get hired there. I am keeping everything crossed, and prayers in order for that to happen. I have done all I can, by applying to every company within Yellowstone. Zanterra, Delaware North, National Park Service, The Yellowstone Association, Yellowstone Gas Stations. Yes, I'm even willing to pump gas! Heck, I can do it!

Here's where this all started.......I go to a retreat once a year in Montana. I drive there from my home in Albany, Oregon. I usually trek through Santa & Saint Maries, Idaho, where my cousins and Uncle live. My dear Uncle Pete died 2 years ago. So in 2009, I decided to make good use of the gas cost, and visit Yellowstone National Park on one leg of the trip. Yes, of all the places I had been, I hadn't been there. And, I was going to go on to Glacier Nat'l Park as well.

2009 was a big year for fires and bridge work in Yellowstone. I drove up through the Grand Tetons. I was only able to see the Old Faithful area, and exit out through West Yellowstone. Still, it was amazing. I drove all evening, through a snow storm and came down into Mammoth so I could see this Lamar Valley - Serengeti of North America that my buddies George and Dave told me about.
Wow!!! that was amazing. Grizzlies, Wolves, Pronghorn, and the Bison!!! oh my!! That did it. I had to come back in Sept, 2010. After I left Yellowstone, I didn't make it to Glacier, because the snow came early. I still hope to get there.....

After my 2010 trip, I made the decision that I wanted to come back and spend more time in Yellowstone. I heard about the Elk Rut, the Bison Rut, the Big Horn Sheep rut....the new bear cubs in Spring, the little Red Bison Calfs....... I decided the only way this was going to be possible was for me to find work and housing within the park. Oh darn......I just remembered my daughter had just gotten engaged and we were going to be planning a wedding next summer........
****So as not to repeat myself, I posted a Trip report about my 2010 trip on Yellowstone.net. ***
Her plans changed, so I started reading all I could find online about Yellowstone. I found the links for the Webcams, Yellowstone National Park WebCams by John William Uhler, I read trip reports and then I found some excellent blogger ladies.....thanks to Secret Yellowstone
I found Judy yellowstonedreaming - a rather quirky look at life as a Yellowstone Employee, then Beth Beth's Excellent Adventures - Life in Yellowstone , A completely different perspective, and currently I'm reading Robyn's Robyn In Yellowstone , and she is just having a ball. These are all gals who live(d) and work(d) in Yellowstone.

I spend my free time reading YNet Forums • Index page & Yellowstone National Park Chat Page these people write trip reports and post the most amazing pictures. Some of them are professional photogs, but there is a load of information on there about all things Yellowstone.

So that about brings you up to where I'm at in this journey. Now I wait. I'm waiting for all the job offers to come in, telling me I've been hired right away. I would even leave here and spend Christmas there!!!! Just call me!!!! ****I'm having trouble editing this post. I went back and tried to put stuff in a better order, and it got all screwed up. so, forgive me if some of it seems all jumbled together...... I'll keep you posted on all the job offers that come through. I'll sure there will be plenty.......(keeping fingers crossed!) Thanks for going along on this journey with me. I hope I can keep it entertaining.......