Can you believe it is already August?? I honestly cannot…. I’ve been here for just about two months now and as always, life is good! Nothing too notable has been going on at work, I am just enjoying the day to day routine that always varies and presents itself with new challenges and fun adventures. We are going to resume formal programs soon, so I am stoked to start giving evening programs, Junior Ranger Programs and Wildlife Safety Talks! In the meantime, just because I can, here are some fun little work photos!

We took our Summer 2022 OId Faithful Staff photo as well, so please enjoy almost the full crew here below!

It has been super hard to adjust to working 40 hour work weeks, and its definitely something I am still getting used to, but of course, I am always staying active by hiking, hanging out with my friends and enjoying Yellowstone every moment I can!

David, Paige and I caravanned down to Jackson, WY to pick up our good friend Cayley from her weekend backpacking trip in the Tetons! It was a beautiful drive down through the mountains and we all got dinner in the town of Jackson eating at a cute little restaurant out on their second floor balcony!

And of course, we have hosted our share of game nights, movie nights and crafting events!

One new fun thing I was a part of was karaoke night at the Pub! Believe it or not, I sang three songs, two with a bunch of friends in a group, and one duet with my gal Paige! We sang Dancing Queen by Abba, Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake and It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy! It was simply some lighthearted, wholesome fun that I really needed!

I have been hiking so much on my days off, and have set two awesome goals for myself. I am working on completing our 21 Day Hike Sampler by the end of the season, and I have completed 14 hikes thus far. I also signed up for the 100 mile hiking club, where the goal is to hit 100 miles in a season. There are 500 mile and 1,000 mile versions as well, and those accumulate over your seasons here. I just hit over 100 miles, YAHOO! and my goal is to reach around 200 miles by the end of my first season so when I come back next year (hopefully) I can finish 500 miles in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Over this most recent weekend, I did a solo hike day on my Sunday off up Purple Mountain in Madison and to Wraith Falls in Mammoth. I did an early morning hike to Purple, then headed to Bozeman for groceries. On my way back I was able to drive through the North Entrance for the first time using my employee access! I got to see the famous Roosevelt Arch and explored the town of Gardiner briefly. On my way home, I stopped by Wraith Falls for a short one miler and checked it off the day hike sampler!

On my Monday off, I got invited to go kayaking on Yellowstone Lake and I got to try fishing for the first time! After spending the morning paddling, I hiked Natural Bridge and out to Ribbon Lake from the Wraith trailhead in Canyon.

Until next time, all my love from Yellowstone!