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Hi. I’m Ben Benton from Flagstaff, Arizona. I believe that you will enjoy my daily journal from Yellowstone National Park during the summer of 1999. I left downtown Flagstaff with my saddle and duffel in early July and lighted in the horse corral at Mammoth Hot Springs. My journal will continue through September 20th, unless the weather shuts us down earlier. You’ll read about adventures on the back country trails, Yellowstone history, people I meet, and anything else I can think of to write about. I’m the author of “National Park Employment Data,” a guide to working in national parks, which is available for purchase on my web site at www.gorp.com/nped/. I’ve been working in national parks and ski areas off and on for over twenty years. Because I want the data in my book to always be fresh, I continually test the concepts, employers, and tips that I provide. Right now, I’m working for Amfac Parks and Resorts. They are a top notch concession company because they place employee training, morale, and amenities first. |
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Previous 7/16 |
Monday, 8-16-99Today was the first day the Mammoth Horse Corral was open for a full day since early last week. Soaking rains like we had last week are rare in northwestern Yellowstone in August. The trail dried nicely Sunday afternoon, so we’re back in business. I was required to attend a safety training course today on bloodborne and airborne pathogens (Hepatitis A/B/C, TB, Hanta Virus, AIDS, etc.), Material Safety Data Sheets, fire alarms and extinguishers, and slips, trips, and falls. Two hours. Although I find it annoying to have to sit through all that and complete three two-page tests, I’m rather impressed that the company is concerned enough to require every employee, including 60-day employees like me, to do it. Tomorrow I have to take a required 8-hour course on Wilderness First Aid. The company pays for it and I wind up with a $20 manual. Today was the last 8:00 A.M. trail ride. We’ve gone
from seven one-hour rides per day to five: 9:30, 11:00, 1:30,
3:00, and 4:30. The days are shorter and nights colder —
dropping to 35 degrees now. There’s lots of winter in Yellowstone
and not much summer.  |
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