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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 |
Tuesday, 9-7-99Some people think the story that follows is funny. Others say, “What’s so curious about that?” Driving to the rodeo in Dillon Sunday, I came upon a near-ghost town on I-15 near the southern border of Montana. I spotted liveliness in one house with a vehicle in the driveway. Elsewhere were crumbling buildings which read “Wm. Miller Garage — Oils and Repairs,” “Monida Mercantile Co.,” and “Jack’s U.S. Post Office Store Ice Cream.” When my film gets developed, I’ll post a picture of the place. I headed north on I-15 and happened to look back just as I was passing an approaching exit sign on the southbound side. It said, “Monida 8.” While in Dillon for the weekend, curiosity got my goat. If the Interstate system lists it as a town, how about the Montana state map. Sure enough. It’s on every map I’ve opened, as if it were a bona fide town. Now here’s the funniest part. U.S. West lists Monida as a community it serves in the Butte, Montana phone directory. You know how they give each community its own section with a tab? Under “Monida” it says to see “Lima.” Looking under Lima, which takes in two pages, there is one listing for Monida: Gene and Donna Engelkes. When a community comes to life, it takes years to get it recognized
and listed on maps. Now here’s one that seemly won’t
die. U.S. West should have left the Monida section with the one
listing instead of referring people to the Lima section.  |
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