The summer season at Yellowstone has been over for several weeks, and most park rangers have scattered to the four winds. So for the time being I’ve left that lavish government housing unit and have put away the flat hat. Some rangers are lucky enough to land a winter park service gig, but the rest of us pretty much scramble for any sort of respectable employment.
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| I couldn’t even get a job at the Potato Museum |
However, every once in a while a job appears that is the next best thing. My own four winds will soon be taking me to the West Desert of Utah as a crew member on an archaeological survey in Skull Valley. I’ll be trading all that National Park Service comfort and dignity to camp in my car and wear pretty much the same clothes for at least the next eight days.
I have an ancient Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and years of archaeological field experience from decades ago. So last month, when this job popped up on my personal radar screen of life, I thought “Who knew back in 1983 that I would be outstanding in my field once more?”
I won’t have my laptop. I probably won’t even have cell phone service unless we go in to town. But I will have my camera and definitely will have an interesting adventure; no matter how brief the time is, I’ll be getting it while I can.
I wonder what’s out there in Utah’s West Desert besides vast open spaces and incredibly dark night skies. Check back later this month to find out!
