River Trip for the Volunteers!!

Well, here it is Friday night and I’m just catching up with the blog.  For some reason the Internet is no longer working at the RV. 



Boat Launch

Monday and Tuesday, June 9th and 10^th we worked, but it was not the best of days.  Monday morning we were pretty slow and Nan came through about 8:30 and told us to close up about 11:00 if the crowds didn’t show up.  So we left about 11:00, stopped for lunch and were still home by 1:00 to let Rudy out and give him a chance to run and have some fun.  The rest of the day was pretty quiet, chit chats with the neighbors and relaxing evening and off to bed by 9:30…..5:00 am comes early.

 

Ties up to the
water spigot

Tuesday was really slow, but about 8:00 Brad radioed me to see if I heard anything about a fatality on the river Monday evening…..no I didn’t.  It couldn’t have been 15 min. later when Sheriff Ray stops by to let me know they had a fatality the night before, just to make us aware.  We both then worried about who it was, 'Gramps and Pappy' (our nick-names for two guys), the youngest was about 72, and we were hoping it wasn’t one of them.  Then we found out it was a 62 year old with his 13 year old son, and we were both hoping that it wasn’t the Moody’s.  My first weekend working they came through and didn’t have cash for the Day Usage Pass, so I fronted them the $15.00 for the week pass, and the next day he was very nice, grateful, and gave me an extra $5.00 for being so nice. J  They fished all week and everyday they took time to talk for a while, really nice guy.  Saturday June 7, they were back for another week pass, but ended up buying the yearly pass, since they planned on being back again and again.  Well, sad for us to hear, it was their boat that flipped and Mr. Moody got stuck in the river brush, they finally got him loose and told him to float out, but he had a heart attack and they were not able to revive him…..oh, I can’t imagine how his son feels, being there watching all this happen.  Nan and Adam came down Tuesday, about 10:00, planning on going down the river to check out the site and see if they needed to put up signs or clear something out….but it seems like it was just a freak river accident. 

Wednesday we were off, so we headed up to Rock Springs, Wyoming for supplies, again we saw the herd of wild horses on the way there, but they were too far away for pictures.  Now we have decided it is cheaper to shop in Wyoming, the taxes are lower and the food selection is better, but what a long day.  We left the CG after 10:00, got to Rock Springs about 11:30 had lunch, shopped at K-Mart for the misc. stuff, then hit the Smith’s grocery store.  We did do some touring around the town to check out what else was there, then headed home, finally arriving about 5:30 to let Rudy out….the poor thing.  We finally get everything put away when Jim came over for a chat…..not another good night on the river, a raft flipped and got stuck in some trees in the middle of the water, but the family made it off the water.  It was late till somebody got the news out, so they dropped supplies from a helo for them to spend the night safely and then the rescue team went in and floated the family out early in the AM on Wednesday….what a couple of days.  While we are sitting there talking, Fred, another volunteer stopped over and asked if we heard about what happened at ‘Little Hole’, another boat launch that hasn’t been manned.  He heard that the pay booth was hit, but nobody really knows for sure….something to check out another day.  We are inside for the night, when Jake stops by and asks if we are available to go down the river tomorrow, the Forest Service goes down every week to check out the toilets and camping areas and they are headed down Thursday, so we can go along and check out the river, launch time is 1:00 PM.

Thursday, since all our original plans are changed, we ended up having a big breakfast, did a load of laundry and just kind of hung out at the CG for the morning. We had some fruit for lunch and headed out about noon, heading into Dutch John before we got to the launch area.  We got to the pay booth and talked with Jim for a minute, only to find out the boat is already waiting for us at the launch, so off we go down the hill.  Now we thought we would be going down the river on a ‘Dory’ (the Forest Service Boat), but there was a raft instead, there are 4 going down, and the Dory only holds 3 people.  We ended up having Adam as our boatman, and from everything we have heard, he is one of the best, so I’m a happy camper.  He just finished cleaning up around the launch area when Teri, the other worker, shows up to go down with us.  We all get ready, into the raft and off we go.  The river is still running high so the 7 mile trip should only last about 2 hours, I have added a link to pictures from the trip.  There is normally a walking trail along the 7 mile stretch, but some of it is totally under about 3 feet of water and some of the wooden walkways have completely washed away.  We passed the stuck raft, where one of the guides/owners of the Outfitter was trying to get it loose.  We stopped to make sure they were OK, but then headed on wishing them the best.  Further down the river, there are still signs of where the fatality happened, then off to Dripping Springs for Adam to check out the toilets and make sure all is fine, but as soon as we are tied up, Brad looks up and out on the river there goes an upside down kick boat.  We waited about 20-30 min. to see if the owner came down, but we didn’t see him, let’s just hope one of the other fishing guides picked him up.  While we were there waiting, the Outfitter trying to get the raft  passed us, without the stuck raft….that might be there until the water levels are dropped.  Back in the water and the rest of the ride was pretty much uneventful, other than seeing one of the fishing guides holding the loose kick boat.  We landed safely, got the rig loaded up and headed out of Little Hole.  As soon as we had cell service, Adam called and reported the incident, but it seems all ended up OK and the rafter made it out just fine.  We get dropped off at the car, head home to tend to Rudy, then have a nice evening at the CG.  Steaks and a veggie for dinner and off to bed about 10:00.  Oh yea on a side note: it looks like somebody threw a rock through the window of the fee booth, but nothing was taken.

 

River Pictures:  River Pictures

Reservoir from
Antelope Flats CG

Friday Brad once again made a nice breakfast of sausage and pancakes, cooked on the grill and eaten out side.  After that we head out to check out a couple more of the campgrounds.  We stopped in Dutch John for an ice cream, but instead had a light lunch.  Off again and this time we stop at the ‘Mustang Ridge CG’ and boat launch area.  We both agree that this is the nicest CG we have seen yet, set on the reservoir with water access nearby, well shaded and sites big enough for a motor home.  After that we headed to ‘Antelope Flats CG’, what a drive and of course there were the token Antelope running around as we headed in.  I think the drive was about a 30-40 min. long, mostly on a gravel road after you turned off the main highway.  But if you want a remote CG, right on the reservoir, with it’s own boat launch this is the place to go.  There was also a large group camping area, that had about 4 covered picnic areas.  We walked for a while, checking out the beach area and the Utah butterfly bushes that were very fragrant and beautiful.

Checking out the
Butterfly Bushes

After that we head home, we left at 10:30 and didn’t get back home until about 4:30, who would have ever thought it would take that long to check out 2 campgrounds.  Oh yea, I did talk to Lynne for a little, she was heading out on her camping trip and took time to call on the drive, a pleasant surprise.  Back home, chicken on the grill, some visits with the neighbors, laundry done and we are still off to bed about 10:00, our work week begins tomorrow.







Diane and Brad
 

What a Ride!!

The tiny brown thing on the left in
 the picture is an old fee tube, the
 bubbles are holes drilled in the
concrete to release pressure so the
 water doesn't lift the ramp
 instead it comes up through them.

Yesterday, Saturday we headed to work, but instead of stopping at the booth we headed down to see the dam.  They have all the generators open and the over flow open, WOW, what a difference.  Our mild river is now raging.  We ended up being pretty busy on Saturday, a warm sunny day and the river is supposed to be great for the rafters, but not so great for fishing.  They say after a couple of days of the rapid river, fishing returns to normal, so we'll have to wait and see.  It was fun working, the people were all excited about the water level, and the biggest problem for us, was watching people take infants on the rafts.....but if this is what you do, and how you are raised, then maybe it is normal, but on my!  The day went by pretty fast and it was time to leave before we knew it, exhausted, but happy for such an interesting day.  Then the same routine, back home, walk Rudy, and a nap for Brad and I worked on the impossible puzzle.  After Brad got up, him and Rudy do a 2 mile walk up to the visitors center while I finished the puzzle, yea.  The neighbors dropped some keys and guessing they needed them to close the visitors center, Brad took them up.  After that we had meat loaf, mashed potatoes and a veggie for dinner and a lazy night at home.  Brad took Rudy for another

At the edge of the water, to the left,
 is the Fee Tube that is now
underwater in the above picture

walk, while I did dishes and cleaned up the house and then ended up talking with Jim for about 15-20 min.  Jim started a fire, then Fred and Judy joined him and about 8:00 Brad went out to visit while I finished making coffee, etc., etc., what ever else needed done,  back in ready for bed and all of us are in bed by 10:00. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water coming out
Overflow Tubes, Wow

Today, it was back to work, but it's cool, cloudy and overcast.  After an hour, we only had 3 launches, so it's not really looking good for the day.  Oh well, we deal with that pretty good, I tend to talk more(surprise) with the people going down the river, a couple of walks up and down the parking lot, picking up trash and a long talk with Judy, one of the shuttle drivers.  One of the Deputies and DNR guys stopped by and both chatted until somebody pulled up behind them, then they headed down the hill and talked with Brad a while.  We had a group come through about 12:30, it was their second run down the river today....they were having a blast, the first time there were 8 people, this time they had 12, somewhere they picked up a couple more, but a lot for the raft.  After that we were getting ready to close, when of course 3 or 4 more come down, and about 3 more people just wanting to see the overflow tubes.  We finally get out of there about 1:15, head home, a short walk for Rudy, lunch, then a

Rough Waters Ahead

planned long walk for Rudy.  Well that didn't work out, he decided he was more interested in chasing the marmots then listening to us.  Once he did come back, it's on the leash and that's been the extent of his walks tonight.  We headed up to one of the overviews to make some phone calls, I got to talk to Lynne for a while, but no answer at Dad's, I guess I'll have to try him tomorrow.  After that we head home and have grilled cheese and soup for dinner, chilly and damp out tonight so it was a good comfort meal.   Now it's about 7:30, dinner is done, I'm working on the blog while Brad relaxes thinking about taking a walk with Rudy. 

 

Thanks,

Diane and Brad

 

Three Days off

Cows on the open range
they have the right of way

Wednesday we were planning a trip to Wyoming, but that got put on hold, by the time I finished the blog and Brad got done with a phone call, it was after 10:00 and a little later than we wanted to leave.  So we continued with inside things, finished our time sheets and work claims, balanced check books then headed out about 11:30.  We had lunch with Fred and Judy at the Flaming Gorge Lodge then headed into the office in Dutch John.  We dropped off our paper work and Nan gave me a print out for the next river increase, which just happens to be on Friday, from 4600 CFM at 7:00 am and then being a full 8600 CFM output at 11:00 am, wow what a change.  After that we headed out to Brown's park, the second pull out spot on the river.  We first checked out the BLM campground, which was actually pretty nice, with most sites having a covered picnic table.  Then we went to the historical area, where John Jarvie ran a store/trading post and a ferry(circa 1880) over the Green River.  It was interesting and the dugout which was the original home, was not as romantic as one would think.  After he built a log house the original dugout was used by people such as Tome Horn (a hired gun), Ann Bassett (queen of the cattle rustlers), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  It really was an interesting story and in the end John Jarvie, himself, was killed by transients.  After the long ride home we just had grilled sausages for dinner, talked with the neighbors for awhile, then off to bed.

Not so Romantic Dugout home

The Vastness of the West

 

 

 



Thursday we had a quick breakfast, then headed out to Wyoming to do the Wild Horse Loop.  Within 5 minutes of the loop we saw our first two horses, then about 15 min. later we saw 3 more.....what a

BLM Camping on the  reservoir

great day this is going to be.  No such luck, that was it, the rest of the 24 mile, bumpy rough road, not another horse, a few mule deer and a bunch of prong horn deer, but that was it.  We ended up in Rock Springs and found the wild horse corrals, which were absolutely full.....now we know where they all were, rounded up the week before we hit the loop.  We checked them out for a while, very beautiful animals, full of spunk and energy, then we headed off to the store for just a few things that we needed.  We then headed down route 191 to Dutch John and about 30 min. into the ride we hit the open range 'Live Stock' may be on the road (and they have the right of way).  We saw a bunch more

First two Wild horses

deer and about 45 min. into the ride I saw 4 wild horses down a ravine.  We pull over a little less then 1/4 mile down the road and when we got out to look, there must have been about 20-30 wild horse down the embankment, enjoying the open range area.....now they need to get the rest of them from Wyoming to join them.  We watched them for a while, then back in the car for the rest of the ride home.  Nothing eventful after that, just a long ride home, all in all about 200 miles put on the car, but we had a great day, beautiful weather.  Back home, a chat with the neighbors, left overs for dinner and we were all in bed by 10:00. 

 

Wild Horse Herd
On the open range
not in the place they are to be

Wild Horse Corral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday is our stay at home day, 2 loads of laundry in by 8:30, breakfast on the grill and we eat outside on this beautiful morning.  Back to the laundry room, another load in the washer, some hung on the line, the rest in the dryer and I get to work on the impossible jigsaw puzzle, but I got a lot put together....yea.  Laundry gets done, we have a quick lunch, then take the car up to the parking lot for a washing, a scrub on the outside and then a good scrubbing on the inside....but why, until we got it back to the RV parking area, it is yellow with pollen.  Oh well, I move inside and clean the RV, dust, sweep and scrub the bathroom, while Brad cleaned up the picnic area,  Pretty nice when I am finished inside, so we start a fire to burn up the debris and just as the fire gets burning the wind picks up.  We let it burn up the big stuff, but then dump about 5 gallons of water on it to put out the log that started to burn,(we don't want to be responsible for a forest fire).  After that chicken on the grill and a veggie for dinner, a little chat with a few of the neighbors, dishes done, a walk for Rudy, shower and shave for Brad and now we are about ready for bed.  Tomorrow is another day of work, but this time the river is flowing at the maximum rate....we'll have to see what that is like. 

 

Thanks for the visit,

Diane and Brad

River Rising

Thursday, we are up at 5:00 and out of the CG by 6:30, getting to the river by 7:00.  The water flow was 800 CFM, but over the weekend they are planning to raise it to 4600 CFM, so we are trying to take a picture everyday to see how the level changes.  Nan our boss stopped down on Thursday to chat for a while and drop off scheduled flow rates for the river, and papers all us campers have to sign.  We are both a little anxious to see how it flow release effects the rafters, from what we understand, not much, it just makes for a faster trip down the river.  Back home and a lazy day, the first day after work we are pretty much useless.  Oh, no what's that?  A text from Nan, we now have Friday off and work Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, a schedule change, but that's what it will be set to from here on out.  Oh well, I guess we can deal with that, dinner and off to bed early for all of us.

 

Friday, 5-30, we really don't want to do too much, so we headed out to the Lodge for breakfast, pretty good, but expensive, then down to the river for some pictures, to the office in Dutch John to drop off the signed paper, and a stop at a couple of the overlooks to check out the river/dam and reservoir.  Back home, a walk for Rudy, then Brad and I do some reading and just enjoy the day. About 3:00 we head to the visitors center to make a few phone calls, but after about 5 min. of talking to Dad a thunderstorm blows in.  Now we really don't get much, if any rain from these storms, but about 80% of the trees by the visitors center have already been struck by lightening, and I don't want to be in the midst of them if it happens again, so off we go, back to the RV.  A quick dinner and again, off to bed by 10:00

 

Saturday we are back to getting up at 5:00 and out the door by 6:30, but we made it.  A beautiful day, but the river was much slower that we had expected, so it made for a long day.  I hiked up and down the parking lot, collecting any litter, but surprisingly enough, there was none, but it is a nice little walk for me.  I close up at 1:00 and while I am closing our the register, here come 4 car loads of people, oh well, not much I can do now.  We head home, walk Rudy then plan our time for the evening.  They are having a picnic tonight for all the volunteers and I am making a cheesy potato casserole.  We have some time to kill, so Brad naps and I actually laid down and rested for a while, then it's time to get up and get some things done.  We cleaned up the RV, ran the sweeper and then I started the potatoes.  The picnic is to start at 6:00, but now the wind is blowing and the temperature is dropping (ha ha, it's pretty chilly at 68 degrees when there is no humidity).  But it didn't take long, the crowd started to show up, and the picnic is on.  The Forest service brought burgers, hot dogs and sausages and all the fixin's you might need for them, while everybody else brought a covered dish to share.  Not a bad meal, potatoes, coleslaw, fruit salad and just about any dessert you could want, yummy.  About 8:30 people started to leave, Brad and I hung out until about 9:00, then headed in, another early day tomorrow.  There were a couple of youngsters (20 year olds) that showed up about 8:00 and they stayed until about 10:00. so all in all, it was a nice night.   

 

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are all work days, so it was early mornings and early to bed, with an afternoon nap for Brad each day.  We were both surprised when Monday and Tuesday were busier than the weekend, but we guess the vacations are starting and the guided fishing trip business is picking up.  It really helps make the days go a little faster.  We did however manage to see a wolf on our way home, he ran across the road in front of us, and then we watched him for a little, while he walked down in the woods.  Monday there were 2 guys getting ready for a 4 night trip down the river, so they dropped their boat off about 8:00 and headed out to the pull out spot, about a 3.5 hour round trip drive.  About 10:00, Brad noticed that the stuff in the boat was starting to float and the boat was slowly taking on water, so when they got back I sent them down to talk to Brad, before they made the long walk down and discovered they couldn't go.  But as it was, they put the boat plug in, bailed her out and headed on their way.  Tuesday morning Brad is walking Rudy at 0 dark 30, and I'm getting ready to shower when the howling starts.  It sounded like a pack of wolves and that they were right behind the camper, out the door I go, to find nothing, but Rudy dragging Brad back to the RV.  I guess Rudy didn't like the sounds of it any more they we did, then back inside, finish getting ready for work, with a little excitement in our day.  Monday and Tuesday we had a group of about 35 college kids, from the Colorado School of Mines, going down the river on a guided tour.  Monday the class was pretty docile, but Tuesday's was much rowdier and ready to have some fun (we felt sorry for the guides).  Its funny we both learn something new every day, one note to keep in mind, if you hire a shuttle service for your car and it has a manual transmission, please ensure they have drivers that can drive a manual transmission (I'm not sure that one of the cars made it to the pull out site).  A little cleaning in the evenings, a load or two a laundry, some jigsaw puzzle pieces put together, and mostly quiet evenings, light meals and off to bed about 10:00....we are slowly getting into a routine. 

 

Levels before opening
of the Dam

 

 

 

 

Water Level Rising

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher Yet

 

Last of this rising

 

The water level rose for three day, and was to stay at this level for 14 days.  Well the word came out, Flow to increase from 4600, where it is today, to 8600 by Monday....We'll have to see the difference.

 

Below is a little group of some more scenery pictures and some of the animals that are around.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/ViewsAndAnimals?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMmrrfOom864DA&feat=directlink

 

Thanks for visiting,

Diane and Brad

 

 



 

 

First week done as Work Camper in Utah

Volunteer Camp sites
4 of us with full hook-ups.
Pretty nice.

Saturday was nice weather and the people were heading to the river.  We had well over 300 people, with about 120 rafts today, busy, but not overwhelming.  We both were glad when 1:00 rolled around and we could get out of there.  Back home, tend to Rudy, a quick nap for Brad and more walks for Rudy.  The poor thing is having a tough time getting used to this new schedule, up at 5:00 and gone by 6:30...  About 6:00 we headed up to the Red Canyon Lodge for dinner, not bad, I had wild rice and mushroom ravioli, while Brad had a shrimp and pasta meal....they were OK, but I don't really need to go there to often, for the price, the meals should have been fantastic.  Back home for another walk with Rudy, and off to bed early, one more day before our days off.

 

Sunday morning was pretty slow at the river.  They were calling for afternoon thunder showers and we guessed it scared people away.  We had a small flurry of people about 9:30 and again about 11:00 with a couple of car loads coming in to check out the dam and get a couple of pictures in between the rafters.  It finally looks like the weather is going to hold out, so about noon things started to pick up a little, and when I closed the booth at 1:00, 2 car loads went by and there were 2-3 more at the top getting ready to head to the river....oh well, our times up.  We head home, tended to Rudy then gathered up all our uniforms and took them to the laundry area.  I'm not sure what they were washed in before, but it made me itch.  While that stuff washed, I worked on the puzzle while Brad and Rudy walked back to the moho for hangers.  Uniforms are done, a pork roast w/sauerkraut is in the crock, what more can you ask for. 

 

Overlook of the Reservior

We hope everyone had a great Memorial Day.  It was a beautiful day to be out and about so we headed out to Bear Canyon Bootleg Trail for about a 3 mile hike to an overlook of the reservoir.  There were a couple of people making the hike, dogs and kids included (oh to have their energy again).  We managed to stumble upon a snake, this one was about 4-5 feet long and we have no idea what type it was, but we just waited a few minutes for him to go on his way then we continued on ours.  The hike in was well worth it as there is a beautiful view of the reservoir with the boats looking like tiny specks in the water.  We sat there for about 10 min. taking a break and having a little snack, then headed back out, never as exciting leaving.  We were about 1/4 of the way back when we passed another family making the trip.  We get back to the car, Brad opens the door and Rudy dove in and curled up on the floor, I think the hike tired him out.  Back home a little rest, then the Memorial Day tradition of burgers on the grill.  I think we were all tired from the hike, 10:00 bed time.

 

Tuesday is the planned shopping day, we got up planning on leaving early, when I can't find my sunglasses, I had them last night when we were home, but we searched everywhere and no shades.  We finally gave up, had a quick breakfast then headed into town (Vernal, Utah) about 45 min. away, and a beautiful ride down the mountain.  We stopped at Wal-Mart then stopped for lunch, after that at least 5 more stops, purchases included a backpack for hiking, a cooler for shopping, wine and groceries, then the hour trip home.  I am hoping that we planned well enough that it only has to be an every other week trip.  They have a big freezer that we all use and full size washer and dryers and a huge clothes line, they really do treat their volunteers well.  We re-wrapped all the meat and got that in the freezer, then with a little bit of re-arraigning I got the refrigerator loaded up and the cupboards filled again, We had planned on steaks for dinner, but we ended up with grilled chicken on salad.....not a bad trade off.  We headed out for a Rudy walk about 7:30, when Jim stopped over, he is planning on having a camp fire and asked if we wanted to join him, so we did.  The only problem is we were up well past our bed time, which means a late start to the morning tomorrow.

 

Here it is Wednesday and we had planned on another hike.  Laundry was in by 8:00, breakfast cooking on the grill and after a little discussion we changed our plans and are staying home.  We have been busy every day since we got here, so it was a stay at home day and get some little things done around the moho.  We through some of the clothes in the dryer and hung out the rest, then put the sheets and stuff in the washer, so they can also be hung out to dry.  It is a beautiful day, with a bit of a breeze, so everything dried nicely and is put away.  I made a pot of iced tea, while Brad cleaned the over head fan screens.  We got the floors swept, the car swept and I even managed to work on the puzzle in the common area (it's a joint effort between, Judy, Fred and myself).  The owner of the Lodge just stopped in, he lost a horse back rider and is trying to find them....oh no, but he was nice enough and if we want to ride, we are to look him up first....I think we will.  Now I am finishing

The snake heading to
the neighbors RV



the blog and Brad is filling out a Birthday card, after this I'll probably go outside and read a little, what a great idea to stay home and relax.

 

OK, a little reading done by both Brad and I, a nice walk for Rudy, a visit with Jim and then steaks and corn on the cob.  Just before the steaks are done I look up and there is a snake just on the other side of the grill...ugh.  I fussed a little, but it is heading to the neighbors, so I go and warn Jim not to let his dog, Frieda, out without checking first, but then the snake heads away, back into the field.  By now the steaks are a little over cooked, but with the heart rush, we don't care not that bad and still very good, and the corn was wonderful.  Now I am done for the night, dishes to do, a little relaxing and off to bed, early day of work tomorrow.

 

Diane and Brad  

Volunteer Positions Begin

Well we survived our first day.  Not bad, a lot to learn, but it was a pretty slow day.  I am in a booth,

Brad in his
uniform



 like you see going into a state or national park, selling passes and counting the amount of people that go down to use the river.  Brad is down at the boat launch ramp, making sure they unload and get out of the way, and that they don't park in the middle of the road to unload their stuff.  It went off without a hitch, and were done by 12:00, just a 4 hour day.  We planned on lunch at the Flaming Gorge Lodge, but Jake and Adam stopped by to let us know they were bringing up another tank of water....so home we go.  We get a tank full, and help fill the other campers, since nobody else was  home.  We got that finished, had lunch, and struggled not to nap, but we managed to stay awake and take a little hike to/and through the campground down the road.  There is a trail at the back of the CG that we walked for a while, checking out the overlooks and keeping a tight reign on Rudy as he tried to jump up on one of the walls, Yikes!!  We met some people that were setting up camp on site #9, what a view they had, then we headed back home.  After that a quick drive up to the visitors center so I could call Dad and Brad called Shari.  We sat at one of the overlooks and you couldn't ask for a nicer view to sit and talk on the phone.  It was a nice chat for both Brad and I, then back home for a meal of salad, with left over chicken or steak on top.  It was a great day, but we are both exhausted, between getting up early and being a little anxious about the jobs....but I think we'll be OK.  An early night to bed, 7:00 am start time tomorrow, so up at 5:00 and on the road by 6:30.

 

View from my phone
call overlook...
not bad!!!

Today, Friday we were there a little before 7:00, so I can get the register open, and Brad headed down the road to the ramp.  I was only there about 5 min. when Dede the local Law Enforcement Officer stopped to introduce herself and let me know they will be checking all boats and guides going down the river today.....doesn't sound like a fun day for them.  Brad showed up while I was talking to her, his radio died and he needed new batteries, so they met and then they all left, leaving me at the booth alone.  It really doesn't take long for the line of vehicles to materialize,  when you figure there is a truck with a trailer hauling a boat, that happens pretty quick.  They warned me it would get backed up, up around the corner quick and they weren't kidding, but I survived, and actually it was a slow day, not sure about tomorrow, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, but I'm sure we'll survive!!  We finished today about 12:30, due to thunder and lightening hitting the area and the boaters just stopped showing up.  Back home a little lunch, do some of our budget, post cards and off to find a mail box, not bad only a mile away.  Back home and we take Rudy for a walk, watching the skies get dark again and hoping we beat the rain home.  Brad was taking a quick nap, when my phone rang, it's Lynne, I have three bars, so I answer, but it goes dead.  A text or two between us, so the schedule is, when she gets home she'll text and I'll go to the visitors center to call, it's only a mile away, so it's doable.  In the mean time, the water company showed up and we finally have water, yea, no more deliveries with the tank and water pump.  Lynne texted me, so off we all go, to the visitor center, Brad and Rudy dropped me off, then headed to the mail box to send off another card, then came back to walk around until I was done.  Lynne and I and a nice chat, then as we were

Long Horn Sheep

leaving the center there was a group of long horn sheep standing in the one clearing.  Back home for a pork and sauerkraut dinner, then Brad and Rudy headed out for a walk while I did dishes, made coffee, folded laundry and swept the moho.  I met them outside only to see a couple of mule deer by the road, so we all sat out there and watched them for about 10 min., then headed inside.  Brad has now showered and is ready to take out the trash, and I am finishing the blog and getting ready for bed.  A little more rain just moved into the area, but hopefully won't last long...another early day tomorrow.

 

We hope you enjoy sharing our adventures, 

Diane and Brad

 

Touring of Flaming Gorge,Utah

Mom Moose and Baby

Well yesterday, Tuesday was interesting, since the water isn't working here at the CG they brought us water, but didn't have a pump, so 4 or 5 people are trying to run a hose in the correct position that already is.  Back out of Little Hole, then we headed to the Spillway Launch area, where we will be working.  WOW, what a ride down that road.  We passed the booth where I'll be stationed, then down another grade with a hair pin turn to where Brad will be (how they navigate boats down here, phew).  We were heading back to camp when we decided to stop at the Swett Ranch and check that out.  Now the fun thing is having a key to open all the gates and go see what ever you want :-).  We walked around the for a while, then on the ride out, Brad spied a large set of ears up the hill, it ended up being a mom and baby Moose, what a site.  After that, it was just a couple of Mule Deer and then home to walk Rudy.  A quick meal on the grill, a walk for Brad and Rudy, then all of us are off to bed by 10:00 - 10:30 gravity will fill the tanks, took for ever to get 1/3 of a tank of water.  Back down for more water, back to the CG with a pump this time, in about 5 min. we were filled and in 10 min. more so were both of the other campers.  Now that it is 12:30, we headed out, stopped at the Flaming Gorge Resort restaurant for lunch then down to the office to meet Nan, sign some paper work, get our job assignment and our uniforms, yes I said uniforms.  What a treat that was, about 45 min. for trying on pants, shorts and shirts, but we finished and back out to Nan's office, name tags and Volunteer pins, lots of pamphlets and we are finally on our way.  After that a little tour of Dutch John, UT, not much here, then down the road about 3-4 miles to the Little Hole Boat Ramp area, stopping at the overlook on our way.  It really is a beautiful area, and we are both surprised at how busy it

 

Today was a cool, nice morning, so Brad made breakfast on the grill, eating sausage and French toast at the picnic table.  A quick shower then off to the dam for the tour, which of course we missed by about 5 min. and had to wait another hour.  We walked around the picnic area and the loading docks, killing that hour in no time.  The tour was well worth the time, the guide was very informative, and the fact that the elevator takes you down to the bottom of the dam, it made our ears popped.  What a site, the difference from top to bottom and the information was definitely 'information overload'.

Looking up from the
bottom of the Dam,
WOW

  After that we had lunch, stopped to pick up Rudy then headed back out, headed to the recommended 'Sheep Creek Geological Loop', wow what a drive.  We stopped and took lots of pictures, which of course never look anywhere as nice as it is to see it in real life.  We then drove into Manila, nothing there, then headed home stopping at a couple of the pullover stops on our way, actually meeting Don and Jan, other volunteers at one of the overviews.  Almost home we pulled into the Moose Pond area, finding that it has a nice hike trail around it, saving that for another day, we head home, a few more mule deer and then as we pull into the camping area (4 sites for volunteers) the long horned sheep are napping in our drive way and Jim (volunteer) is sitting at the picnic table area taking pictures.  We drove in to the cg using the normal exit road and the sheep never moved, with Don and Jan following about 5 min. behind us, and they still didn't moved.  I guess after the 5 of us stood outside talking long enough, they finally moved on.  After about 1/2 an hour Brad and Rudy headed out for a stroll while I prepped lunch for tomorrow and got dinner ready for tonight.  They weren't gone long when they came home with a little huffing and puffing, seems they stumbled upon the sheep one more time and the sheep decided to follow after them.  YIKES.  Glad I wasn't along.  A meal of chicken corn soup, brought with us from Penn., delicious, a little walk for the 3 of us, back home, ready for bed.  Tomorrow is our first day on the job......wish us luck.

Sheep Creek Geological Loop Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/115574168101787483704/SheepCreekGeologicalArea?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMDW3Ierl9jPHQ&feat=directlink

Diane and Brad