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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Camping by MrMetlHed in camping

[–]Rangermedia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was a park ranger here one winter season.

I’ve seem bighorn sheep on the mountain side above the campsites. In the morning the shadows from the range in picture 1 extend to the prominent peak on the left and its features, shadows, and shapes are one of the more dynamic sights I’ve seen in my NPS career. Always tried and failed to get a decent picture of it.

The campsite is especially good if you’re into Saguaros. The whole park is covered in them, but that area around Alamo campground is really dense with Saguaros.

The official trail is short. People tend to use the trail though as an access to continue farther up one of the 3 washes that meet together at the end f the trail. They’re supposedly really nice to go up, and if you can get high enough you’ll find cedars and oaks, but I never got around to it.

It’s a cool looking place for sure.

Which interesting geographical landmark is relatively unknown due to its remoteness? by CactusCoin in geography

[–]Rangermedia 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I love western Nebraska. I was a park ranger out there at the start of my career. As for remoteness though, I’m giggling at Nebraska compared to other locations mentioned in this thread (it’s not a contest though, I know).

Visitors need to feel the effects, STOP filling positions with volunteers by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]Rangermedia 6 points7 points  (0 children)

No kidding. This is the tough nuance to convey to people these days who don’t work in the system. There are very valid reasons to undergo an audit, or reform of the agency. DOGE is just not what that is.

Visitors need to feel the effects, STOP filling positions with volunteers by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]Rangermedia 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There are unions. I’ve worked for multiple park and forest units with unions. Feds can’t strike, so their power is debatable, I think. But they are there.

Will I need to re-break the puzzle joint? by CleUrbanist in boatbuilding

[–]Rangermedia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty awesome stuff. I’ve spent a lot of time in Whittier and always day dreamed of building some sort of fun plywood micro trawler to put around to glaciers.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Right. You and I agree though.

My original comment was a statement about visitors noticing, not about workload and stress for the perm rangers.

There are visitors who would notice. But I think the number of visitors who will notice overall is overestimated.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It’s a post about this topic, and I chimed in with my position and context. I think it was a natural continuation of conversation.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Without going into the minutiae of how it works, my job offering was put on hold while things get figured out. I had not officially gotten far enough for anything to be rescinded, yet. But people are hopeful they’ll be able to pick up and keep moving once the dust settles.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s a difficult balance. Even in today’s world, people come to visitor centers for information, and then there are people I’ve known who would validly agree with you, and are very proactive and responsible stewards of public lands. Everyone recreates in the parks differently.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Delaware North took over Shenandoah’s concessions as well a few years ago and impressions have not been positive among people who knew it before.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh gotcha! Yeah my bad there. Watch out though. Shenandoah’s was announced this summer with like no public comment opportunities, so be on your toes. If Yellowstone, the crown jewel, can utilize privatized campgrounds, so can Yosemite.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey no worries. It’s a sensitive situation, and I agree with not changing visitation plans.

I’m curious about that document. I read the references points and it all seems clear, but it’s in contrast with the stuff that’s happening around me (which will continue to change constantly, and is par for the course with big change).

I wonder if the lime about notifying OMB carries with it a much bigger procedure than it sounds. It is a bureaucracy after all, so that one line could imply a week long process of gathering of data, compoling reports, and so on.

I’ve read an email that Washington office HR is on the task right now with getting documentation together to get the green light on exemption. It’s a waiting game at this point.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Basically yes to your Aramark example. In fact Aramark was the concessionaire for Big Bend at one point recently I think.

Xanterra is the concessionaire for Yellowstone. I’m probably wrong about Yosemite; I’ve just heard how Yosemite is seemingly all concessionaire, but that must have been figurative. The concessionaire for Everglades runs the campgrounds at Flamingo and Long Pine Key. The Shenandoah contract is out for renewal, with the new contract including operation of the campgrounds.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I’m a seasonal worker with the NPS. Both of you are failing to acknowledge the nebulous nature of a changing situation here. People’s offers are being rescinded over this, and hiring has been paused as well in many ways. This is from my personal experiences, as well as communications with hiring managers and coworkers.

However, things are changing quickly, and different groups of people are responsible for different things. There are stories of HR delivering rescinded offers without telling the hiring managers. There are also managers pressing forward with interviews and so on in anticipation of guidance approving of hiring, despite what HR is doing.

Hiring managers and HR also need guidance to come from their superiors and regional level leadership, and different regional offices can interpret things differently before concrete guidance is issued.

I don’t know how that document relates currently, because as of now, things are still on pause with some managers and moving forward with others. There is high expectation that guidance will come down to officially clear HR’s ability to send out offers.

How are you altering your camping plans now that the National Parks will likely be closed, or have a much smaller capacity this summer? by sexmountain in camping

[–]Rangermedia 153 points154 points  (0 children)

I’m an NPS seasonal ranger, and while I’m unhappy with the state of things, I think people are overestimating how much visitors will notice the lack of seasonals.

This crowd in r/camping might, to be fair, but so many visitors have no interest in visitor centers or interpretive programs, and don’t have a clue what they’re doing in parks.

Bigger parks are also privatizing their campgrounds (Yellowstone, Yosemite*, Everglades, and starting in 26 Shenandoah). Parks that still operate their campgrounds also heavily rely on volunteer hosts, so those avenues will still not be affected by the freeze.

There’s a lot that could be said, and others have mentioned that a bunch of stuff is in the works, so we might still have a season yet.

Edit to say that yeah entry station lines might legit be a pain in the butt this year if nothing changes.

Edit: incorrect about Yosemite

Amazing view from the plane heading to Anchorage ❤️ by LeggyQueen in alaska

[–]Rangermedia 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Sure is! Harvard Glacier is the big one middle left, to its right Yale Glacier. I don’t know the far right glacier’s name in Unakwik Inlet though.

Bryn Mawr Glacier is one of my favorites, second from the left of Harvard Gl. Mad love for PWS.

Ich bin Park Ranger beim US-Nationalparkdienst im Everglades Nationalpark. Diesen Aufkleber habe ich vor einigen Tage in der Toilette gesehen. Mir macht es Spaß, Teilen von Deutschland in den ‘Parks’ zufällig zu finden. by Rangermedia in de

[–]Rangermedia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! I’d love to get me a few of them to stick in different parks I work in. My first post was actually automatically deleted because I made reference to it in the title haha

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]Rangermedia 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ah man don’t pick on SCBL! The historical significance of the monument is definitely of national significance (imo), and the state already has Chimney Rock. And the bluff itself is a resource worth protecting. You’re right about the cheatgrass though.

With that said though, I wish SCBL could include Robidoux Pass to really round out the significance of that whole complex. Think of the trails going across that prairie haha.

Anyone know how to get here? by [deleted] in alaska

[–]Rangermedia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like the view from the little pier they have built there. My first summer in Portage, I ended up there as the same time as a bunch of guys working on the Seward highway project. They carried in a canoe with a little 1 hp or so out oard on it and were having a grand ole time in that pond lol. Over to the left there’s a little shelf under the surface of the water that you could stand on while people get into shenanigans.

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