History of My Home

Today I wandered into the Mammoth Hotel Map Room and became mesmerized instantly upon entering. A wood inlaid map, seventeen feet by ten feet tall, dominated one wall of the room. The 2,544 pieces on the map had been crafted from fifteen different types of wood from nine countries, and took five months to assemble. California’s puzzle-like piece is constructed of burl redwood, my home state of Massachusetts of Brazilian Rosewood.

The map, designed in 1937 by Robert Reamer, has an odd assortment of obscure cities that were once central to railroad routes. Kings Canyon is labeled as its original name, General Grant National Park, and the error of Maryland’s capital being labeled Baltimore, noticed by a visitor a few months after its installation, remains uncorrected to this day. (Mr. Reamer suggested a solution of moving the actual capitol to Baltimore to the insulted Marylanders.)

Coincidentally, Reamer, who is considered the early inspiration for the rustic style now known as “parkitecture”, also designed my home. In Yellowstone alone he designed the Old Faithful Inn, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, and the Lake Yellowstone Hotel—just to name a few.

My home, the Lockwood Residence, was built for Yellowstone Park Transportation Company (the early concessionaire in the park) executives in 1926, and then Superintendent Albright found it “satisfactory in every respect.” One of my co-workers, Ruth Quinn, has written a fascinating book on Reamer, called “Weaver of Dreams: The Life and Architecture of Robert C. Reamer.”

Freezing, arctic weather update: this morning it was -13F.

Winter Wonderland

Given the relatively balmy temperature of 19F today, I decided to venture out and play in the snow. First activity: shoveling a driveway, something I haven't done in about twenty years. A winter storm moved in this morning and is expected to drop about eight inches of snow.

I took a short hike up the old park road from Gardiner, and encountered four elk descending from a ridge into a sheltered basin. Only the northern part of the park (where I live) is at a low enough elevation to support significant winter populations of elk; the NPS estimates Yellowstone supports 30,000 elk in summer, which drops to between 15,000 and 22,000 in the winter.

California Dreamin' on Such a Winter's Day

Let me share the forecast for Yellowstone:

"Rest of Tonight--Partly cloudy early in the evening then becoming cloudy. A 50 percent chance of snow after midnight. Lows 7 below to 13 below zero. West winds around 15 mph after midnight. Wind chill readings 23 below to 33 below zero."

You read that correctly-33F BELOW ZERO!!!!!!!

This morning my car staged a revolt and made awful noises when I started it. And you know it's really cold when the bison standing in front of the Mammoth Hotel are coated in ice. I almost wept when I unpacked my shorts--I won't be needing them until maybe July.

My Backyard Wildlife Safari

Many people remarked about the absence of wolf photos after I returned from the wolf study course in Yellowstone. I had some fabulous photographs of wolf scat, but no actual canis lupus. As my photographic skill is limited and my small point and shoot has a paltry zoom, capturing wildlife through the lens has been difficult, unless I wanted to risk being eaten or trampled. In Yosemite this wasn’t much of an issue (how many photos does one need of a steller’s jay?), but in this park representatives of what my BFF calls ‘charismatic mega-fauna’ walk by my front door daily.

I’m happy to report that I’ve rectified the problem and bison will no longer appear as indistinct dots in my photos. I spent an hour in a local camera store in Bozeman this weekend and the wonderful clerk helped me get outfitted. I still remain ignorant of terms like f-stop and aperture, but it doesn’t matter—all I really need to do is press a button and presto, a photo appears.

For my first photo safari, I ventured about 100 yards from my door and observed mule deer and pronghorn antelope. I love this graceful ungulate-- a dainty yet fast creature that looks like it belongs on an African savannah. Pronghorns are the fastest land mammal in North America and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles an hour. I happen to live in one of the best places in the park to view pronghorn; Yellowstone has a population of about 300-400 animals.

Sadly the pronghorn, which also has holds the record for the longest land migration route in the continental US, is in danger of disappearing in Yellowstone because of human development that has disturbed their annual 400 mile trek. Efforts are underway to preserve the migration corridors and protect the park’s herd.

Camping Out in My New Home

The movers are due in tomorrow morning (keep your fingers crossed!), so with the help of a co-worker's air mattress, I decided to camp out in my new home tonight. After over a week of being on the road and in hotels, it's nice to be in a home of sorts. I'm relaxing by the fire and reading my new Vanity Fair (with Harrison Ford on the cover--Indy's Back!) and snacking on pizza from MacKenzie River Pizza in Bozeman. I made a trip to Bozeman today to pick up groceries and some things for the house--it's a great college town with much to offer.

P.S. Check out yesterday's Washington Post style section. My talented BFF Jack Laws is featured in an article titled: "In the Sierra Nevada, A Modern Audubon Stalks Skinks & Bugs."

First Day of Work

Since the movers now won't be here until next week, I started work today--with a limited wardrobe! My commute is about 60 seconds as I am staying at the Mammoth Hotel on the third floor and my office is on the second.

The Yellowstone community has been very welcoming and I've been meeting many co-workers today. Several people ski at lunch right outside the office--I'll be taking advantage of that opportunity as soon as my skis arrive. I can also see elk grazing from my office window. The best perk, however, is the vending machine full of chocolate about two steps from my office door. Somebody must have warned them...

Mission Accomplished!

I arrived in Yellowstone safely this afternoon and I'm posting this from my room at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. I arose early this morning to try and outrun the storm, but Mother Nature won that race handily. Most of my drive through Idaho was like being on the edges of a dream--an eerie whiteness surrounded me. At one point I could not see the road as the wind blew a river of snow under me. Oddly enough, when I crossed the Montana state line the snow abruptly ceased--the first exit in Montana was accurately named Snowline. Montana must have some deal with the weather gods.

Yellowstone is simply stunning in the winter (and wicked cold--it's about 7F here now). I am still astounded by the abundance of wildlife--in Gardiner this afternoon I saw several big horn sheep. Tomorrow I might take a drive to see wolves.

I just finished dinner at the hotel and In the it's a small world category of experiences, seated next to me was Barbara, a geologist who was on our wolf study course in November.

Please send your good thoughts to the driver of my moving truck--I hope he makes it through the storms!

Rider on the Storm

A winter road trip sure is fun! Although I was supposed to be in Yellowstone this evening, I am hunkered down in Idaho Falls for the night hoping the Mormons won't take offense at the Darwin fish on my car. This morning I awoke to 14F temperatures and brushed roughly five inches of snow off my Subaru. Favorite accessory on the new car--windshield wiper defrosters!

After leaving Cedar City, it took me about an hour to drive out of the storm. Jim Morrison, Billy Collins, and U2 provided me with good company. Salt Lake City had clear skies--a brief reprieve. I met Shelly, YA staff and friend who was visiting her brother, for an enormous lunch at Marie Callendar's. I'm lucky that passenger vehicles don't have to stop at weigh stations or I would have been cited for a heavy load after my gluttonous meal (Shelly ate a lot as well).

Since my black car now appeared white from driving through miles of snow and dirt, Shelly and I decided to give it a makeover. What a smart idea--washing one's car in 25F weather! At least it stayed clean for a couple of hours, when I encountered the next snowstorm in Idaho. After passing three accidents, I decided to call it a night.

Perhaps I am just trying to psyche myself up for my new winter-centric existence, but driving past snow covered mountains and expansive valleys of white evoked a wonderful meditative peace. I had forgotten the sublime beauty of true winter.

Wish me luck tomorrow on the final stage--the forecast calls for 4-12 inches of snow in Idaho. My 'New England driving in crappy weather' upbringing will definitely come in handy.

Zion in a Blizzard!

As a student of weather, I loved seeing the red rocks of Zion highlighted by dark grey storm clouds and frosted with snowflakes. The blizzard-like conditions, however, were not so delightful for driving. After a serene drive up Zion Canyon under red cliffs with names like The Great White Throne and The Temple of Sinawava, I headed east via the Zion Mount Carmel Highway (through a mile long tunnel) to catch 89 north to begin heading to Salt Lake City.

About an hour later, the rain turned to snow and the snow turned into a full-fledged blizzard with white out conditions. When the unplowed snow reached the level of my bumper, I deemed it wise to turn around. I headed south back through Zion and picked up 15 north. Soon the highway became a white vortex and I passed many accidents. Even though the new Subaru handled the conditions admirably, I decided a night at the next exit, in the big metropolis of Cedar City (pop. 27,000), seemed appropriate.
After checking into the hotel right off the highway, I pondered whether or not to risk the mile drive to the Chili's across the overpass. I decided not to risk my life for an order of enchiladas and hit the hotel vending machine. I am now cozy in my motel room watching movies on TBS. Steel Magnolias just started.

Footnote: Being stranded by a blizzard was worth it--I just got to see Viggo Mortensen and Dennis Kucinich debate Sean Hannity on Fox News.

The Perfect Storm: Road Trip to Las Vegas

My timing is definitely off--California is experiencing a series of pretty wicked storms and I need to drive to Montana. Route 80, the shortest route over the Sierra Nevada, was closed, so I decided to head south. Actually, maybe my timing is fine as I only encountered a few light rain storms on my drive to Las Vegas.

Vegas is a disneyland for a writer--I get more material here in a day then I could ever use in a novel. The people watching provides endless stories. I am also both appalled and fascinated by the utter devotion to materialism on display, of which I became a willing participant. I relaxed with a two-hour spa treatment, had a gourmet sushi dinner, and lost a small amount on the slot machines.

This morning I leave for Salt Lake City with a stop at Zion National Park.

Bon Voyage!

Braving a steady downpour, gusting winds, and crazy felines, my friends from the YA office threw me a farewell pizza and beer party in my almost empty house.

The movers came yesterday, and packed up my most of my belongings. It's quite a disorienting feeling knowing your stuff is somewhere on a truck (hopefully not on Route 80!) We had enough chairs and plates, however, to throw a party!

Michelle made her special lasagna and there was much rejoicing. Shad and Ted rescued a few partygoers from being stuck in the mud, and Shad was happy his new huge truck was put to good use pulling cars out.

Ted, who seems to have a special bond with animals, also made friends with Huxley, who used him as a climbing post.

I was very lucky to work with such a wonderful team of people at YA and I already miss them. Thank you all for being such good friends!

Canine Pajama Party

The Sunshine Hill pack--Tioga, Sasha, and Cirrus--held a special pajama party for my send off. Although they are going to miss 'Mom,' they are quite excited about securing even more space on the bed. Shad has declared the bed will now be a canine free zone, but he'll have a difficult time enforcing that rule.

Countdown

Just checked the weather in Gardiner, Montana--my soon to be new home--and it's -1F. I guess it could be worse--I think my new measure of cold will start with -20F being intolerable. This adjustment is simply about shifting one's perspective--it's that easy! (NOT!) I returned today from a five-day Bay Area trip to visit friends before my departure to Big Sky country and I am daunted by the packing that needs to take place before Friday. I leave for Yellowstone on Saturday and I'll try to post reports from the road.

Here's a photo of my new home in Yellowstone, a quaint park service 1920's house.

And here's the view from my new home:

Women Who Run With Wolves

What is it about the presence of wildness that stops us in our tracks? I have been utterly amazed and captivated by the sheer beauty of seeing wolves frolic in the wild. The sight of a wolf loping through a herd of bison nearly drove me to tears today.

My fellow intrepid explorer buddy, Jack Laws joined me for a two-day wolf study course in Yellowstone with Doug Smith, the project manager for the Yellowstone Wolf Project. He’s been overseeing the wolf reintroduction since nearly the beginning and he literally wrote the book on the project. A humble, intelligent man of incredible achievements, he has managed one of the most significant and controversial projects of our time and I learned much from him over just two days.

On our last day in Yellowstone, Jack and I took a hike down the Lamar River. In the middle of our hike we came across fresh grizzly tracks roughly the size of my head. Jack’s first reaction, “Do you mind if I take some time and sketch these?” Truly, dedication. I stood watch with my bear spray in hand, not wanting to interfere with the artistic process.