Tuesday & Wednesday @ the office....

Yep... That is the "Exploder" that I drive.... With 4WD capabilities... And I manage to get it stuck in snow yesterday for 3 hours. The Forest Service sent help.... And I felt like a royal Jackass... Which leads into the next set of pictures...

Julie vs. Marmots

These cute little devils have been leaving poops directly in front of my door. Everyday.
They have dug holes underneath my cabin where they live, and I don't think they like the idea of me being there.

I ran into this little guy yesterday and had a few words with him.
He didn't like my threats, squeaked at me, then ran underneath my cabin.
I think he's plotting his revenge. I have a few ideas of my own, so we will see... Oh yes, we will see!

Pictures!

These pictures are from several different outings.
I HAD to post one of me in my uniform for those of you sick folks who want to make fun of me wearing this lovely Forest Service fashion. I am showing off my first sign I posted.
The snow picture is from a few days ago, and the shadow is not me, it's Gumby!
The water falls are from yesterday. I was off and went to the Upper Mesa and Lower Mesa Falls with Christina, who is the wife of the guy that lives in one of the cabins where I live.

The Dam Tour

I felt like I was in a Chevy Chase movie when I saw this store!
However, I was a little disappointed they didn't offer a Dam tour...

Live Like You Love Every Minute

"Live like you love every minute," were some of the last words Grandma said to me.

In Passing

I hesitate to post such a personal matter on a "blog." But, I just want everyone to know how amazing this woman is...Yesterday, my Grandma passed on to begin her new journey in spirit. Her kind, self-less, warm-hearted, spirit, will certainly be remembered. She is my hero. Almost two months ago to-the-day, My Grandpa passed away. In many ways, I feel that my Grandma passed of a broken heart. People go their entire lives searching for a true and pure love, their soulmate-- and once found, that love is unbreakable. She missed him so bad--and now they are together again.

Another day at the office

I can't believe I'm here. I have to pinch myself all day long every day because I can't believe I'm here! It's so beautiful! I love my job! I can't believe my job is back packing for work. Now, don't get me wrong, I do a lot more than JUST back packing--and I'll be sure to post those pictures too. Here are a few pics of the area I was working in the other day.

JUNE SNOW

I was so excited to get a chance to hike (play) in REAL snow! It's so beautiful!
The locals here are so sick of snow, they laugh at my excitement and enthusiasm about being in it.
I have to remind them where I am from--then they understand why!

First Hike on the job

These pictures were taken last wednesday. We were supposed to be in the back country from Wed-Friday.
The snow was cold, wet, and amazing! However, a Moose carcass was dragged near our camp sometime in the middle of the night, or early Thursday morning, likely by Coyotes or Wolves. You NEVER want to be anywhere near a carcass of any kind in
Grizzly territory. They will fiercely protect their food. So, we packed up our camp and headed back.

Hidden Lake Trail

Here are a few pics from hiking yesterday. No, that is not marshmallow creme, it's snow....
In June!!!

Blog Updates

In case anyone was wondering, "How does Julie get internet access?" Well, to answer your question, I drive an hour to the public library.

First Hike

I thought I'd try a small hike of 3.4 miles in and the same 3.4 out. Mileage wise thats a pretty easy day for me.
However, I was alone, and don't know the area. I have a map, GPS, compass, etc. I only made it about a mile in and had to stop due to the amount of snow on the ground. I kept losing the trail!

In the first picture, the little brown dot is a Moose! He watched me put on my boots and load my backpack. I thought about dancing an Irish jig to be more entertaining for him, but I seemed to be doing a fine job holding his attention without the dancing.

Tatonka

Looking both ways before crossing does NOT apply to these guys.

Nearby

Mom taking pictures of the snow on the Teton Pass.
The Grand Tetons. Jenny Lake. A Bear and her cub--they were crossing the road then ran down the hill when my car came around the bend.

My Mom and I at Red Rock Canyon just outside of Lander Wyoming. And the other pictures are of my cabin in Targhee National Forest near Driggs, Idaho. The horses and mules are owned and used by the Forest Service and live onsite near my cabin.

ALL of the images I post can be clicked on to view LARGER!

Wait till you folks check out the pics I took from today! Stay tuned. I forgot my cord for my camera, so it may be a day or a week before I get them posted.

I moved into my one ROOM cabin in the mountains last night. Its pretty rugged and I love the isolation.
I'm literally in the middle of nowhere. I have no cell service and no T.V.,and the nearest grocery store (located in a gas station) is 20 miles away. However, the Porcupine Creek (which should be called a river) is roughly 200 feet from my cabin, so I can fly fish anytime I want! I have easy access to trails to hike or mountain bike! There are also 3 horses and 3 mules on site too, which the Forestry workers use. There is another Forest Service worker
on the property as well, so I'm not completely alone. Oh well!

YAY Wind Power!

This was near Cheyenne Wyoming. There were HUNDREDS of wind turbines creating "green" power. It was beautiful!

Road Trip West!

WE MADE IT!
We drove from Louisville Tennessee, to Adrian Michigan to see my amazing Grandmother before heading West. The Michigan pit stop is about 500 miles out of the way, but my Grandmother is very ill, and it was essential I see her to tell her how much she means to me. It was a great visit. The pictures of the farm are from the Michigan visit. The rest posted are from our early entry into the southeast corner of Wyoming. The stretch of driving in between Michigan and Wyoming was pure hell. Do you see any pictures from those states? Nope!

Tremont Volunteer Work

I meant to post this a while back...
I participated in volunteer research at the Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
I worked there every monday since January. It was great "hands on," and learning experience. Let's also mention that the staff at Tremont were SPECTACULAR! You know who you are! Those folks are phenomenal! Thank you Tremont staff for making me feel so welcome. The experience has been profound!