An Oasis in the Desert

[This entry covers April 7-17]
We spent the next day in orientation with our supervisor, Ranger Brenda, till about 2pm, received our uniforms, and then it was time to begin our work as campground hosts. Six days earlier we left 80 degree weather in Florida and arrived at Capitol Reef with temperatures in the 40s! However, part of our uniform is a really nice Cabela’s hooded jacket that keeps us super warm.

As you may recall, there is no cell phone service here, and we knew that any internet service would have to be dial-up through the local phone company. The park service provides a landline for local phone calls, but we got a wonderful surprise when we arrived…they had installed WiFi for the campground hosts! This is such a boon for us as all of our bill pay and banking is done online (not to mention being able to keep in better touch with everyone).

Our first couple days of work were interesting because of the possibility of the pending government shutdown. This would have closed the park including the campground, and several campers had questions wondering what would happen. We were told that they would be given 48 hours to find other accommodations, and no one else would be allowed to come in. We would, however, be able to stay at our site for the duration (unless it dragged on for months). As you know, the shutdown was averted, and all was well…at least for now.

We work 4 days on and 4 days off, and though the work days are long, we are enjoying it. We are basically on call 24 hours should any camper have an emergency in the middle of the night, but so far there have been no middle of the night knocks on the door. Of course there seems to be one camper every week that tries to be difficult and skirt the rules, but overall we’ve met some great people including a couple from our hometown of St. Louis (Carol and Hugh pictured above right) and Lorna and Les (pictured at left). We met Les one day while he was putting a solar filter on his telescope and asked if we wanted to look at the sun through it. You could actually see the solar flares…awesome!! Every night he had the telescope pointed at the moon or Saturn, and we made sure to make a stop on our rounds and even on our nights off. One day Lorna presented me with a loaf of freshly baked Amish Friendship Bread, some starter mix, and the recipe. It was so yummy, and fortunately I have nearly all the ingredients so will be able to bake my own when the 10 days are up. We hope to catch up with them again when we’re in Yellowstone in a few months.

This area is so beautiful with many of the fruit trees in the orchards in bloom. However, the blooms don’t last long so better get your pictures right away! Pictured at right are two pear trees near the Gifford House, but I missed getting pictures of the apricot and cherry trees in bloom. There are about 3,100 trees in the orchards that include cherry, apricot, peach, pear, apple, plum, mulberry, almond, and walnut. The orchards that lie within a mile or two of the visitor center date back to the original Mormon settlers who came in 1880. Once the fruit ripens, the orchards are open to the public, and you are welcome to eat as much as you want while in the orchard, but if you want to take any out, there is a fee. Self-pay stations with scales, bags, and signs listing the fruit prices are at each orchard, and we’ve heard that the cherries go for $1.00/lb.! But we’ve also heard that you better plan to pick fruit on the first day, or you might not get any…that’s how busy the orchards get. We will be here during the cherry and apricot harvest so we’re looking forward to hopefully getting our share.

The last 4 days we’ve worked the campground filled every night with a lot of families enjoying spring break. We’ve heard that the place stays fairly busy with many local families from around the state. They are generally quiet with no rowdy parties, and we will say that it has been extremely quiet in the evenings. The weather has been pretty chilly and windy since we’ve arrived, but we’ve avoided the really nasty stuff. The campground is often referred to as “an oasis in the desert”, surrounded by some high peaks that seem to protect it, keeping the snow and rain on the other side. In fact it has been snowing just 12 miles away in Torrey, but only an occasional flurry here. The Fruita Campground has 71 sites and is open year-round but only has hosts mid-March through Oct. It’s on a first-come, first-serve basis, has no hookups, and is situated along the Fremont River, which is less than 100 yards from our site. A couple dozen mule deer wander through the campground early in the morning and evening, and Mikey enjoys watching them and the horses as he lays outside all day.

We share hosting duties with John and Nancy along with their dogs, Oogie and Lacy. They are from Mississippi and have been campground hosting for 13 years but still have a home back there. They are lots of fun, and we’ve had a great time getting to know each other. Abby and Oogie have become best buds, matching energy levels (though not size), and managing to find a way to play with each other even while on their leashes. (I'll have to try to get a picture of them when they're playing.)

Over the next few months (and once it warms up) we plan to take some of the fabulous hikes that are available in the park, and tomorrow we plan to take the scenic drive so stay tuned.