Yellowstone National Park
When I was in college, I applied for a computer science internship at Yellowstone National Park. I was one of two applicants selected nationwide. Living in Pittsburgh, I was a little nervous about being that far away from my family. But, I packed up my little red 1981 Ford Mustang and headed across the country.
Yellowstone was established in 1872 by President Ulysses Grant. The park is mostly located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, but also extends into Montana and Idaho. It is the first National Park in the United States. It is probably best known for Old Faithful geyser. But, as I learned, there was much more to Yellowstone.
Moving In
The computer science office was located in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. I moved into a trailer in a trailer park. I got there before my roommate, so I picked the larger bedroom in the rear of the trailer. When my roommate arrived, he was much older than me and I don’t think he liked me very much. He pretty much kept to himself. Maybe he didn’t like that I picked the best bedroom.
Car Trouble
The temperatures in Yellowstone can get down to the negative double digits. One morning when I left for work, I jumped in my little red mustang and started her up. When I stepped on the gas pedal, the engine started whirring loudly and wouldn’t stop. I put the car in park and took my foot off the gas pedal, but the noise didn’t stop. It sounded like the engine was going to explode. When I looked down at the gas pedal, it was frozen to the floor. So, I turned the car off and headed to work on foot.
The office was about a half mile from our trailer. While I walked, I was griping to myself about how cold it was and how I hate cold weather. Then, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a buffalo in the middle of the road. I couldn’t go around it because there was several feet of snow. So, I had to bear the freezing temperatures longer waiting for it to move along. After about ten to fifteen minutes, I could continue my trek. As I walked, I asked myself if I made a mistake coming here.
Mail Delivery
When I got to work one morning, my boss asked if I wanted to deliver the mail that day. I thought to myself, what does this have to do with computer science? Is she joking? But, I said yes. And, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Mail delivery in the park in the winter is done by snowmobile, and I never rode a snowmobile. But, it was easy to learn. I rode with an experienced carrier and we followed paths through the wilderness as he led the way.
This day was eye-opening. There were animals everywhere. I saw elk, antelope and more buffalo. And, I got to see every town in the park. I saw Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone Lake and Old Faithful. This was a great way to experience the park. And, I’m sure that’s why my boss asked me to do it.
Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana, was about an hour away from Mammoth Hot Springs. It was a real city with lots to do. Sometimes I would go there by myself on a Friday and stay over in a motel. I would shop, dine out, catch a movie, and more. And, it was nice to have a little “me” time. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, and I became friends with some of the students. On one weekend, they invited me to come and see Huey Lewis and the News on campus. I loved everything about Bozeman.
Becoming Friends
My roommate loved to canoe, and he even brought his own. He entered a canoe race in Montana, but his partner had to back out. So, he asked me to take his place. I had no canoe experience, so he brought me out to learn several times. We ended up winning the race. From that point forward, we were the best of friends.
OMG
Back then, I considered myself a pretty good athlete and in pretty good shape. Now that my roommate and me were friends, he invited me to go cross country skiing. If you’ve never gone cross country skiing, it was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. About a mile into it, I was gasping and asked to stop. I continued this every fifteen minutes or so. I believe my roommate could have gone forever without tiring. Anyway, I could see I was cramping his style. Unlike the canoe race, he never asked me to join a cross country ski race with him. And, I was forever grateful.
Most Blessed Man in the World
On a beautiful, sunny Saturday of about 65 degrees, I set out for Gardiner, Montana, to do my laundry. While my laundry was in the washer, I went to the nearest bar and bought a couple of beers. Then, I put on my sunglasses and climbed up on the hood of my little red mustang to take it in. There was nothing but an endless field in front of me and the mountains behind that. A large herd of antelopes ran across the field in front of me. It was breathtaking. I thought to myself, “What are my college classmates doing right now? I must be the most blessed man in the world.”
Moving Out of the Trailer
One morning, my boss told me and my roommate that a house was available in Mammoth Hot Springs close to the office. We jumped on the opportunity. So, we had this huge house for the two of us. Oddly, my roommate decided to live in the basement. We had our own washer and dryer and a yard. It was so much better than the trailer.
Easter
A friend invited me to spend the Easter weekend with her sister’s family in West Yellowstone, Montana, near the Idaho border. They showed me everything in West Yellowstone and took me into Idaho. We went to church together in this tiny little church and had a great dinner. On the way home, we saw a field full of buffalo, and stopped to take pictures. Then, we saw a bear a little further along. And then, a nest of prairie dogs. I thought to myself that this must have been what it was like to travel with Lewis and Clark.
Missoula
My roommate was planning to go home to Missoula, Montana, one weekend and he invited me to come along. Missoula was interesting. It was so flat. When I stood outside his house, it looked like an endless row of houses. And, they all were similar. We went to a picnic with his friends and played volleyball. I guess volleyball was a favorite out there. They made buffalo burgers on the grill and had a bunch of other good food. The weekend was quite enjoyable.
Chico Hot Springs
About a half hour north of the park, there was a resort named Chico Hot Springs. I recently started dating the Assistant Park Director’s daughter. And, she told me I would love it there. It was a cold, rainy day. The swimming pools at the resort were like saunas and they had individual hot springs in the ground. It was cold when you first stripped down to your bathing suit, but it was so interesting to sit in the natural springs in the rain. You could even see your own breath. Also, the view of the mountains was stunning.
Independence Day
My roommate and I planned a picnic for Independence Day. We invited friends from work and some of his friends from Missoula. We put up a net to play volleyball. When I woke up and looked outside, there was an inch of snow on the ground. I was disgusted because of our picnic, and more disgusted that we got snow in the middle of the summer. By 10am, it was in the seventies and the snow had melted. As a result, our picnic was a blast!
Conclusion
This was a great trip down memory lane!
If you get the opportunity to visit Yellowstone National Park, seize it. Every person should get to experience it. I love history and I love nature. Yellowstone had them both.
When I applied for this internship and saw there were only two openings nationwide, I never thought I would be selected. But, I think God wanted me to go there. My computer science projects were totally unique, and I got to meet so many awesome people. I got to help coach the high school girl’s volleyball team and I got to lead the youth group at the local church. Also, I got to play basketball three times a week with friends which I loved.
Never think something is impossible. And, take full advantage of every opportunity you get.
