Welcome back and thanks to all who checked in over the past month, it has been a very busy time. First of all, it has been so great to reconnect with all my friends from last season. As we got settled in we were sharing stories about what we did on our winter vacations away from Yellowstone making it feel like home. The park has been busy with animal sightings, including an 800 pound bear seen on trail-cam in our housing area, which we nicknamed “Snuggles”. Unfortunately, the bear was a serious threat and had to be removed. It has been such a treat to see the park wake up as Winter fades to Spring, even as snow continues to fall from time to time.
The early weeks of May went by quickly, as the ramp up for the season was jam-packed with activities. Heather arrived about 10 days after me and we went right into orientation over at the Lake Clinic. The time spent together with our medical directors, administrators and nursing staff set us on the pathway to readiness. We balanced classroom training with clinical simulation scenarios. What fun it was to see was how well the teams came together quickly, each contributing their experience for the benefit of the group. We had many laughs, shared meals and then headed off to our assigned clinics to complete the training.
The next two weeks kicked off EMS training. Another great experience with the YNP Emergency Services team as the training was a full immersion into outdoor case-based scenarios. No classrooms for EMS…”dress for the day’s weather”…was the mantra! We did a week of general and then a week of medical director led scenarios based at the Norris Campground, where several campsites were set-up with unique cases to work during each day. Everything from a simple orthopedic injury to a search-and-rescue operation was covered.
After the trainings were complete, Heather and I took a trip to Cody, WY traveling out the East Entrance. We did Cody justice by hitting a few of the best eateries and exploring the surrounding area, including a bit of off-roading. Then, before heading back to Old Faithful YNP, we stocked up on provisions for the next several weeks, as access to grocery stores involves a 6 hour round trip. The month of May progressed with a notable increase in visitor traffic each day. The clinic visits increased from a few to many seemingly overnight. By Memorial Day, we were full-on working like it was a sunny day in July. Heather headed home to take care of business and will be returning in a couple of weeks with the motor-home. We’re looking forward to being able to hop in and go without much planning as there are many places to explore out in the wild.
More updates are ahead as we continue to learn and explore. Enjoy the photos and thanks so much for following along!
