First Work Week Over
So I finished the first week of work here in WY yesterday and I must say, these work weeks are pretty tough. Our weeks go from Wed-Sat, each with 10 hour days, and lately we have been doing a lot of work right around the cabin (which is nice since I don't have to drive to town). On Wed., Fri., and Sat. we were up in the mountains trying to call in Goshawks and, occasionally, three-toed woodpeckers. We got a few three-toeds but no goshawks. Anyways, from 7 to 5 it was all hiking all the time. It's nice to be outside, but the hiking sure is tough. The mountain across the driveway that we surveyed Fri and Sat goes straight up and we had to go to almost the top to do the calls. So we climbed straight up and got to the first point, and then after we finished, we walked perpendicular to the slope across the mountain and did a call every 200 meters. This was hard hiking because you're always walking crooked since the slope is so steep, and on top of that, there are huge steep hills that go up and down up and down along the side of the mountain. So we'd have to go up and down up and down these slopes, fighting our way through brush and downed trees along the way. I think i have more cuts, bruises and scrapes than I've ever had at one time lol, not to mention mosquito bites (I have about 15 right now). 10 hours of this is pretty much all I can take and by the end of the day I just chill on the porch and have an ice cold yuengling. That makes life better.
Anyways, all the work is hard and very tiring, I can't complain because all I have to do is look up from my trudging and see snow capped peaks in every direction. That's worth the hard work and puny pay. Especially since I know I can climb those peaks on my 3 day weekends.
Anyways, after work on Friday Zach and I put about 5 potatoes through the french fry maker on the wall, threw em into some canola oil and made some potato patch fries, as well as some burgers and cheddar brats. It was pretty sweet. We were kinda worried though since we smelled the whole mountain up like grease, fries, burgers and brats haha. We even jarred the grease and put it outside since we were afraid the jar would bust from the heat. No bears came by though, just a lone deer who almost came up to the door lol.
Yesterday was the last day of work so I'm enjoying the three days off right now. When I got home yesterday Jason and his girlfriend made pizza from scratch (i was really impressed), they made the dough and everything. They also topped it off with some morels they found under a pine tree in the yard. Those things were incredible. The pizza was great and we washed it down with some stout from the Snake River Brewing Co. right here in Jackson Hole. A good western meal. After dinner, Mike and Cindy (the old western couple lol) started up a campfire and we sat around it until around 11 or so. Cindy made homemade strawberry shortcake and we all had some of that with some vanilla ice cream. It was a pretty good end to the evening. Mike's stories are some of the best I've ever heard; last night he told us about his hunting dog "swinging jake". He was named that because of "the huge scrotum he had that would swing back and forth when he'd run". It was a hilarious story. Oh, and by the way, Mike's last name is West. I found that very funny.
Today I found a church to go to in town so I went there at 10. The library didn't open till 1 so I killed time by going to Cache Creek, which is a local trailhead here in town that goes off into the mountains. It seems like it's a mountain biking hotspot as there were lots of mountain bikers riding around on really nice bikes. Lots of hot mountain biking girls too, I was impressed. Lots of folks were also walking their dogs, which was nice. They'd be riding their bikes down the trails really fast and their dogs would be chasing after em, it was funny. I think I'm going to head there tomorrow when everyone is at work and have the trails to myself bwhahaha.
Instead of biking today I just walked the trails of cache creek, called my grandparents and then joshie. Joshie told me that him, adam and zoltan are gonna try and visit for a week in the beginning of august. That sounds pretty much like the best thing i've ever heard in my life and I'm already filled with ideas of fun that we can have; climbing some mountains, hiking in yellowstone or the tetons, four wheeling the many forest roads, huge bonfires and beerfests, saloon hopping in town, trout fishing on the snake.... the fun never ends out here, especially for the good ole boys haha.
That's all for now. Not sure what this weekend has in store yet besides biking at cache. I was originally going to hike this one range from one end of the ridge to the other but I dunno if I have it in me after that work week. It would've been about a 20 miler or so and the snow is still pretty deep up there. No matter what I do, pictures will soon follow.
Peace out everyone 8-)
Anyways, all the work is hard and very tiring, I can't complain because all I have to do is look up from my trudging and see snow capped peaks in every direction. That's worth the hard work and puny pay. Especially since I know I can climb those peaks on my 3 day weekends.
Anyways, after work on Friday Zach and I put about 5 potatoes through the french fry maker on the wall, threw em into some canola oil and made some potato patch fries, as well as some burgers and cheddar brats. It was pretty sweet. We were kinda worried though since we smelled the whole mountain up like grease, fries, burgers and brats haha. We even jarred the grease and put it outside since we were afraid the jar would bust from the heat. No bears came by though, just a lone deer who almost came up to the door lol.
Yesterday was the last day of work so I'm enjoying the three days off right now. When I got home yesterday Jason and his girlfriend made pizza from scratch (i was really impressed), they made the dough and everything. They also topped it off with some morels they found under a pine tree in the yard. Those things were incredible. The pizza was great and we washed it down with some stout from the Snake River Brewing Co. right here in Jackson Hole. A good western meal. After dinner, Mike and Cindy (the old western couple lol) started up a campfire and we sat around it until around 11 or so. Cindy made homemade strawberry shortcake and we all had some of that with some vanilla ice cream. It was a pretty good end to the evening. Mike's stories are some of the best I've ever heard; last night he told us about his hunting dog "swinging jake". He was named that because of "the huge scrotum he had that would swing back and forth when he'd run". It was a hilarious story. Oh, and by the way, Mike's last name is West. I found that very funny.
Today I found a church to go to in town so I went there at 10. The library didn't open till 1 so I killed time by going to Cache Creek, which is a local trailhead here in town that goes off into the mountains. It seems like it's a mountain biking hotspot as there were lots of mountain bikers riding around on really nice bikes. Lots of hot mountain biking girls too, I was impressed. Lots of folks were also walking their dogs, which was nice. They'd be riding their bikes down the trails really fast and their dogs would be chasing after em, it was funny. I think I'm going to head there tomorrow when everyone is at work and have the trails to myself bwhahaha.
Instead of biking today I just walked the trails of cache creek, called my grandparents and then joshie. Joshie told me that him, adam and zoltan are gonna try and visit for a week in the beginning of august. That sounds pretty much like the best thing i've ever heard in my life and I'm already filled with ideas of fun that we can have; climbing some mountains, hiking in yellowstone or the tetons, four wheeling the many forest roads, huge bonfires and beerfests, saloon hopping in town, trout fishing on the snake.... the fun never ends out here, especially for the good ole boys haha.
That's all for now. Not sure what this weekend has in store yet besides biking at cache. I was originally going to hike this one range from one end of the ridge to the other but I dunno if I have it in me after that work week. It would've been about a 20 miler or so and the snow is still pretty deep up there. No matter what I do, pictures will soon follow.
Peace out everyone 8-)