Getting settled in Yellowstone

We got up early to go the HR office in Gardiner to begin our real adventure.  Registration took about a hour, where we got our photo ID and uniforms.  The weather outside was beautiful, very cold with snow pouring down...just how I imagined starting my "summer job."  Once registered we headed into the park to await an orientation presentation, with an hour and half to spare, we tried to get warm in the car so that Herb and Charlie wouldn't freeze their little turtle butts off.  The presentation took about an hour once the time came, and went over a lot of basic information about Xanterra (the company we are working for), life in Yellowstone, what to do in case of a bear attack, and lastly why you shouldn't get too close to the animals (videos on buffalo attacks are scary but very entertaining).  The drive through the park to the lake where our dorm awaited us was exciting.  The snow covered pines and views of the mountains were amazing.  We even spotted some buffalo along the way.  We also had a near death encounter with a badger (luckily he decided not to cross the road).  Since the part of the park where we are working is not open to the public yet, we had to open a locked gate to get to where we were going. 

We were among the first to arrive at the dorms and get our room assignment.  Luckily that also meant we got to search the rooms around us for the best wardrobe, mattresses, and end tables.  We will be living in Osprey dorm, which currently does not have internet so I am writing this from Pelican dorm which does.  There is no cell phone service whatsoever at the Lake, so calls to friends and family will be few and far between until me and Sam are able to get phone cards for the payphones.  Since I have a week until my work begins, I am going to use that time to explore the area around us, as well as head back to Gardiner for things that we need/forgot and for an oil change for the Jeep on Tuesday.  We have already heard that there is a grizzly and her cub in the area from multiple people, and some guys I met yesterday even saw them last night about a mile from where we are. 

It only took us a few hours to get settled in the dorm and make it feel like our new home.  I slept soundly last night, finally not having to travel and wake up early helped with that I think.  I will try and upload photos of our first day in the park and our dorm and room soon.  Once work begins and we start planning for hiking trips and tours around the park we will be posting more, but our posts will not be as often as they have been this week.  But keep looking out for new and exciting news from Sam and I as our summer in Yellowstone begins, and hopefully summer does come soon!