My First Week in Yosemite National Park

My First Week in Yosemite National Park

View of Yosemite Valley from the Yosemite Falls Trail

Hello ProRangers and Park People! My first full week in Yosemite started with my arrival to the historic Rangers' Club on Friday afternoon. After nearly a week of driving, I was thrilled to finally arrive in my new home for the next six months. After unpacking and getting settled, I met with my supervisor and Yosemite Emergency Services Coordinator, Jack Hoelfich, to take a tour of the park and meet some of the people I will be working with over the next few months. Eager to go on a hike and enjoy some of the scenic beauty the park has to offer, I got up early on Saturday for a day hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail. Although the hike was more challenging than anticipated, it was well worth the view once I made it to the top ( I even saw a bobcat along the way!). The rest of my week was split between the Yosemite Medical Clinic where I processed paperwork to receive my "white card" and the Search and Rescue (SAR) cache where I helped organize gear and started working on a long term project. While I'm excited to share all of my experiences from this first week, I want to start by discussing my housing arrangement in the historic Rangers' Club.

The Rangers' Club

View of the Rangers' Club

Have you ever wondered where park service employees and park rangers live? While most park employees are able to live outside park boundaries, the vast expanse and remoteness of Yosemite necessitates housing within the park for a wide array of park employees. Understanding the need to house park employees, the first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather, hired architect Charles Sumner to build a place for new rangers to live. Construction of the Rangers' Club began in 1920 and was completed in 1924. The Rangers' Club features a rustic design using natural materials that Mather sought to use as an example for future buildings within Yosemite Valley. The Rangers' Club was originally used as a home for new rangers who were transitioning from their role in the military to work for the newly established National Park Service. Today, the Rangers' Club is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and houses seasonal and permanent employees. I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to live in such a beautiful building with ties to the establishment of the National Park Service!

Inside view of the Rangers' Club. The dining tables are made from Giant Sequoia trees and lined by bookcases featuring books that date back to the 1800's. 

To learn more about the Rangers' Club and see what its like, check out this great NPS video!

Yosemite Medical Clinic & Emergency Services

Yosemite Medical Clinic with Sierra Point in the background. 

 While most park visitors spend a few hours or even days in the park, there are those who live in the park long term. While no one wants to end their trip with a visit to the clinic, the Yosemite Medical Clinic offers medical care for both visitors and long term residents as well as emergency medical services (EMS). Having a medical clinic inside of a National Park is truly unique. While the medical clinic is overseen by the NPS, the clinic is staffed by U.S. Public Health Service Officers. I started my week inside the medical clinic where I met with providers that are part of the EMS program. Given the high level of visitation (4.5 million visitors in 2019) and number of long term residents in the park, Yosemite has a number of ambulances and trained healthcare providers on hand to respond to medical emergencies within the park. As part of my time in Yosemite, I am working as an EMT and responding to emergency calls in one of the park ambulances. However, in order to serve as a medical responder I first had to get my "white card". For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, a white card is the park service's equivalent to a state issued certification.

In addition to applying for my white card, I underwent a variety of training to learn new skills and reinforce prior knowledge. Although some of what I learned included actions that are above my scope of practice as an EMT, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn from such skilled providers and look forward to continuing my education and furthering my goal of becoming a parkmedic. In the meantime, I am preparing to serve as a driver on one of the park ambulances. To get acquainted with the ambulance and the surrounding service area, I spent some of my time driving around the park. Although it will take some time until I can comfortably navigate the park, I look forward to working with the highly skilled paramedics and responding to emergency calls. 

Yosemite EMS Ambulance E3

One of the paramedics teaching me how to perform an endotracheal intubation. 

Yosemite Search and Rescue 

After spending some time during the beginning of the week in the medical clinic, I went over to the SAR cache where I helped organize rescue equipment and started working on a long term project. In order to ensure members of Yosemite's Search and Rescue Team are prepared for an emergency, I conducted an inventory of all the rope, climbing equipment, and other rescue gear within the SAR cache. During this process, I looked for any gear that showed signs of wear or damage and made notes on missing items. Conducting an inventory was a great way for me to see some of the equipment within the SAR cache while also ensuring that all the gear is ready for use during an emergency or rescue situation. As part of a more long term project, I am currently inputting data from all of last years SAR missions. This process will organize the data by incident type and map the locations of each rescue. Once finished, this information will help inform park staff of areas where rescues most often occur and influence decisions to temporarily close off sections of the park during inclement weather.

Organizing gear from one of the high angle rescue kits

One section of the "SAR Cache"

Although this first week was spent doing a lot of administrative paper work and getting settled, I have already learned an immense amount of new information and made plenty of great friends. I look forward to a weekend full of hiking and a productive week ahead!

Until next time,

ProRanger Caruso

6 Days & 3,000 Miles...

6 Days & 3,000 Miles...

Hello ProRangers and Park People! Since my last post, I have traveled through nine states covering nearly 3,000 miles on my journey to Yosemite National Park in California. My journey mainly followed the Historic Route 66 which runs from Illinois to California. Along the way, I stopped at El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona and Sequoia National Park in California. Since the following blogs will mostly cover my experience in Yosemite, I want to start by sharing my park visits with all of you.

El Malpais National Monument-New Mexico

El Maplais National Monument Visitor Center 

While stopping at El Malpais National Monument was not a planned part of my trip, I couldn't pass up the opportunity while driving through New Mexico. Established in 1987,  El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area protect a combined area of 375,000 + acres. The volcanic landscape "The Badlands" is home to breathtaking scenery and rich archaeological sites that provide a window into the past of those who have inhabited the land for over 10,000 years. The landscape is dominated by vast lava flows that form cinder cones and lava tube caves. Although the weather did not permit any hiking, I was able to view the lava flows from an observation point and visit La Ventana Natural Arch, New Mexico's second-largest natural arch.

Vast Lava Flows of the "Bad Lands"

La Ventana Natural Arch

Petrified Forest National Park- Arizona

Petrified Forest National Park 

Petrified Forest National Park, established in 1962,  helps preserve fossilized records from the late Triassic Period while telling the story of the prehistoric people who once lived there. The Park's 28 mile long road is the only section of Route 66 running through a National Park. The winding road brings visitors to iconic destinations, such as the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark which served as a rest stop for early travelers. The Inn's lodge and guest cabins, originally built in the mid 1920's, were redesigned in the Pueblo style by architect Lyle Bennett and construction was carried out by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC) between 1937-1940. In 1987, the Inn was declared a National Historic Landmark. Today, visitors can walk through the historic structure which takes them back to an earlier time.

The "Painted Desert Inn"

View from the Park's Main Road

While the Painted Desert Inn is one of the most iconic aspects of the park, remnants of prehistoric forests preserved in time as petrified wood drew visitors long before the Inn was established. By the 1800's, interest in petrified wood began threatening the landscape as travelers and visitors began removing the wood for use in decorative furniture, jewelry, and other items. Seeing the historic and cultural value of the landscape, President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation establishing the Petrified Forest as a National Monument in 1906. With designation as a National Monument, the vast archaeological and historic resources were protected. Once the resource was protected, the need to interpret and share the significance of the area became a priority. Starting in 1934, thousands of men in the CCC initiated construction of roads, trails, bridges and museums which are still used to this day. In 1962, the National Monument was re-designated as a National Park.

Petrified Wood along the Long Logs Trail 

The "Painted Desert"

Sequoia National Park-California

Entrance to Sequoia National Park

The last stop on my journey to Yosemite National Park was Sequoia National Park. Established in 1890, Sequoia is the second oldest National Park. The Park was established after early residents of the San Joaquin Valley advocated for the creation of the park and pressured congress to protect the Giant Sequoia's from logging. Luckily, the pleas from local residents to protect the area paid off as Sequoia National Park was officially established on September 25, 1890.  Only a week after congress established the National Park, the Park's size was expanded to include Grant Grove, where "General Sherman", the world's largest living tree resides. 

"General Sherman" the World's Largest Living Tree

With the creation of Sequoia National Park, the Giant Sequoia's were protected from logging and preserved for future generations to enjoy. Even so, the trees are at risk from a variety of other sources. The foremost risk posed to the Giant Sequoia's is climate change. Giant Sequoia's only grow on the West slope of the Sierra Nevada range and prefer loose, well drained soil. As precipitation patterns change and certain areas receive increased precipitation, the root's of the Sequoia's can weaken which can cause the tree to fall down. While Sequoia's are sensitive to changes in precipitation, they are resistant to fire and disease thanks to thick layers of bark and the ability to heal after significant damage. With this ability, it is easy to see how some Sequoia's are over 3,000 years old!

Even though this Sequoia was burned by fire, the tree naturally heals and continues to grow.

Large Grove of Giant Sequoia's

Check back next week to read about the Historic Rangers Club and learn about my first week in Yosemite! 

Until next time,

ProRanger Caruso 

Yosemite Bound

Greetings friends and park people! Since the last post from my summer internship at Christiansted National Historic Park in the U.S. Virgin Islands there have been some exciting developments. After applying to multiple National Parks, I have accepted a volunteer position with Yosemite National Park in California!

For the next six months, I will have the opportunity to work with the visitor and resource protection division in Yosemite assisting with emergency calls on the parks ambulance and working with the preventative search and rescue (PSAR) team. While this past summer was spent conducting marine patrols and searching for poachers, this new experience will look very different. Working in Yosemite will provide the opportunity for me to utilize my skill set as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and learn how to educate visitors and ensure their safety as part of the PSAR team. I look forward to the road ahead and the chance to spend time in such a beautiful place. Want to follow my journey while at Yosemite National Park? Check back weekly to read about my experiences and see what i'm up to!

Looking forward to sharing my experience with all of you,

ProRanger Caruso