In 1973, I arrived at Yellowstone National Park to work for the summer. Although my job in the accounting department might not sound exciting, life in Yellowstone was full of fun and adventure. I quickly developed friendships with others who lived in the quaintly furnished apartments above the dining room at Mammoth Hot Springs.
Thirty-five years have passed. Regardless of the challenges and changes life has thrown at us, our group has maintained contact and friendships developed during that pivotal summer. Our numbers have grown as our families and alliances have expanded.
This past weekend, we gathered for a 35th reunion at Yellowstone, one of many over the years, to celebrate our friendships and the majesty of nature preserved in our oldest and largest national park. In keeping with tradition, we built new memories filled with laughter, tall tales told over beer, visions of geysers, wildlife, and beautiful trout in Yellowstone Lake.
Many years ago, before the memories could fade, I wrote a book about our original adventures called, A Yellowstone Savage: Life In Nature’s Wonderland. I felt compelled to preserve a moment in history, which was not only a personal landmark, but a fixed moment in Yellowstone as well. Preserving stories through writing has become my mission since then. This was the result of a few pals sharing good times and a mutual appreciation for something much larger. Amazing.
Joyce Lohse, 8/13/2008
Joyce Lohse speaks about blogging for Women Out West Magazine
recorded by Deborah Kunzie
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