Living & Working in Great Places

All Blog Posts (633)

Fires in Alaska and in Yosemite National Park

I keep reading about more fires around the country affecting some of the great places where you all are working. I hope that everyone is okay! Yosemite fires - Yosemite News and Information - blog about fires Alaska fires - AICC (Alaska Interagency Coordination Center) - Incident Information… Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on July 6, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Cool Works ® Meet Up Wrap Up - 2009 - Part III

Wednesday, June 24

Post Grand Teton shake out we collected E and friends and left Signal Mountain Lodge *sigh* and headed north back into Yellowstone National Park and over to Old Faithful. … Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on July 6, 2009 at 5:17pm — No Comments

Knob Lakes and Alaskam Road (Mile 118.5 Intersection)

This weekend's hike from Sheep Mountain Lodge took me down the Alaskam Road to Knob Lakes.

It was a very pleasant morning. The last few days there has been very few clouds and very little wind. The temperatures soon rise in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Then in the afternoon rain and… Continue

Added by Keith Larson on July 5, 2009 at 12:07pm — No Comments

Winter Job?

Any advice anyone, where too, where not too, what pays well or peanuts, must see places? Thanks to everyone! Continue

Added by Mickey Collins on July 4, 2009 at 8:44am — No Comments

Meekins Air Service

So today I experienced one of the better perks of working at Sheep Mountain Lodge. The lodge does a lot of business with Meekins Air Service. They use the airstrip often for their sight seeing tours. Anjanette Steer really liked the way this season's employees gelled and our basic attitudes and work ethics. The other night when the owner came in for dinner, Anj talked to them and arranged for us to take some short tours whenever they had the time.

… Continue

Added by Keith Larson on July 1, 2009 at 10:44pm — 1 Comment

Cool Works ® Meet Up Wrap Up - 2009 - Part II

Wednesday, June 24

We left for a mini-Teton shakeout in the Van of Dreams aka VOD and made our way past Jenny Lake Lodge and over to Dornan's.

… Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on June 29, 2009 at 6:36am — 3 Comments

September 2009 Trip Plans

I complete my season at Sheep Mountain Lodge on September 16. Usually I have a somewhat longer time span between gigs, this one is quick. In the evening, I will take the Alaskan Direct Bus Line route back to Anchorage. I should arrive sometime between 9-10 pm. I’ll have to double check the time later. This is the second trip that I’ve booked all my hotels through hotwire.com. I’ll be staying overnight in Anchorage at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel. The next morning my plane leaves at 10 am. Ala… Continue

Added by Keith Larson on June 28, 2009 at 10:50am — 3 Comments

Lion's Head and Grand View (Mile 113.5 to 107.5)

Since my last blog I have experienced a couple of firsts at Sheep Mountain Lodge. First, I took my exam and passed. I am now a Certified Surface Weather Observer for the National Weather Service. Second, I felt my first earthquake. There was a 5.4 tremor centered near Willow. I went to my room during my work break and was sitting on my bed when I felt it vibrate for a couple of seconds. No damage. Yesterday morning I thought the light rain was passing, so I decided to take a hike down to Lion’s… Continue

Added by Keith Larson on June 28, 2009 at 10:39am — 2 Comments

Cool Works ® Meet Up Wrap Up - 2009 - Part I

So the CoolWorks.com team is small and mighty and we meet about once a year. This year we decided with the growth of My CoolWorks to involve the tribe in our annual meeting in Yellowstone National Park. We were thrilled that people wanted to meet us and even more so that people continue to live their lives doing what they love in some of the most beautif… Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on June 27, 2009 at 12:35am — 4 Comments

Old Glenn Highway (115 - 118.5)

The weather cleared today after eight rather chilly and wet days. It's my day off and I decided to take a walk. I'm at Sheep Mountain Lodge for the summer. It's at Mile 113.5 on the West Glenn Highway. At Mile 115...that's east...begins a section of the Old Glenn Highway that trave… Continue

Added by Keith Larson on June 21, 2009 at 5:51pm — No Comments

XC Park tour Posts 3 & 4

Hey guys way behind on these I know considering I have already made it to CO. But here is the link for my blog and a couple of more posts and pics! Lost in Transitional Seasons Enjoy! Kevin Continue

Added by Kevin Mellott on June 20, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Wonderland

I have been at Yellowstone now for a few weeks and that one question has been bugging me. Why do so many folks keep coming back here to work during the summer? I look around me at work and realize that the vast majority of people that I have met are "returnees"...some have worked here for over 10 years and expect to keep coming back. Now I know the $7.25/hour can't be the big draw. And the work itself is just like working in a store in a big city (i.e. nothing special). The food has been great,… Continue

Added by aggie71 on June 19, 2009 at 6:38am — 3 Comments

Northern Lights Resort, Minnesota

Hey, anybody been to or worked at Northern Lights Resort in Minnesota located next to Voyageurs National Park. The resort looks very nice and the managers are very nice. The are talking to us about work there for the 2010 summer season. Any comments would be helpful in making out decision. Continue

Added by RICK & VIRG TOWNER on June 17, 2009 at 8:41pm — No Comments

What's Your Dream?

Originally this blog was posted on the alumni network for Washington Business Week. I attended the program, which simply put is a business camp for teens, while I was in high school and now support the program as a volunteer, donor, and board member. You can learn more about Washington Business Week on their Cool Works profile. Recently I finished a book called… Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on June 16, 2009 at 11:25pm — No Comments

Working on some marketing math

I'm working on a marketing research project for a Fortune 500 client. Wow! It's 2AM already! Continue

Added by Christine Keating on June 16, 2009 at 1:12am — No Comments

Yellowstone and Tetons Meetup - June 22-26, 2009

Here are the details of where and when. Please RSVP on the Event so we know to expect you and also, if you know, please comment about where we may see you. Also, if your location around Yellowstone and the Tetons is not on our schedule, please let us know where you are and we'll do our best to swing by. : ) Monday, June 22 Day Hike - 2pm Meet on the porch at Lake Lodge. We'll hike either Elephant Back or… Continue

Added by Kari Quaas on June 15, 2009 at 6:30pm — 4 Comments

Interesting insights about the recession's affect on seasonal jobs this summer on the Jersey Shore

Worth a read - Copied from the NY Times POINT PLEASANT, N.J. — As the unemployment rate climbed this spring, thousands of recently laid-off workers descended upon the resort communities along the Jersey Shore looking for summer work, hoping for an infusion of cash and a brief respite from job hunting. But for many of the applicants who are older and have extensive résumés, finding work along the boardwalk can be as elusive as winning one of those deceptively easy-looking ring toss games. The… Continue

Added by Kathi on June 15, 2009 at 8:14am — No Comments

Gunflint Lodge

This is a warning from someone who has pretty much chose lodge employment as a career. I have worked numerous lodging jobs over the past ten years. Gunflint Lodge is by far the worst I have encountered. Especially if you will be a housekeeper! That is unless you enjoy working under a psychotic individual and when I say Psychotic it is not an understatement. As I said it's just a warning. Have a good one! Continue

Added by Chris Topher on June 14, 2009 at 4:13pm — No Comments

At work...

Well I have worked 10p - 8p. I love it =) Yeehaw. Jen is my bestest friend.. She's taught me everything and I have gotten on her nerves in return. I'm such a great friend. So far, I have done nothing. I slept, slept, and slept. I had ribs today. =) Continue

Added by Greg on June 11, 2009 at 5:54pm — No Comments

Still Wrapping My Mind Around It

I am absolutely loving Yellowstone. This amazing place they call Lake has captured my heart. I am now working at the Lake Lodge, cooking and learning about management in the EDR. Still, it snows absoluely at will, we got 4 inches on the 7th of June. One past employee reported the coldest winter she ever spent was a summer at Yellowstone! The people are fantastic. We had a great disco party for the employees the day before opening and inspite of my pending drive to Idaho in the early morning, I s… Continue

Added by Carol on June 11, 2009 at 6:37am — 4 Comments