My Volunteer Ranger duties are light and I always take time for a nap. My duties start early when I walk half a mile on a gravel road out to open the gate at the entry to the Grand Canyon National Park Tuweep Station at sunrise. My day ends by walking out to close the gate at the entrance. This is in a broad valley and there are no houses, except for the ranger house, my tiny cabin and a large old barn/garage, where my “kitchen” is. This could be the favorite parts of my day, except for cycling six miles out to the Toroweap Overlook of the Grand Canyon. Standing on the very edge, there was s a 3,000 foot drop to the Colorado River. It is breathtaking. Then I have a snack at the picnic table, chat with any visitors, ask if they have permits. I am not enforcement, just informing them of what they need. Then I check that the three toilets are clean and cycle six miles hilly, rocky miles back to my barn/garage. I eat, take a quick shower from the 4 liter solar shower, take a nap. And relax reading, drawing and watching for more visitors to come in. Sometimes I weed out invasive plants of the goat heads. Or weed and clip the Ranger’s small yard.
For water I take the 5 gallon container up to a spigot about 100 feet on the hillside. That water is for the kitchen cooking and drinking in the barn/garage. Another trip to fill my four liter shower bag, for the outdoor shower beside my cabin. And one more trip to fill a bucket for the dish washing station in the “kitchen”. Plus I keep two full 64 ounce water bottles and a extra gallon in my cabin. The water is rainwater, collected into a 10,000 tank, not filtered or purified, and it is delicious!
