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Abstract

can talk about the natural and cultural history of an area. Hiking with a group at night makes the activity less intimidating and more fun.Full moon hikes allow visitors to see the park in a unique way. While most people are at home eating dinner, watching TV, and getting ready for bed, we are out hiking. During the summer months, the hikes are scheduled later in the evening. During fall and winter, the hikes naturally begin by late afternoon.The hike starts shortly before moonrise. Once the moon begins rising over the horizon, the hiking pauses as people begin taking pictures. The hike ends as the moon rises high in the sky, illuminating the landscape with white light and dark shadows.<h2 id="e050">Stinging Nettles and Rattlesnakes</h2>“Stinging nettles? That’s fake news!”This statement came from a thirteen-year-old boy right before he ran his leg through a patch of stinging nettles. He was wearing shorts.The next words out of his mouth were, “Oh, I feel it now. That does hurt.”That day, I was leading a guided hike for a group of teenagers attending a day camp near the park at which I was working. This “fake news” statement came from the oldest boy in the group, and as such, he had to act tough. So tough, in fact, he had to act like his leg didn’t burn like crazy for the remainder of the hike. To his credit though, he didn’t say another word about the stinging nettles! To my credit, I managed not to laugh until the hike was over and I was alone in my truck.Stinging Nettles were the least of my problems on another hike.I had a large number of people with me when we had to stop to let a rattlesnake move off the trail. The gentleman behind me headed off into the brush, intending to catch the rattlesnake because he had “lots of experience with them.”I had to ask him to please leave the rattlesnake alone. I told him that while I was sure he did have the appropriate experience, the general public does not. “We don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea, and I don’t want anyone getting bit on one of my hikes.” That seemed to work and he decided not to

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go after that rattlesnake, after all.That wasn’t the first or last time I’d come across a rattlesnake on one of my guided hikes. Another time, I had a group of 30 when we encountered a stubborn rattlesnake on a hiking trail. Normally they will avoid people and leave the area right away, but this one didn’t want to give up its territory. Once everyone got to see and photograph the snake from a safe distance, all 30 of us turned around and took a different route.On a recent full moon hike, I had a group of four, including two young boys. We had decided not to use our flashlights on the way up to the overlook because the trail was short and we were all familiar with the area.As soon as we got to the top of the hill, all five of us froze as we heard that familiar rattle — even if you’ve never heard it before, the sound is unmistakable. A second later, five flashlights were pointed at the rattlesnake. Soon after that, the phones came out to document the encounter.I got my picture, then put my phone away so I could talk to the group. The oldest boy was inching closer and closer to the snake to get better video, until I had to ask him to step away a little — he was making me nervous by getting too close. Of course, he had no fear of the snake and was really excited to see it, but we still had to respect its space.<h2 id="6501">Why I Love It So Much</h2>Behind the scenes, a park ranger’s job isn’t glamorous. We spend a lot of time cleaning bathrooms, picking up litter, and emptying the garbage so when people visit the parks, they have a nice, clean place to walk around. When the RV dump station backs up, I feel like we could be featured on an episode of Dirty Jobs (maybe that’s another story for another time).Leading guided hikes is my favorite and, in my opinion, the most rewarding part of the job. We get to show park visitors some of our favorite places while sharing stories and history. We experience the park with the visitors, some of whom are visiting the park for the first time. Stinging Nettles and rattlesnakes only add excitement, interest, and educational experiences to these hikes.</article></body>

Moonlit Hikes, Stinging Nettles, and Rattlesnakes

Stories From a Park Ranger

“This is so much cooler than staying at home watching TV!”

That statement came from a seven-year-old boy during a guided full moon hike on a warm September evening. His announcement made me feel, on a small scale, like I was making a difference and that my decision to become a park ranger was the right one.

I’ve been a full time park ranger since 2004. Before I was hired on full time, I worked as a seasonal ranger aide, or “park aide,” for six summers while I was in college. I was working towards a double major in Parks and Recreation and Anthropology.

After my last semester of college, I went back to work as a park aide. I didn’t have solid plans for what I would do once I graduated. I had thought about graduate school and also considered finding a full time job somewhere, but nothing really stood out. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that I wanted to move to Texas and that’s where my graduate school of choice for Museum Studies was located.

A full time Park Naturalist job opened up at a small park in southeastern Utah. I applied and got the job, then spent the next seven years working at that park. I made it a priority to lead guided hikes. Some of these hikes took place during the day, but I really loved leading hikes at night, especially during the full moon.

Full Moon Hikes

Hiking alone at night isn’t something most people are comfortable with. Guided night hikes seem out of the ordinary. Sometimes, it’s more interesting to go with a guide who knows the trail and can talk about the natural and cultural history of an area. Hiking with a group at night makes the activity less intimidating and more fun.

Full moon hikes allow visitors to see the park in a unique way. While most people are at home eating dinner, watching TV, and getting ready for bed, we are out hiking. During the summer months, the hikes are scheduled later in the evening. During fall and winter, the hikes naturally begin by late afternoon.

The hike starts shortly before moonrise. Once the moon begins rising over the horizon, the hiking pauses as people begin taking pictures. The hike ends as the moon rises high in the sky, illuminating the landscape with white light and dark shadows.

Stinging Nettles and Rattlesnakes

“Stinging nettles? That’s fake news!”

This statement came from a thirteen-year-old boy right before he ran his leg through a patch of stinging nettles. He was wearing shorts.

The next words out of his mouth were, “Oh, I feel it now. That does hurt.”

That day, I was leading a guided hike for a group of teenagers attending a day camp near the park at which I was working. This “fake news” statement came from the oldest boy in the group, and as such, he had to act tough. So tough, in fact, he had to act like his leg didn’t burn like crazy for the remainder of the hike. To his credit though, he didn’t say another word about the stinging nettles! To my credit, I managed not to laugh until the hike was over and I was alone in my truck.

Stinging Nettles were the least of my problems on another hike.

I had a large number of people with me when we had to stop to let a rattlesnake move off the trail. The gentleman behind me headed off into the brush, intending to catch the rattlesnake because he had “lots of experience with them.”

I had to ask him to please leave the rattlesnake alone. I told him that while I was sure he did have the appropriate experience, the general public does not. “We don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea, and I don’t want anyone getting bit on one of my hikes.” That seemed to work and he decided not to go after that rattlesnake, after all.

That wasn’t the first or last time I’d come across a rattlesnake on one of my guided hikes. Another time, I had a group of 30 when we encountered a stubborn rattlesnake on a hiking trail. Normally they will avoid people and leave the area right away, but this one didn’t want to give up its territory. Once everyone got to see and photograph the snake from a safe distance, all 30 of us turned around and took a different route.

On a recent full moon hike, I had a group of four, including two young boys. We had decided not to use our flashlights on the way up to the overlook because the trail was short and we were all familiar with the area.

As soon as we got to the top of the hill, all five of us froze as we heard that familiar rattle — even if you’ve never heard it before, the sound is unmistakable. A second later, five flashlights were pointed at the rattlesnake. Soon after that, the phones came out to document the encounter.

I got my picture, then put my phone away so I could talk to the group. The oldest boy was inching closer and closer to the snake to get better video, until I had to ask him to step away a little — he was making me nervous by getting too close. Of course, he had no fear of the snake and was really excited to see it, but we still had to respect its space.

Why I Love It So Much

Behind the scenes, a park ranger’s job isn’t glamorous. We spend a lot of time cleaning bathrooms, picking up litter, and emptying the garbage so when people visit the parks, they have a nice, clean place to walk around. When the RV dump station backs up, I feel like we could be featured on an episode of Dirty Jobs (maybe that’s another story for another time).

Leading guided hikes is my favorite and, in my opinion, the most rewarding part of the job. We get to show park visitors some of our favorite places while sharing stories and history. We experience the park with the visitors, some of whom are visiting the park for the first time. Stinging Nettles and rattlesnakes only add excitement, interest, and educational experiences to these hikes.