Wyoming

[Just Don]

Was looking into Wyoming for volunteering. Has anyone volunteered there.

Hoping it be to cooler..

They have a few openings in NP ans Sp with FH which DW has to have.

I don't want a private park.

I've never volunteered yet.

Thanks ya'll

[JCZ]

In Wy. the temps will be determined by your location....they vary a lot.

[Al F]

When I want to know what temps to expect to experience in a place I plan to visit, I use the Weather Underground monthly history website.  With a few clicks of a mouse you can see the history of a full months temperature swings going back some 20 years. 

For example here is a link to the July 2016 weather for Thermopolis, WY, probably one of the warmer spots in Wyoming.  To change locations go the upper left and enter the location in the "search locations" box.  Once the location comes up, scroll down to the Almanac area and look for "Calendar View"

[Kirk W]

Having lived in WY for 18 years, I agree that temperatures vary quite a bit across the state, Even so, temperatures that exceed 90° are uncommon and humidity there is usually under 20% and less than 10% isn't uncommon. As a result, it is rare to work up much of a sweat even when working hard outside. 

There are quite a few volunteer opportunities in WY with the National Elk Refuge and Yellowstone NP most likely the two best known. Many of the state parks also have volunteer opportunities as we have friends who hosted at Curt Gowdy SP for many years, in the mountains west of Cheyenne. I suggest that you take a look at the state parks volunteer pages first as the two most popular above both tend to fill very early. In addition, the USFWS has volunteer opportunities there and you may also want to look into SD as they have some great opportunities in the Black Hills, just east of WY.

I think that for this year you will find many of the best opportunities already filled but there usually are at least a few openings that remain unfilled so don't give up.

[Chris-n-Dennis]

Wyoming Territorial Prison, interp work so you get to be an actor in the prison. We missed out due to a scheduling conflict.  Another is just across the border in Utah at Flaming Gorge. 

[gjhunter01]

Also try Custer SP, they have a large volunteer staff there and usually can find room for another volunteer. http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/volunteer/positions.aspx#4

Greg

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, gjhunter01 said:

Also try Custer SP, they have a large volunteer staff there

That is a great park but it isn't in WY as it is 90+ miles into SD. Both times that we attempted to spend time there, they were booked full for volunteers. 

[gjhunter01]

10 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

That is a great park but it isn't in WY as it is 90+ miles into SD. Both times that we attempted to spend time there, they were booked full for volunteers.

Keep trying, they have cancellations throughout the year with last minute openings. We actually got a Aug/Sept position at the last minute. In our 20+ volunteer gigs, CSP is at the top. We did the cabin cleaning job 3 days on/ 3 off and some days only cleaned 2-3 cabins for less than a 1/2 hour. Other days we did 12-15 cabins for 3-4 hours which included a van to drive to the 4 campgrounds. Participating in the buffalo roundup at CSP in Oct was also a highlight and available to current working volunteers.

In that part of the country, 90 miles is right next door.:)

Greg

[Twotoes]

I volunteered at CSP the summers of 2014,2015 and 2016. It is a great park. They have gone thru some changes in upper management the last year. Don't know who is in charge of recruiting volunteers now. If you call them they may have some volunteer positions available. I think they are looking for volunteers to work in the visitor center. They also just opened a new employee campground with full hook up inside the park. 

[Kirk W]

We kind of hijacked JustDon's thread, but since he's not been back lately, I'll add a bit more. When Custer was full we were referred to and accepted a position at Angostura State Park, hosting at Shep's Canyon, just south of Hot Springs. We only rarely return to a place once we have seen it so aren't likely to return, but next year will be in ND as we have a connection there for 2018.

[spindrift]

Kirk.... if you don't me askin', where in WY did you hang your hat?  My older brother lived in Casper for many years and I stayed with him for one of them surveying gas lines.  That was back during the late 70s energy boom when they were digging up graves trying to find folks who could work.  I also have a sister in Laramie.  Personally, I can't get enough of that state.  Unfortunately, I've been unable to convince my DW that it's a place we should settle.  She's not enthused by the prospect of frigid temps and blowing snow almost 12 months out of the year.   

[Kirk W]

21 hours ago, spindrift said:

Kirk.... if you don't me askin', where in WY did you hang your hat?

Sent you a PM.

[Just Don]

Thanks for the info I have read all yall said just didn't reply I don't mind the hijacked at all,

[Twotoes]

On 7/20/2017 at 3:37 PM, gjhunter01 said:

Keep trying, they have cancellations throughout the year with last minute openings. We actually got a Aug/Sept position at the last minute. In our 20+ volunteer gigs, CSP is at the top. We did the cabin cleaning job 3 days on/ 3 off and some days only cleaned 2-3 cabins for less than a 1/2 hour. Other days we did 12-15 cabins for 3-4 hours which included a van to drive to the 4 campgrounds. Participating in the buffalo roundup at CSP in Oct was also a highlight and available to current working volunteers.

In that part of the country, 90 miles is right next door.:)

Greg

The Buffalo Roundup is always the last Fri in Sept. 

[gjhunter01]

On Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at 10:11 PM, Twotoes said:

The Buffalo Roundup is always the last Fri in Sept.

Yes, the actual roundup is on Fri, but volunteers get to work the corrals during the following week for branding and sorting, that's when the fun begins.

[Twotoes]

I was a volunteer at Custer State Park for 3 years. The sort and branding is no longer done after the roundup. They wait a few weeks now for the herd to settle down. The auction is still in Nov but it is done online now not live. 

[gjhunter01]

6 minutes ago, Twotoes said:

I was a volunteer at Custer State Park for 3 years. The sort and branding is no longer done after the roundup. They wait a few weeks now for the herd to settle down. The auction is still in Nov but it is done online now not live.

We were there in 2014, I remember we started the sorting the following Mon. Just curious how they feed the herd and find volunteers to hang around later in Oct?

[Twotoes]

Starting in 2016 they decided to wait to do the sort. We fill the corrals with bales of hay for feed. There are also several water troffs with water hook ups. Most volunteers leave after the roundup but some stay for the sort. The sort is mostly done by staff and volunteers who have been living down at the corrals working with the herd all summer.