taken advantage

[Pat & Pete]

1 hour ago, bigjim said:

I will most likely be spending at least several months in southern NM this  winter. Maybe Deming but considering other areas. A friend who volunteered with me used to winter in the TorC area a lot. He was fond of Caballo SP and had an annual pass.  What park do you keep your 5thW at?  Wouldn't mind meeting if we get the chance. They are really after me to winter with them this winter but it doesn't seem likely.

One to consider :

Caballo Lake RV Park

https://caballolakervpark.net

[2gypsies]

7 hours ago, bigjim said:

I will most likely be spending at least several months in southern NM this  winter. Maybe Deming but considering other areas. 

Don't forget about the Escapee park in Deming.  Good rates.

[bigjim]

5 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

Escapee park in Deming.  Good rates.

Been there many times but it has been 4-5 years maybe as long ago as 2013.   Used to get my dental work done in Las Palomas and eat at the Pink Store.

[gjhunter01]

On 9/20/2020 at 11:42 PM, George the greek said:

Im fishing in Montana now will winter in New Mexico then will try to get on in Idaho for a summer position 

 

Try Yankee Forks State Park in Challis, ID. We stayed there 2019 summer at the visitor center as volunteers working in maintenance repairing equipment, mowing, and whatever needed to be done. They have 2 FHU sites and this is just a visitor center with no other camping allowed. The visitor center did also run 2 remote abandoned mining towns that included paid camp workers to stay onsite with their RV's for security and tours. The park provided FHU with water tanks and a generator. This would be a cool summer job in a gold mining ghost town, set in the ID mountains. The town host that summer routinely seen bear and mountain lions on the mountain sides and had a trout stream next to their RV.

Joni was the Park Manger, she was hoping to retire soon but the contact info should be still good. I would advise making contact ASAP to get your name on the list for 2021 openings.

 

Joni

	Joni S. Hawley          Park Manager          Land of the Yankee Fork State Park
	24424 Hwy 75 | Challis, ID 83226          tel (208) 879-5244
	website | map | passport
“Leaders in outdoor recreation since 1965.”

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by gjhunter01

[George the greek]

43 minutes ago, gjhunter01 said:

Try Yankee Forks State Park in Challis, ID. We stayed there 2019 summer at the visitor center as volunteers working in maintenance repairing equipment, mowing, and whatever needed to be done.......

Thanks for the info on Yankee Forks.  Being kinda new at it, I'm not Shure when you should start applying for next summer any advice?

[Kirk W]

10 hours ago, George the greek said:

Being kinda new at it, I'm not Shure when you should start applying for next summer any advice?

I would contact the parks you are interested in now, directly to the park manager or whatever contact is listed on that park's website. That was how we used to do it and I usually started making inquiries in the fall, even though many parks do not take applications until the first of the year because there are also some that do so early. In many states you also apply through the state parks and request the park that you wish to volunteer for, but I would still contact the parks directly. When we spent time with Harriman State Park in ID, we had a really great experience and would highly recommend them, although it has been 10 years ago now. I would start by sending an email asap. ( HAR@idpr.idaho.gov )  Custer Forks SP also looks to be a good one and I suspect that most any ID park would be that way.  ( LAN@idpr.idaho.gov )

Along with contacting the parks directly, you should also visit the main state parks website volunteer page and go through the volunteer application process. In looking through it, I saw Harriman listed but not Custer Forks, but contact the park anyway. 

Edited September 27, 2020 by Kirk W
Added note.

[2gypsies]

We've also gotten volunteer gigs with national and state parks by staying at one where we'd like to explore the area in depth and then just going to the volunteer coordinator and applying in person.  We didn't get a position on the spot but one wanted us for the  upcoming Fall season and another wanted us for the next summer season.  Keep this option in mind as you're traveling and find a good place.  Sometimes it's a plus to be able to talk to you in person.

[2gypsies]

Just saw this for Idaho volunteers for 2021:

TAKING APPLICATIONS NOW

[gjhunter01]

I agree with Kirk, no contract should be needed. We have also volunteered all over the US and these jobs are suppose to be interesting jobs that we do for fun and experience. If you find yourself in a position of doing a job or hours you don't like, then you are enabling the job to control you. Never be afraid to renegotiate your volunteer job to make it fit your desire, usually this will be a win/win improvement for both parties. The old rules of a career job environment do not apply in a volunteer gig, make the job work for you and have fun, or walk away. I feel that a verbal/hand shake agreement is all that is needed for this line of work unless you need/rely on that particular job. We have never left a volunteer early but at the same time the option is always on the table. We have worked at 2 private campgrounds and did quite one after 2 weeks due to schedule conflicts, but did so on good returnable terms, and paid for our site for the remaining season. It's all about good communication with your employer.

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by gjhunter01

[Twotoes]

If you volunteer at a National Park or State Park no contract is necessary but if you volunteer or work camp at a private park I recommend a written contract. I have volunteered at dozens of public parks (NP, COE, BLM, State Parks etc) with no problems but only 3 private camp grounds. I walked away from 2 of them and left the 3rd one after only a month. I will only volunteer at public parks now. 

[Kirk W]

27 minutes ago, Twotoes said:

I will only volunteer at public parks now. 

That has been my choice since we went on the road. 

[NamMedevac 70]

I learned the hard way over 45 years ago beginning with army in Vietnam and continuing all thru civilian life that America is a user and exploitive society except for the wise ones and despite lip service to brotherly love, Blah, Blah.  I became a wise one many moons ago.  Former volunteer UN civilian refugee rescue pilot 1980 South China Sea and 1970 volunteer Army unarmed medevac pilot in Nam plus 64 to 67 hometown emergency ambulance driver. Written contracts are good for the wise ones. Beware of the friendly handshake contract.  Cheers

Edited February 15, 2021 by NamMedevac 70

[Twotoes]

NamMedevac 70 thank you very much for your service, especially on 9 June 1970. 

[NamMedevac 70]

Thanks again for your support Twotoes

 

[bigjim]

Even the public ones can have issues.  They are the only ones I have ever done.  In some I would occasionally catch hell from the public, in some there are employees that are an issue and sometimes other volunteers are a big pain.  Ultimately the ones that appreciate you so out weigh the others that I dread the day I am not able to do it anymore.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, bigjim said:

In some I would occasionally catch hell from the public, in some there are employees that are an issue and sometimes other volunteers are a big pain.

Out of 30+ volunteer positions, only 1 time did I have an experience of that type and it was an agency of the federal government.  

[bigjim]

That depends a lot on what you are doing. In many cases you may be easily identifiable as a volunteer but they are mad about something to do with the process or the agency and you happen to be the 1st person they see or the only one available to vent on from the agency. Most of the time if I handle it right they will end up understanding at least and will appreciate my helping them the best  I can. Some incidents actually end up being fun and entertaining. 

My first year volunteering I was a site host where for the first time ever  there was a $3. fee and people were just not used to it.  Most of the time I was the only one around to bitch to.  A few even blamed me. One guy once threatened to report me to Pete Dominici the former senator. I said I don't blame him as when off duty I did not like the fee either.  I asked him at one point if he would like my mother's phone no. so he could report me to her.  We had two on site protest during that summer season. They mostly fizzled. I ended up playing frisbee with one of them after we had discussed the matter.  I usually defuse things with humor and mostly it it successful.  Once or twice I was actually threatened with bodily harm. Usually alcohol was involved.  One DA pulled out a knife from about 50-60yards away to try and intimidate me. He ended up putting the knife away and walked away laughing. Good thing it worked out that way because it would have been bad for both of us by the time he crossed the 10yard line. Whew, was I happy I was extra funny that day.

One park I worked in the beltway shooters around DC had camped in but nothing happened in the park. Also I had one person dumped there that had some kind of mental issue.  Depending where you are there can be dangerous situations that come up to be honest.  But in truth a couple of times I got scared most had to do with weather, mostly tornadoes nearby with no  real good place to shelter. But I dodged a bullet in those cases too.

I am not really that funny but can I really throw the BS when necessary.

[NamMedevac 70]

Sneaky host.  Sometime in 98 or 2000 I was tent camping at the Snag lake FS campground in the Plumas NF at a site that was suppose to be no fee with no host.  Early next morning I was awaken by a stranger and told I had a to pay a fee of 3 or 5 dollars.  There was no one else in the small campground and no sign stating a host was there or present.  He said he was host and I refused to pay and ran him off.  I did some searching in the woods and found another small campground some distance away where he was staying as volunteer host.  After checking with ranger station at Greyeagle they confirmed no fee but there was a volunteer unofficial host for the campground who accepted donations.  Very sneaky and under handed.

[bigjim]

Boy that would be sneaky.  The ones I was in it was very obvious and well signed. I also had appropriate attire with an identity badge with my name.  None of them ever minded that I kept toilets clean, emptied the trash can, picked up litter  put out  abandoned campfires and called for help when someone injured themselves. Doing it like the guy you describe is asking for trouble. I was very officially a host. Even as an official I had no authority to make anyone do anything so I pretty much had to get them to cooperate voluntarily.  All except the bear that tried to come in the window one morning. It took a little more to get compliance out of it and since it had no vehicle it did not have to pay. The fee there was just for vehicle parking and it was called at the time a "Fee Demonstration Project" that was extended several times until it was finally renamed and became permanent.

[2gypsies]

We've encountered many campgrounds where one person would take care of multiple campgrounds.

[bigjim]

2 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

We've encountered many campgrounds where one person would take care of multiple campgrounds.

Me too at least at a few but he should have had something clearly identifiable like a vest and hat with patch and a name tag with FS or NP logo. Also I don't quite understand him trying to  collect  on a free site.  I know I never did.

[bigjim]

On 2/15/2021 at 10:18 AM, Kirk W said:

Out of 30+ volunteer positions, only 1 time did I have an experience of that type and it was an agency of the federal government.  

I would say a lot of this was due to the location being extremely high usage and very close to metorpolitan areas. All of mine were either federal or state.  If I was smart enough to post a picture I would let you see one of a brand new heavy gauge metal door on a new never used restroom with holes as big as a 12 gauge slug through it and some large divot in the concrete wall at the back.  The one that was closet to my site was a metal door with 9mm rounds through it. The first time it was a whole clip. The last time it was one round just under the door handle that has not been repaired.  It was about 8 tenths mile from my site. I am at a different site now on the same FS District behind a locked gate.