Park Rangers

This is my last essay that I wrote for my English class. I got an A, so it must be good, right?

Park Rangers
Chris Andrew
USU Moab


Adj. Prof. David Neal
English 1010
November 9, 2009


I woke up to my cell phone ringing next to my bed. Groggily I answered. It was my friend Brian, a ranger at Canyonlands National Park. “Hey Chris, you still up for coming with me today? Awesome. Don’t forget that form your parents need to sign— you’re not eighteen yet. See you in a bit!” I quickly slipped on my clothes, grabbed my notebook, and ran out the door. Canyonlands National Park is about forty-five minutes away from my hometown, Moab, UT.

As I drove up the curvy road to the Canyonlands Visitor’s Center, I thought about what interested me about the Park Service. Park rangers protect the parks that bring tourism. “We try to protect the park from visitors, visitors from the park, and visitors from visitors. Say there’s a family on vacation from Michigan that’s camping legally, and then in the next campsite there’s a bunch of noisy, drunk motorcyclists that don’t have a permit. We’re obviously going to help out the Michigan family.” (Hays, Brian) Moab is a tourist-driven city, so it’s important that visitors feel safe and are attracted to the national parks around Moab.

After I drove past the Visitors Center, I went to the SAR cache. SAR stands for Search and Rescue, and it’s where I met up with Brian. He was organizing climbing gear for a patrol up Monster Tower—a six hundred foot pillar of slickrock—the next day. After we chatted awhile, I asked him about this climb. Climbers carefully select only the equipment that is necessary for a given climb. One of the most common pieces of equipment is the spring-loaded cam, a device that wedges into cracks, providing protection to the climber in case he loses his grip on the rock and takes a fall. Climbing with a heavy rack of cams dangling from your harness is tough, so it’s important to prepare and bring only what’s needed.

Even though he is on patrol, Brian is still having fun because climbing is one of his favorite pastimes. A ranger from another park was coming to climb Monster Tower with him. “As a Park Ranger, I can satisfy my need for outdoors as well as my need to help others and contribute to our nation and community…. I spend every day hiking, talking to visitors and improving the infrastructure in the backcountry. It's great to have a job where I can both build my resume and do what I love best!” (Hays, Angela)

After setting aside the gear he would not need, Brian showed me around the SAR cache. There were shelves of medical supplies, Search and Rescue gear, firefighting gear, and many other tools. He said that now that it’s winter and the park is less busy, they’re cleaning, organizing, testing, and replacing everything. “Over the summer everything gets used a lot and sometimes isn’t kept in good condition. So right now we’re in the process of going through our inventory.” (Hays, Brian) Another part of the SAR cache is the fire vehicle, a heavy duty pickup truck with firefighting equipment. Canyonlands isn’t big enough to have its own fire fighting department like larger National Parks, but it’s not close enough to a town to rely on theirs. So the rangers at Canyonlands are trained and equipped to handle small wild fires.

After leaving the SAR cache, we checked in at Brian’s office and then hopped into his patrol truck. He gave me a tour of the truck’s equipment. I was impressed by the shotgun and rifle secured to the roof. He also demonstrated the radar and communication systems. We drove to a canyon viewpoint to see if any visitors needed information or assistance. “When visitors come they want to see someone and know that the park is being taken care of. A lot of times just the presence of a Park Ranger gives people satisfaction that the park is in good hands.” (Hays, Brian)
After checking up on the viewpoint, we drove down the Shafer Trail, a popular off-road trail in Canyonlands. At one point the road widened and we could see tire tracks in the shrubs and soil. We hopped out and used rocks and dead branches to define the trail and prevent other “off-roaders” from following the illicit tracks. Sometimes the tires have made such deep ruts in the soft dirt that repair requires the use of a rake and shovel. We don’t want other jeepers to see the tracks and follow them, as if they led to a parking spot or pull-out. This would lead to the destruction of more beautiful wildlife.

As we returned to the main road, Brian pulled off into a pull-out to watch for speeders. He demonstrated his radar: “As the cars come toward us, this screen shows their speed. Sometimes it’s wrong; like maybe it’s reflected by something, or a bird flies by, or the AC’s on too high. So, by law, I have to estimate the car’s speed before I look at the radar.” He demonstrated by turning on the air conditioning full blast, and the radar shot up. “I’m pretty lenient; I give warnings for ten miles per hour over the speed limit, and normally tickets for anything higher.” (Hays, Brian)

While we waited there, I took the opportunity to ask Brian a few questions.
“Why did you want to become a Park Ranger?”
“I grew up around the Grand Canyon, and in my teenage years I volunteered for the Park Service there. The job sounded challenging, especially the search and rescue. It was what I wanted to do.”
“So what did you have to do to become a Park Ranger?”
“To become a protection ranger, I had to have a bachelor’s degree, attend a law enforcement academy, and complete an EMT course. It also helps if you have outdoor skills like hiking, climbing, skiing, and orienteering.”
With my interest piqued, I asked Lofton Wiley, another Ranger at Canyonlands, about getting a job with the Park Service. “One of the easiest ways to get a job with the Park Service is to volunteer. So maybe when you’re eighteen, volunteer on the weekends in the summer. That helps a lot.” (Wiley)

Later I learned that National Parks hire seasonal and permanent rangers. The permanent rangers are almost all certified, which means they have law enforcement training and carry firearms. Brian is working on becoming a permanent ranger at Canyonlands, where he would like to settle down and raise a family. Rangers like him make it possible for parks to stay open and attract tourists.

In fact, the small town of Moab relies on tourism for income. Hotels, restaurants, and tour companies all rely on the seasonal attractions around Moab to bring business. Before it was recognized as a base for adventure, Moab was just a small mining community. But now it has blossomed into a beautiful well-kept city, and the surrounding National Parks like Canyonlands keep it running. With the team of hard-working rangers at Canyonlands, it stays a clean and beautiful place.



Works Cited

Hays, Angela. Internet Interview 9 Nov. 2009
Hays, Brian. Personal Interview 23 Oct. 2009
Wiley, Lofton. Personal Interview 23 Oct. 2009