🌲Parkies ✌🏼

Hi my name is Katie and I live and work in National Parks.

As you can imagine, when you live and work with the same group of people in the middle of the woods cut off from civilization for several months. Shit goes down.

... and you learn a lot about your fellow Parkies.

Thats the unofficial word for people like us. People who live and work in National Parks. We're roamers, dreamers, adventurers...

When I sit and think about it, we're kind of hard to classify. A bunch of high-key weirdos and low-key outcasts might be a good way to put it. Or maybe it would be better the other way around. I dunno. See what I mean? Hard to classify.

We're all a little lonely and just out there in the middle of nowhere trying to figure it all out. The good part is, we're all doing it together. And the bonds you make with these people? Unlike any other. Its like being in a platonic rom-com. You hopelessly fall in love with so so many people. (Platonically, - but also in some cases romantically but don't hold your breath for that just sayin).

And the STORIES these people tell? Oh. My. God. I have heard the craziest shit man let me tell ya. I've also done the craziest shit with these people and I really wanna write it all down. This shit has GOT to be remembered ya feel me.

Lets start off with the one and only time I saw a bear while in Glacier.

Me and my buddy were planning to hike Highline that day because it was finally open. (It had been closed for a while because of too many bear sightings. Fun fact, a lot of the people who come to the park bring their dogs on the trails even though they are clearly marked (many times) that dogs are not allowed. Why? Because bears freakin love to attack doggos and they get super aggressive with them. So when a bunch of assholes bring their dogs on the trails guess what? A ton of bears show up and NPS (National Park Service) shuts it down so now nobody can hike it. Don't be an asshole please and don't bring your dogs on the trails Jesus.)

Anyway, that was a fun anecdote.

So me and my buddy were on Going-To-The-Sun-Road near avalanche when all of a sudden a little yearling black bear comes sprinting out of the woods and goes directly in front of the car in front of us.

The little thing was sprinting SO fast we didn't even see her until she was already in the middle of the road. The lady in front of us honestly probably didn't even see her either until she was directly in front of her car and they tried to stop but it was to late and the little yearling just got nailed right in the back thigh and went flying head over heels into the ditch.

She did a couple flips and landed on her back with her hands up in the air. She honestly had a very human-looking surprised look on her face and it was kind of funny even considering the circumstances. But she didn't waste any time and she just go right up and sprinted off up the mountain seemingly unharmed.

and that was the one and only time I saw a bear while in Glacier.

Thank yee so much for reading 💖

luv u 😘

- Katie