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| "The Shack" |
When I finished college in 2010, I was determined to make my way to Mammoth. In June 2010, I began searching online for jobs in the Eastern Sierra. I had just finished my teaching credential so I applied for a teaching job in the area but I did not get it. I began looking in the Mammoth Times job section. On a trip to Mammoth with my family, I saw an ad for a front desk position at a lodge in Lee Vining (30 miles north of Mammoth). I called the number and arranged for an interview.
A few weeks later my sister, Kara, and I came back to the Eastern Sierra for my interview. We camped in my car at the Shady Rest campground. We explored the area and then headed to Lee Vining in the afternoon.
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| Camping in the car |
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| Exploring after the interview |
Growing up, our family trips usually included several day trips. We would go to Bodie, Mono Lake, or Yosemite. As a kid, I always liked our day trips because that meant we got to stop for ice cream at Mono Cone in Lee Vining and play at the Mono Lake County Park. Lee Vining sits above Mono Lake, just a half mile north of the Tioga Pass turnoff that takes you to the East entrance to Yosemite, and about 20 miles south of Bodie.
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| Me posing in Bodie |
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| At Mono Lake |
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| Along the June Lake Loop |
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| Minaret Vista |
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| View after hiking to Heart Lake |
Looking back on my perception of Lee Vining as a child, I remember thinking it was baron and desolate, with the redemption being an awesome ice cream place and a green park on the north side of the lake. I never imagined that I would one day want to live and work there.
As Kara and I pulled into town, it was as if I was seeing the town for the first time. Really paying attention to detail and doing my best to picture myself living there. My prospective place of employment is on the south end of town. I pulled into the parking lot and I remember seeing the beautiful gardens throughout the property. I went into the office and told the front desk clerk that I was there for an interview. She called her boss and I went back out and waited in the garden. A little while later the lodge owner and his son came and greeted me. We sat down in the garden and proceeded with the interview. I was told that it may just be a seasonal job for the summer but I decided to worry about that later. By the end, they offered me the job and a place to stay, the "shack". I was to start the second week in July.
I was so excited! My dream was coming true. Even though I was not going to be in Mammoth, I was excited to explore the Lee Vining area.
A couple weeks later, I moved into the "shack" and started the job. When you hear the word "shack" you may think of a tiny, dilapidated, cabin. I used the term in an endearing way. Yes, it was tiny but it was cozy and had a lot of character- plus it was my own little place! After living in college dorms with roommates for five years, I was ready for autonomy. I decorated the walls with maps and photos of the area. In no time, I felt at home there.
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| many posters from the Forest Service decorated my walls |
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| My family visited often |
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| the tiny kitchen |
I began my job and really enjoyed getting to know my co-workers. We had "fiestas" at the shack that included tons of homemade enchiladas, tacos, beans, rice, guacamole, salsa, and margaritas! The shack had a nice enclosed grassy side yard- perfect for eating and hanging out.
My sister, Kara, visited me often and stayed with me at the shack. She enjoys exploring the outdoors and taking photographs as much as I do. She began looking for a job in Mammoth. I actually helped her boyfriend (now husband), Cade, get a job at the lodge I was working at. Needless to say, it was a fun summer that I will never forget.
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| Exploring with Kara |
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| Mono Lake |
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| stopping for a photo on Tioga Pass |
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| Cade on the rope swing at Gull Lake |
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| Hanging out at June Lake Beach |
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| Enjoying a summer evening at the shack |
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| S'more time at the shack |
As summer was winding down, so was Lee Vining. The traffic in town was diminishing, and so was business at the lodge. I was asked to stay year round with two other front desk clerks.
One day, my co-worker mentioned that her husband worked with a nice guy but he lived in Bridgeport (30 miles north of Lee Vining). That comment was placed on the back burner and life continued.
The days began to shorten and the leaves were on the threshold of shifting from green to yellow. The changing seasons filled me with an enchanted eagerness to explore the natural metamorphosis of the landscape.
By now, it was October. Kara and I had heard about a spectacular fall hike off the June Lake Loop to a lake called Parker. When I got off from work one afternoon we decided to go check it out. It had been raining all day. The rain had abated but there were still some low clouds hanging on the mountains. We thought that the weather would make for some great photos so the moisture didn't stop us.
I would venture to say that the hike that afternoon was my favorite ever. I was filled with such enthusiasm and joy by the beauty that surrounded me. The leaves along the trail were like prisms catching the occasional light from the sun in the raindrops that still clung to them. Kara and I must have taken a thousand photos on that hike. When we got to Parker we continued to be enamored by our surroundings. As we drove back to the shack, we couldn't wait to load our photos on the computer to see if we were able to authentically capture nature's sensational display. Here are some photos from that day...
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| The drive to the Parker Lake trail head |
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| Kara posing under a rainbow |
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| prismatic leaves |
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| Along the trail |
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| Parker Lake |
A few days later, I was at work with my co-worker and around noon, her husband and his co-worker stopped by to drop off her lunch. She went out to get it and I remained in the back office. I heard them laughing and joking so I decided to go out and introduce myself. When I came out and said "Hi", the "nice guy" my co-worker had mentioned earlier in the season went and sat down in a chair and barely said a word. I noticed his wide, blue eyes and wondered why all of the sudden his animated personality diminished. After a few awkward moments I headed to the back.
When the guys left, my co-worker brought her lunch back and began to eat. She asked what I thought of the "nice guy" and I told her I thought I had scared him. She disagreed and said that he was just shy. She texted her husband and asked what his co-worker thought of me. Her husband replied that he had thought I was the lodge owner's daughter in-law. Her husband clarified that I was just another desk clerk and he exclaimed, "Oh, well that changes things."
That "nice guy" and I ended up going on our first date about one week later at the Tioga Pass Mobil gas station where a renowned chef, Toomey, had opened a restaurant. I had the lobster taquitos and my date had a burger. By the end of the evening, I knew he was as dorky as I was which was a plus. He walked me to my car and gave me a high five. Not satisfied with that parting gesture, I pulled him in for a hug. We laughed and planned our next date.
Looking back on that year, and the way things fell into place, all of those moments seemed destined to happen. When I took the job at the lodge it was not exactly my goal to live in Lee Vining and I would have preferred a teaching job over being a desk clerk but looking back, things ended up working out in my favor. I will never forget my times at the shack.
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