Home Sweet Home. And taking out my first bus in 2023.

So, I finished up my week of mandatory returning Red Bus driver training. And I wanted to squeeze in a couple of days of hiking on the East Side of Glacier Park. But this would also be a good time to check into my cabin for the summer. Now that is a full dance card.

I learned a lot from last year. You should pick out your roommate early if you have the opportunity, and pick your cabin. Being blindly assigned to either of those can really really sucks. And three months can be a very long time for things to suck

As you can see from the map below. Beargrass is not a very large property. Maybe two dozen cabins that can hold anywhere from 2 to 6 people each. All have bathrooms, and have been built with a little privacy in mind (this was once a family-owned private RV/Camping operation). Most are deep within a fairly young growth of shady aspens.

This year I’m in cabin number four. Bunking it again with an old friend from last year: Captain Kirk. Interestingly enough, this particular cabin was supposed to be the one I was assigned to last summer. So I guess I had to come back for another season to see what I was missing. Don’t worry, not terribly much.

Although kind of close to neighboring cabins, from the angle of the build it does feel somewhat secluded. I would find out by the next morning that all of the birds start to chirp at about 4 AM. But way better than being cramped in with 7 other grown men and sharing a bathroom designed after Cell Block B in Alcatraz.

From the nice little covered front deck, you’re staring straight into Glacier Park. Every morning waking up looking at the peaks of the St. Mary Valley. I love that view.

Inside is pretty much what you would expect for an 18 by 18 box. A couple of beds, an old beat-up sofa, a heater, and a window AC unit. Small micro-fridge. And windows that have not been cleaned in years.

The beds are normally stacked as bunks and situated in the rear alcove. Most opt to split them if you have the room to do so. Very few grown people over twenty-five want to climb up to sleep five feet above a hard floor every night. Unless you spend a 20+ year career at sea with the US Coast Guard (yep, we have one this year). Lucky for that first-year driver, he is actually kind of used to being stacked like firewood.

I think I can get used to spending some time out on the front porch. It is so quiet and peaceful out there. And just a short walk to the common kitchen and the wash area where we clean the red buses. Other than sleeping, the only two other things that really matter this summer.

I can see myself getting up early and having my first cup of coffee out here. Read a few pages from a good book and just ease into the day.

Every cabin comes with the obligatory resin Adirondack chairs. Creates the ambiance of the typical seasonal low-end resort that thinks it is better than it is. If Xanterra would run this like a regular campground, they could easily rent these things for 400 a night in the summertime. But then they would have nowhere to house employees.

I’m surprised they haven’t thought of just popping up a bunch of canvas wall tents. Turn it into some kind of summer internment camp for retirees that want to work hard but don’t need the money and are more concerned about location. Just my two cents. There does seem to be an untapped market out there.

I did bring along a hammock this year. I going to like hanging it up here quite a bit. Very comfortable. A good way to relax in the evening before turning in. Maybe I can even get old Captain Kirk to read me a few bedtime stories. “Sinopah Was a Man” is one of his favorites.

There’s a new change to the common kitchen area. A ping pong table. Brand spanking new. I looked it up on Amazon. Not quite sure if that is eight hundred dollars spent well or not.

The main problem I see is that they had to throw 2 of the dining tables outside In the grass area to make room. Interesting. I hope the 68-plus presidents of Beargrass choose not to all eat at the same time. This ping pong table is starting to feel like a solution to a problem that didn’t exist.

As I wrapped up my week of training, I was able to assist in getting one of the red buses back to Lake McDonald for the touring season. Felt really nice to get in the back of the wheel after all of those months back in the ‘real’ world.

It made me contemplate what the best part about being a returning driver really is Sure, it’s fun being able to drive in an expensive, vintage, super cool-looking old bus. But the best part is ….. letting the new drivers learn how to fold up the top!

Kind of fun to just step back and give some instructions. While enjoying a beautiful sunny day in May along the Montana Rockies.

Looking forward to the second year as a Jammer. It’s more than just knowing what you don’t need to care about. It is having that very deep understanding that can only come with experience about what is truly worth worrying over.

And apparently putting down the top is not one of them for me! Looking forward to a great 2023 season.