What's your day job?

[A.McPherson]

Diego_B
My typical day is not the average Ranger's typical day, so I'll just write about what my typical day was before I took this job...

Depending on the day and how I was feeling I'd start the day with either hiking a trail or patrolling in my vehicle. I might write a ticket or two depending on traffic or other violations I saw, eat lunch at some point, check some email, go and patrol some more.

Kinda boring. But the atypical days are the ones that are the most fun! On top of being a law enforcement officer, I'm also an EMT, a Structural and Wildland firefighter and a Search and Rescue technician. You can go out on Wildland fire deployments and help out with the big fires out west, like they had this last summer in CA, we get medical calls quite regularly, Search and Rescue missions can be a really good time, especially when you get to go over the edge of a cliff on a rope! Good times!

I'm also a CPR instructor, firearms instructor and a defensive tactics (Cop Kung Fu) instructor, so I get to teach a fair amount as well.

Being a park ranger for the NPS can be a good time, no doubt! It can also be incredibly frustrating, if you don't have the patience to deal with the boundless bureaucracy of the federal government.

Steps to become a Ranger:
1: get a degree. Doesn't really matter in what, but criminal justice or some natural science is helpful. Or join the military or the peace corps for a couple years. This will get you around the degree requirements.
2: find a park that is hiring on USAJOBS.com (search for job series 0025) and apply. Some parks are hiring "direct to FLETC" perminant jobs, most are not. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) provides police training for most federal law enforcement. If you get a perminant job right off, you are one of the lucky few, most rangers get their start as a seasonal ranger.

To be a seasonal ranger there is an additional step, you have to pay for, and attend a Seasonal Law Enforcement Academy at one of several colleges around the country. I think there are 6 at this point. There's one in NC, one in Mt. Vernon WA, one in Rangely CO, one in Santa Rosa CA. There are others including one in the North East that has a complete 2 year degree program included.

Each park hires it's own staff, there's no central hiring. You get hired at a park and that's where you work until you want a change of scenery, or want to get promoted or whatever. Then you apply for another job, compete and get hired and the govt pays for your move!

 

[Cushing H.]

I work at Big Bend National Park, in far SW. Texas. I'm a Law Enforcement officer for Big Bend, but there are lots of jobs that aren't LE related, most of them in fact.

I have friends who are biologists, archeologists, plumbers and electricians that all work for the NPS. if you are seriously considering a career in the U.S. gov't let me know and I'll give you some advice on how to get jobs, qualifications, etc.

We have been to Big Bend. Absolutely beautiful park. We were there in the heat of summer (115 degrees), but hope to visit again when the desert is blooming. And the Dark Skies ... oh my!

 

[A.McPherson]

We have been to Big Bend. Absolutely beautiful park. We were there in the heat of summer (115 degrees), but hope to visit again when the desert is blooming. And the Dark Skies ... oh my!

Just don't come during Spring Break, or the weeks of Christmas or New Years, it's a frickin' zoo!

 

[Tortuga Bladeworks]

I’m the Director of a large ER and trauma center in the Seattle area.

 

[Hengelo_77]

I’m the Director of a large ER and trauma center in the Seattle area.

sounds like you can do your own stitches

 

[Cushing H.]

Just don't come during Spring Break, or the weeks of Christmas or New Years, it's a frickin' zoo!

Huh. I thought big bend was always kind of quiet. Why would the park be some kind of big spring break destination? Its not like Terlingua has a host of beaches or pools, or even ANY party spots....

 

[ErikMB]

I'm stoked for you, Buddy. Glad it works out.

If it were up to me, I'd make knives (duh) and little toy soldiers and teach BJJ, but the likelihood of making enough to support my family doing any combination of that is smaller than that of being a software engineer. Not every aspiring athlete becomes like Michael Jordan.

It can go the other way. I was a mechanical and aerospace engineering major who decided one day I wanted to pursue what I was passionate about in an industry where the average income is about what an average school teacher makes. Because I was passionate about it I became one of the best in the world at what I do and money definitely isn’t an issue. Top MMA coaches and practitioners make plenty of money. You absolutely can do what you love for a living, you just better be good at it.

 

[Tortuga Bladeworks]

sounds like you can do your own stitches

Hah….I can and I have unfortunately.

 

[ErikMB]

Hah….I can and I have unfortunately.

I lived with, swam with, and played water polo with two Air Force PJs in college. They gave us IVs when we were hungover or dehydrated, stitches (required two hands so not on themselves) more than once, and would terrorize the younger guys on our sports teams by chasing after them with "urethra catheters" and something they claimed was an endoscope.

 

[A.McPherson]

Huh. I thought big bend was always kind of quiet. Why would the park be some kind of big spring break destination? Its not like Terlingua has a host of beaches or pools, or even ANY party spots....

It's quiet... Other than those three weeks.
It's not really a big party spot, is a big "bring your family camping" spot. All the campgrounds full up, the hotels sell out, we have to close roads because traffic gets so bad. It's nuts.

 

[Cushing H.]

It's quiet... Other than those three weeks.
It's not really a big party spot, is a big "bring your family camping" spot. All the campgrounds full up, the hotels sell out, we have to close roads because traffic gets so bad. It's nuts.

I'll keep that in mind. My father was there many, many years ago, and wrote that he regretted not being able to climb Emory peak (he was a birder). When we were there in the summer we decided it was .... unwise.... to try the climb unless able to get an early start from the hotel in the basin (we were "camped" in an RV park in Terlinga. Someday I would like to get back there and stay a couple nights in the basin and climb emory (I have always liked climbing - but this one would be in honor of my father). Someday...... (also, there is the desert bloom......). you chose a beautiful place to be!!!!

 

[Diego_B]

Just curious if anyone knows, but the Big Bend area doesn't have any rock climbing that I don't know about does it?

 

[A.McPherson]

Yes, but like all national parks, there are very strict rules about not placing bolts, pitons etc. You can trad climb, but you have to clean as you go.
Plus, the rock isn't that great most places and it's hard to access most places that have good faces to climb.
In my experience climbers are "lazy", in that they want to walk right up to the wall and start climbing. You can't do that here. Most good climbs would take a several mile, off trail hike to get to the base.

 

[Horsewright]

Yes, but like all national parks, there are very strict rules about not placing bolts, pitons etc. You can trad climb, but you have to clean as you go.
Plus, the rock isn't that great most places and it's hard to access most places that have good faces to climb.
In my experience climbers are "lazy", in that they want to walk right up to the wall and start climbing. You can't do that here. Most good climbs would take a several mile, off trail hike to get to the base.

Closest I've ever been to down there was Big Bend Saddlery in Alpine use to be one of our wholesale accounts. We sold them the wildrags (scarves) we use to make:

Our dining room table became the wife's sweatshop:

Sent Big Bend a large box of 40 one day and they called the next day and ordered another 40. I asked what had happened they'd just received 40. They said Tom Selleck came in the first day they had em out on display and bought the entire shelf, they needed more.

 

[Jason Fry]

FWIW, I parlayed this thread into an article coming up in Blade magazine in the next few months about knifemakers with "odd jobs."

 

[A.McPherson]

Closest I've ever been to down there was Big Bend Saddlery in Alpine use to be one of our wholesale accounts. We sold them the wildrags (scarves) we use to make:

Sent Big Bend a large box of 40 one day and they called the next day and ordered another 40. I asked what had happened they'd just received 40. They said Tom Selleck came in the first day they had em out on display and bought the entire shelf, they needed more.

I've looked at that place a bunch of times, but never went in. I'm not much of a cowboy, I don't ride, I don't ranch, but I do like leatherwork... I may have to check it out sometime!

 

[Diego_B]

Yes, but like all national parks, there are very strict rules about not placing bolts, pitons etc. You can trad climb, but you have to clean as you go.
Plus, the rock isn't that great most places and it's hard to access most places that have good faces to climb.
In my experience climbers are "lazy", in that they want to walk right up to the wall and start climbing. You can't do that here. Most good climbs would take a several mile, off trail hike to get to the base.

I did find this information here. It was also written by a Park Ranger I think.

A Climber's Guide to Big Bend National Park.pdf

drive.google.com

To bad the rock isn't very stable. I wouldn't mind the long approach since the hike to the destination is also something I enjoy. Nevertheless I would still enjoy it and I'll probably find myself there one day. The biggest problem to me is the trad style, since I'm not a trad dad but a sport dork . I enjoy sport climbing at my limit when my fingers can afford it.

Here's some pictures from my recent trip out to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Jasper, AR. For a lot of my friends it was their first time outdoor climbing so I was showing them the ropes also while finding some projects for myself to train for the year till next trip.


Me crimping down on Venus Buttery 5.13a. It was about 30 degrees outside here in this picture. We would add handwarmers to our chalk bags so our hands wouldn't go numb when touching the ice cold sandstone.



A classic at the ranch. Horseshoes and Handgrenades 5.11a


My brother warming up on one of the best routes at the ranch Green Goblin 5.8


This was at the top of cliffs of insanity on the east side of the ranch. From this view you can see the center of the ranch where they have their cabins and main lodge.

My typical day is not the average Ranger's typical day, so I'll just write about what my typical day was before I took this job...

Depending on the day and how I was feeling I'd start the day with either hiking a trail or patrolling in my vehicle. I might write a ticket or two depending on traffic or other violations I saw, eat lunch at some point, check some email, go and patrol some more.

Kinda boring. But the atypical days are the ones that are the most fun! On top of being a law enforcement officer, I'm also an EMT, a Structural and Wildland firefighter and a Search and Rescue technician. You can go out on Wildland fire deployments and help out with the big fires out west, like they had this last summer in CA, we get medical calls quite regularly, Search and Rescue missions can be a really good time, especially when you get to go over the edge of a cliff on a rope! Good times!

I'm also a CPR instructor, firearms instructor and a defensive tactics (Cop Kung Fu) instructor, so I get to teach a fair amount as well.

Being a park ranger for the NPS can be a good time, no doubt! It can also be incredibly frustrating, if you don't have the patience to deal with the boundless bureaucracy of the federal government.

Steps to become a Ranger:
1: get a degree. Doesn't really matter in what, but criminal justice or some natural science is helpful. Or join the military or the peace corps for a couple years. This will get you around the degree requirements.
2: find a park that is hiring on USAJOBS.com (search for job series 0025) and apply. Some parks are hiring "direct to FLETC" perminant jobs, most are not. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) provides police training for most federal law enforcement. If you get a perminant job right off, you are one of the lucky few, most rangers get their start as a seasonal ranger.

To be a seasonal ranger there is an additional step, you have to pay for, and attend a Seasonal Law Enforcement Academy at one of several colleges around the country. I think there are 6 at this point. There's one in NC, one in Mt. Vernon WA, one in Rangely CO, one in Santa Rosa CA. There are others including one in the North East that has a complete 2 year degree program included.

Each park hires it's own staff, there's no central hiring. You get hired at a park and that's where you work until you want a change of scenery, or want to get promoted or whatever. Then you apply for another job, compete and get hired and the govt pays for your move!

I'm definitely going to look more into it but so far It's caught my attention. I don't think that's its boring although some may do, I just find that if you had a job where you would like to vacation or take a trip to that can make it worthwhile. Hopefully I get a chance to talk with more people like you while I continue to try and figure myself out . Thank you a lot for your feedback.

 

[Horsewright]

I've looked at that place a bunch of times, but never went in. I'm not much of a cowboy, I don't ride, I don't ranch, but I do like leatherwork... I may have to check it out sometime!

We've bought a few things from them in the past. A medicine bag and a couple of bedrolls. Don't know about their store but they have a huge online selection.

 

[deovolens]

MBA

 

[C_Claycomb]

Mechanical Engineer working as a designer of electric motors and generators for aircraft. Before the pandemic I was a senior mechanical designer on the team of five designing the 1MW electric motor for UTC's UTAP project 804. That was definitely an interesting project, which sadly took a big hit when Covid19 came along. For reference, 1MW is about 1340 horsepower, and we were packing it into something about the size of a 20lb propane tank (sorry, couldn't find an accurate beer keg comparison )

Now working for Safran on their EngineUS 100kW propulsion motor.

I am biased, but I reckon mechanical engineering is a good route to take in college, if you can handle the maths and are interested in how things work. Lots of job options. The pay in the US is much higher than in the UK, but it is still pretty good, but lots of people with engineering degrees go into other fields. The financial sector likes employing engineers.

Some posts back someone mentioned choosing a path where your work couldn't be done by a computer. This is getting harder, but it is worth thinking about. This video was made seven years ago, but it raises interesting issues.

People have often asked me whether I would try making a living from making things that I have done as hobbies. While it is always there as a vague temptation, I have seen a lot of people I know ruin hobbies they loved by making them jobs, or getting themselves on a treadmill that they cannot easily get off.