Volunteering as a Camp Host
For several years Diana and I would talk and dream about going coastal for an extended period of time after retirement. I finally got around to submitting an application to the California State Parks regional office in Mendocino County, offering to volunteer our services in exchange for their free rent. Well, they called, and I arrived within 48 hours, and this is the story of my experience that took one month of my life, September, 2012. I have attempted to include several photos. Hopefully they are certainly more entertaining than my rambling on and on.
For those of you who don't blog, it's a hassle when you don't do it often, because you forget how to enter the photos and text. I made errors in loading up the following photos. They are out of sequence, so please forgive me. There will be a heading under each photo to explain. It is a little fragmented somewhat, so please forgive me.
ABOVE: As you enter, you get a sense you are going to have a whale of a time here!
ABOVE - Seven young men in their 20's rented a site for one night to have a bachelor's party. They were getting a little loud so I attempted to quiet them down. They expressed their opinion of the park system camp host later in the evening while visiting the restroom. Fortunately, this was the only negative experience I encountered during my month-long duty and it was the maintenance staff that cleaned up the mess.
ABOVE: The view I saw as I left my host camp site
ABOVE: My campsite had full hook-up and plenty of room. I sold $800 worth of firewood during my stay
ABOVE: My little Gator had a tilt bed, making the job a lot easier
ABOVE: An interior view of my campsite. Home away from home.
ABOVE: "Walk-In" sites are private, and you have to haul in all your stuff, but they are secluded.
The government provides a cart to load your stuff in, but it had a flat tire, so I would volunteer my Gator and deliver their items to their site. Sorta like the guy that hauls your bags to your hotel room for you. However, no tip is required!
The government provides a cart to load your stuff in, but it had a flat tire, so I would volunteer my Gator and deliver their items to their site. Sorta like the guy that hauls your bags to your hotel room for you. However, no tip is required!
ABOVE: Entrance to a walk-in site that provides maximum privacy. However, the deeper you go down the trail, the farther away you are from the restrooms. I found myself picking up toilet paper and 'related' matters occasionally but for the most part the campers using these sites were in the habit of keeping their site very clean....cleaner than the normal sites.
ABOVE: One set of bathroom/shower facilities. I did not have to clean them, but checked them in the evening hours to insure adequate toilet paper was stocked.
ABOVE: If you have ever been to MacKerricher State Park, you will recognize this entrance to the day-use and boardwalk area.
Day Use Area
Day Use Area
Day Use Area
ABOVE: Cleone Lake, containing fresh water from a river and sea water that overflows during winter high tides.
CLEONE LAKE
ABOVE: Diana & Mike Sherman ready to take care of campers' needs. Folks were always glad to see us in the evening hours when they needed firewood, or directions, questions answered, or just wanted to talk.
ABOVE: Ever wonder what State Parks does with with ash from your fire pit? Other debris? There is a section concealed from public view where maintenance staff dumps it all.
ABOVE: Fire pit ash is emptied into metal containers and parked in the bone yard for days to allow for adequate cooling before being dumped.
ABOVE: MacKerricher has this ramp system to allow easy access out to the point to watch whales and seals play. The following photos are the views you would see if you take the route, nearly one mile long.
MacKerricher's Main Entrance
ABOVE: My gas station. No credit card required, thanks to the taxpayers of California
ABOVE: The campground has it's own water treatment plant, and the water is stored in wooden holding tanks that give the water a slightly red tint, but it's safe. The redwood adds the color.
All in all, it was an enjoyable month. They want us back in the summer of 2013, and have plans to place us at Westport, which is only 17 miles north of MacKerricher. If you are in the area, stop by and say hi, we would love to have our friends and family come for a visit. I might even be able to comp you a campsite, park of the perks of the job.
