Kicked Out on Fathers Day - Sunday, June 15

This morning we met a campground volunteer that either (1) got off to a bad start today, (2) is grumpy continually (3) took an instant dislike to us or (4) hates his volunteer position. It is only June and this guy has some serious lack of patience issues. Wait until August rolls around. He will need a straight jacket.

We had spent the night in the backpackers camp area. It is a walk-in camp for people that hold a wilderness permit, intended to give them a place to stay the night before they go out and the night they come back, a staging campsite if you will. Since we had just got in the day before we thought we had one night, and since we were going out the next day we thought we were entitled to another night. Two nights, just like all permit holders.

We had woke up and were sitting at our picnic table watching everyone else leave. By 9 the place was empty. I was massaging my foot with the tennis ball on our picnic table when Sally alerted me that the bear of last night had returned. He was about 30' away, eyeing our bear cabinet which was 10' away. We had it open. I took a picture of him, then closed our locker and he shuffled off to sniff the rest of the lockers. As we watched him go a volunteer ranger with the Yosemite Conservancy entered our field of vision. He was also checking the bear lockers, and checking out the backpackers area. He approached us. The details of the conversation that ensued are a little sketchy in my memory. When things go unexpectedly and we are startled, our memories forget to record the events, as if our brain is so busy trying to readjust expectation it forgets to record the events.

We started with pleasantries but he did not reciprocate. He was on the job and on a mission. When we mentioned we had stayed in the campsite last night and would stay again tonight he became indignant and stern. "You have to leave! You can only be here one night!" Sally presented the fact that I was injured and we were hoping for a second night to allow my foot to heal without having to move. "He is injured? Should I call and ambulance?! A ranger?! No, you have to leave." His ambulance comment was in the most sarcastic tone imaginable. 'Sarcasm, the refuge of losers', crossed my mind.

Sally tried to talk to him in a civil tone but he would have none of it. He interrupted her, was cross and rude. When he finally prepared to go we both thought we detected a hint of remorse from him for his harsh nature. He suggested we try the wilderness office to get permission to stay or head to Camp 4. He told us we might have to drive out of the park. When we repeated for the third time we did not have a car he again looked puzzled, as if he had not heard us the first two times. I don't think he had. In fact, I don't think he heard a word we said based on his responses to us.

Stunned, we looked at each other. We had not been treated this rudely since we started our trip 70 days earlier. It was as if we were misbehaving junior high kids encountering an unhappy 40 year veteran teacher that hated kids and was counting down her days to retirement or death.

We contemplated our options, then decided to try camping at Camp 4, the no reservations walk-in camp area at the far end of the valley. We left all our gear and walked the 1/2 mile to the bus stop. On the way we stopped to talk to the ranger in the campsite entrance, Michelle. She was warm hearted and although clearly mystified at our treatment did her duty and said nothing negative about the volunteer. She took our name and said she would see what she could do.

We stopped at the Wilderness office and talked to the rangers. They too, were surprised and said if there was nothing available at Camp 4 they would write us a note to get us by the campground Nazi (they did not use this term but we thought it a fitting description although we did not verbalize it).

Camp 4 had room. We took a site then rode the bus back, walked to get our gear, rode the bus back and walked to our new site and set up. This process took 4 hours. It was now 2 in the afternoon.

We stopped by the ranger office so Sally could say hi to old friends and bosses. Everyone was delighted to see her. We had brought a banana bread from the bakery for the lunchroom table and Sally had bought a book for her x-boss's son who was born just shortly after Sally left and was now approaching two years old. They all asked when she would return to work with them, including her boss. She demurred, and said in a couple of years.

We went to the pool for a swim at closing time, then sat in the lodge lobby charging phones and making phone calls. About 10 we wandered back to the campsite and bed.

I know I should not have let the grump from the morning get to me, but he tweaked my day, leaving me feeling ill at ease for hours, as if I was some misfit with evil intentions. It is amazing the effect a person with a negative outlook, placed in a position of authority, can have on those around them. After the constant kindness we have been shown this one act rattled us both. It makes me want to redouble our efforts to pass the kindness we have received forward. To make each person we meet feel welcome, accepted and cherished. Random acts of kindness go a long way.