Senior Pass

[Woodbutcher]

Well I just got back from a 17 day trip to Utah, with a group of tear droppers yesterday. This was my first chance to use my new Senior Pass. As I drove up to the fee booth at Arches NP in Utah I had my Pass in hand. The park opened at 7AM and we were there about 7:25 AM. To my surprise there was no one manning the fee booth. Everyone just drove right in. This was not the only booth not manned after the park opened. I only was able to show the pass at 1 of the 4 NP's we went to. You often hear about the financial problems of the National Parks, but then the most obvious way to add to the budget is to have someone there to collect the entry fee.

[Woodpecker]

As a former Camp Host I can only agree.
I had planned to retire as a Camp Host but most of the positions have been replaced by what is known as an "Iron Ranger"
That's a pole with a hole for your money and a sign with envelopes to put your money in.
Once a week (If you're lucky) a "runner" cleans the bathrooms and takes the money out of the Iron Ranger.
Only the most popular campgrounds have a full time host anymore. You also must have a 10 year old or newer RV to get the job.
My last year as a host I was warned that my Little Gypsy Vardo was not really considered an RV, even though it was brand new, and if I didn't upgrade I couldn't come back.
3 years ago California Land management, who I was working for at the time, lost 28 of the 34 campgrounds it managed in the Tahoe National Forest.
The host positions were eliminated and replaced with 1 runner that worked 2 days a week. No need to upgrade my RV anymore because my position was eliminated.
I loved that job. I went back to visit my old campground last year. It was a mess. And they raised the fee as well. $24 a night to park in the woods with no running water on site and you didn't dare walk in that bathroom.
It's just not important to the Government unless it makes them a lot of money and none of them camp so they just don't care.
Just another aspect of the times we live in.

[S. Heisley]

There are a few days each year when everyone can get into the parks for free. I'm not certain; but, Fathers' Day may be one of them.

[Woodbutcher]

I just found it wrong that they could not open the booth on time, and collect the fees. It would be like opening the store and then no one is at the cash register. No wonder we have Park problems. One other thing that we could not figure out. They would come to clean the toilets at the middle of the morning. Just when everyone is ready to give back their morning coffee. Besides not having enough facilities they would close off one side and send everyone the the other side. Since they were single hole toilets it took up to a half hour to get through the line. This is while you stood in the hot sun in 90 degree weather. Arches NP was closed from 7 PM to 7AM every night for road repair. You had to stay out. Maybe clean the toilets at 6AM before the rush comes in. I really enjoyed the beauty of the Parks in Utah. These were just a couple things that bothered me.

[pohukai]

Efficiency and logical are two words that can't be applied to the government run organizations. The crazy thing is applying one or both of those words could really stretch those thin dollars.

Here in CA, it amazes me that:
1) CalTrans sweeps the freeways during rush hour traffic making the grid lock even worse. Is the cost for doing this at night that much more than during rush hour?
2) CA needs to raise the gas tax and vehicle registration fees because the state issued lots of incentives to go electric. Now, the state has even less money for the road repairs. Did nobody in the government see this coming?

Oh well, Woodbutcher, I'll see you in the voting lines and enjoyed your logical thinking.

[robfisher]

The daytime vrs nightime sweeping is two fold. According to CalTran one reason is the safety issue. The other is cost.

[dmb90260]

My Senior pass was ordered early March, just got confirmation it is on the way. As noted, it may take a while.

[Woodpecker]

Cleaning the bathrooms is now a route. I'd start at 8 am and do 23 bathrooms on Tuesday and 19 on Wednesday, every week.
The drive was over 150 miles Tuesday, a little longer Wednesdays with more drive between campgrounds, up and down the Tahoe NF and CA mountains. I loved that part!
Some places only got to 1 day a week because they were so out of the way or unused. Lots of 1 lane and unmarked Forest service roads.
One was a 30 minute drive up a class 5 forestry road at under 20 mph. Even a small stream crossing. It was a popular road for hobbyist 4-wheelers.
You do it just like any other route, mapped out and one after the other so the timing is pretty much set by that.
I did love that commute. A high traffic day was when I was slowed by a family of deer. The scenery was amazing!