Winter is coming to an end!
Time is running out for those last minute stragglers as our winter season quickly winds down to its final day. As usual, we will close on Saturday of Expo Weekend (visit West Yellowstone's Chamber of Commerce for more details). With all the activity and crowds in West Yellowstone, Elk Lake Resort is a great place to be. However, as the crowds fade, so does the snow, and so does the interest in snowmobiling. In fact, it will soon be that time of year the locals await with great anticipation. Mud season.
I'm not joking. In fact, I was visiting with some regular guests and full-time Island Park residents the other day, and that is exactly what they said. "We can't wait for the mud season. It is our favorite time of year. The tourists all leave, and we get to enjoy the area without the press of the crowds."
Actually, I can sympathize. As much as I enjoy our guests, we, too, look forward to spending time alone at Elk Lake Resort during the off season. After all, we live here because we love it. However, when our season is at its peak, we get little time to enjoy all the amenities our guests come to experience. But, the off season. Ah, then we get to experience a little bit of heaven ourselves.
Spring is on the way. In fact, although we had about an inch of snow this morning, the south-facing slopes are already getting bare. This afternoon we took a hike up one of those south facing slopes, and although there are patches of snow, and although there are muddy spots around those patches, those south facing slopes are amazingly dry! However, find a shady spot or a north facing slope and you can loose yourself in the drifts!
These days I find myself scanning the hillsides for wildlife. The fox was teasing the dogs last night - sauntering past their kennel without a care in the world. The elk have been making regular appearances just above the lodge. The moose are moving out and away - but are still visible on our snowmobile rides. The eagles are returning, and the local pair of Trumpeters which nest on Shambow Pond are back. All in all, it not only feels like spring is in the air - the animals confirm my suspicions.
The web site continues to consume WAY TOO MUCH of my time. However, I think I'm getting to the 'end'. That is, if there really is an end to all this stuff and nonsense. I'd actually be worried about my sanity (or lack of it) in regards to this whole project if it weren't for two things. 1. I do have obvious goals which I am slowly but surely attaining (the only problem being I keep adding new goals to my list - and to think I wasn't sure if I could make a big enough, interesting enough web site to fit the required amount of content for SEO - ha!). 2. I am quickly approaching that time of year when I'll have mini-bites of time to spend doing anything but the day to day caring for the needs of guests type of jobs. Therefore, if for no other reason, I will be coming to an end - ready or not - all too soon.
In the mean time, I'm enjoying (really I am) the time I have spent. I've learned a lot (not only about web design, but also about all those info-bites which I'm including on our site). I've also been gratified by the increasing visibility we're developing - and the positive comments from friends and prospective guests.
Lady of the Lake