Surprise Rush

Typically work slows down for me after Labor Day. School gets back in session, the weather starts to cool off, the John Muir Trail hikers and the Mt. Whitney climbers starts to peter out, and tourists leave behind a lull that sticks around for awhile until the annual film festival in town. Once those crowds leave, the town goes into its hibernation and waits for spring to bring the tourists back to the neighborhood. I don't mind it too much; after months of scrambling around it's kind of nice to take a little more leisurely pace with activity at the desk.

This year, though, September has managed to be even busier than the last few months. I don't know why that's the case, but it reminds me of how fun and hectic things were when I started working at the hotel. That little spark of accomplishment when I get to hit switch that turns on the "NO VACANCY" after wondering how to sell the last room, the pearls of wisdom old folks impart on me whether I want them to or not, the sweet relief of resting my aching legs after standing, walking up stairs, and trotting around the property all day, it all has decided to get fun and interesting (and occasionally infuriating and irritating) late in the game this year.

On top of a few packed weekends for weddings, photo workshops, tour groups, and film productions, run-of-the-mill tourists catching the heat in Death Valley and the not-on-fire parts of Yosemite are still coming in. It probably won't slow down until the end of October if the weather keeps doing its thing. Even though I look forward to things slowing down, it's kind of nice to keep busy since the more business town gets the better it is for everyone when it finally slows down.

Working in a tourist economy is a sporadic thing. Some years are flooded with hikers, fishermen, and people passing through, soaking in the gorgeous days at the base of the Sierras and seeing what there is to see. Others are spotty: crappy windy or rainy weather, irritable tourists, everything too expensive to afford a stop. Combinations of those factors can elongate a busy season or shorten it, but it's always a crap shoot how financially stable I'll be during the winter. With this surprise rush of business I get the feeling it should be easy to make it through winter easily enough.

So, until the typical fanny-pack-wearing looky-loos thin out and the thru-hikers retreat from the Sierras to the great indoors away from here, I'll enjoy the excitement that comes with keeping busy at work.