Stories
Winterkeeping in Yellowstone
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Winterkeepers have wintered over in Yellowstone since the park was created in 1872. They lived in splendid isolation in the interior of the park as caretakers of the tourist facilities closed for the winter. Their job is to keep the roofs of the cabins and lodges cleared of the 250 inch average snowfall that would crush buildings if the snow were not removed.
The Canyon Winterkeepers House where I have lived since 1973 was built in 1910.
The house overlooks the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and sits just to the right above the famous water falls.
On cool mornings the plume of mist that rises from the falls sometimes shrouds the house and spots the glass of it's front windows with droplets of water.
The roar of the falls is audible through my bedroom window, which I deep open all year round. During the peak river flow in the spring the house rhythmically quivers with the impact of water going over the falls.
The Canyon winterkeeper's house in 1930 looked much the same as it does today.
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