Kathy and Jim Deaver volunteered at a Utah State Park the summer of 2005. Here is their story.

We spent the summer of 2005 at Willard Bay State Park and South Marina in Willard Bay, Utah just North of Ogden, Utah as VIP (Volunteers in Parks) Campground Hosts.

Kathy worked at the entrance gate collecting fees and giving out information about the park, marina and area. Jim was in charge of mowing, cleaning sites and bathrooms, maintaining the irrigation system and general maintenance around the campground. Sandy (the dog) was in charge of greeting all the campers, fishermen and picnickers and helping Jim ride the golf cart around to pick up trash and check the bathhouses.

We all had a wonderful time working four days a week and exploring the mountains and surroundings of Utah, especially Salt Lake City and the Golden Spike Museum where Jim was picked to be in the re-enactment of the driving of the Golden Spike. Our jobs were fun and rewarding and we met many folks from all over the United States and Europe as we were in between Yellowstone and Yosemite and a lot of the folks traveling the Western States stopped to visit us for a day or two.

We arrived in mid-May and were greeted with 4 inches of beautiful snow to welcome us to the mountains. Later in the summer the fires west of us sent enough smoke to display the most magnificent sunsets but did not come close enough to put us in danger. The people, the weather, the scenery and our co-workers and Rangers together made this our most memorable summer Workamping experience. One we hope to duplicate it again and again.

Photos provided by Jim and Kathy Deaver.