{"id":23074,"date":"2017-12-20T10:05:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T18:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=23074"},"modified":"2017-12-20T10:26:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-20T18:26:00","slug":"keepers-of-the-outdoors-a-backcountry-ranger-shares-her-passion-for-wilderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/keepers-of-the-outdoors-a-backcountry-ranger-shares-her-passion-for-wilderness","title":{"rendered":"A Backcountry Ranger Shares Her Passion for Wilderness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Through our Keepers of the Outdoors series<\/a>, we’ll introduce you to people who protect and care for our wild places.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m fascinated by how we define wilderness,\u201d says Emily Noyd, backcountry ranger<\/a> in Yosemite National Park. \u201cThe concept of wilderness is so intangible, and it\u2019s fascinating to me that to effectively govern that land we\u2019ve had to develop rules to define it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the concept of wilderness can hold a different meaning to each visitor\u2014granite cliffs, untamed wildlife, breathtaking waterfalls, uninhabited valleys\u2014the Wilderness Act of 1964<\/a> defines the official land designation. \u201cA wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Management of congressionally designated wilderness areas is spread across four federal agencies: the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. \u201cYou can think of wilderness areas as a different layer of management,\u201d Emily says. \u201cI always suggest that people check out the great interactive maps online<\/a>. In Yosemite National Park, for example, 94 percent of the park\u2019s land is wilderness. That wilderness is where I work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Traversing

Traversing one of only two remaining glaciers in Yosemite National Park, Lyell Glacier, en route to the tallest peak in the park boundary: Mount Lyell at 13,120 feet. (Photo Credit: Jen Skubicki)<\/p><\/div>\n

Emily, 25, enjoyed studying the natural world in high school, but she first discovered her interest in working outdoors when she completed the George Melendez Wright Climate Change Fellowship Program<\/a> in Sitka, Alaska, during a summer break from her degree in environmental studies at the University of Washington Program on the Environment. \u201cI found that I was very passionate about the park service, so I just kept building on those skills. I started as an interpretive ranger\u2014you know, with the classic flat-topped hat\u2014in the North Cascades National Park, but I found that I was more passionate about interacting with people who are going into the backcountry. That user group resonates with me, because they share my sense of curiosity and reverence. I love sharing my enthusiasm and insider tips with those visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her first season as a backcountry ranger was in the North Cascades in 2015, and she moved south to Yosemite for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Since starting work as a backcountry ranger, she\u2019s also become a Wilderness EMT, a Leave No Trace<\/a> trainer, and has done extensive search and rescue technical rope training. In the off-season, she works as a ski patroller at Mount Bachelor, which requires that she maintain an Outdoor Emergency Care certification, too.<\/p>\n

\"Emily

Emily says she was “sweaty, dirty and happy” on her first wilderness patrol in Yosemite National Park, June 2016. (Photo Credit: Brian Turner)<\/p><\/div>\n

Her work as a ranger is full time between May and October, and her shifts are usually nine days per two-week pay period. They\u2019re broken down into three chunks: three days in the office, three days in the field and three days back in the office.<\/p>\n

In the office, her main job is to help with trip planning and permit issuing. \u201cI talk to a lot of visitors who are going to go use the backcountry in Yosemite and want to plan a backpacking or climbing trip. Some people are really prepared; for them I print permits, go over Leave No Trace protocols, and send them out to enjoy the park. Other groups have less experience, and with them I\u2019m really involved in every part of the trip planning process. I ask crucial questions, like: How far do you want to go? What gear do you have? What temperature is your sleeping bag rated to? What kind of experience do you want to have here? And then I get to help people craft experiences that make their dreams come true. It takes patience, but it\u2019s so rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really special to be part of something that\u2019s bigger than myself. That\u2019s why I go outside.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When she\u2019s in the field, she\u2019s patrolling the more than 750 miles of trails in the Yosemite Wilderness. It\u2019s a heavily traveled area: In addition to Yosemite\u2019s plentiful visitors, there are also thru-hikers on both the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and John Muir Trail (JMT). Emily checks permits, maintains trails, answers questions, responds to emergencies and ensures campers are following proper bear protocol. \u201cI\u2019m constantly making noise while I hike,\u201d she says, \u201cso I don\u2019t bump into many animals myself. But the bears in Yosemite are amazing\u2014this summer, a black bear climbed a full pitch of 5.8 rock to reach a food cache. They\u2019re so crafty and strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emerging

Emerging from Lyell Canyon as the sun sinks low in the sky, Yosemite National Park, September 2017. (Photo Credit: Jen Skubicki)<\/p><\/div>\n

There are challenges to the job, of course. \u201cWe have a door counter, and in the busiest months we get up to 900 people visiting every day. Answering the same questions can get repetitive. But people are so grateful\u2014they\u2019re so good-hearted and have genuinely good intentions. So, we work hard to stay fresh, support each other and stay patient with every single visitor.\u201d It\u2019s especially difficult, she says, during the busy season. \u201cParking lots are full at 10am. When families have driven for four hours to Yosemite from the Bay Area, it\u2019s hard to turn them away.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the rare moments during the summer months when Emily isn\u2019t working, she\u2019s recovering hard. \u201cThere\u2019s no cell service, and it\u2019s revolutionary\u2014if you make plans, you actually have to show up. We have lots of bonfires and hot tub time. After a backcountry patrol, I crave fresh fruit and good beer. And the community! My peers in Yosemite are the reason I\u2019m so excited to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite her love for the job, though, Emily doesn\u2019t see herself in her current position forever. \u201cThere\u2019s often an unfortunate truth to working with the National Park Service,\u201d she says. \u201cThe higher up you get in the organization, the less time you actually spend outside.\u201d In the future, she imagines herself delving deeper into her work in search and rescue and\/or emergency response\u2014maybe as a paramedic, or something similar. She dreams about training a search-and-rescue dog.<\/p>\n

\"Emily

\u201cRangers pointing at things, always,\u201d jokes Emily. Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park, September 2017. (Photo Credit: Chris Engebretson)<\/p><\/div>\n

At the end of the day, it\u2019s undeniable: Emily Noyd craves wilderness. \u201cWhat does it mean to have wild places? Why is it important to have them? I think it\u2019s really special to be part of something that\u2019s bigger than myself. That\u2019s why I go outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says it\u2019s magical to work in a place that\u2019s touched the lives of millions. \u201cEverybody has a different experience when they go there, and I\u2019m so drawn to the experience people have when they step off the road and into the wilderness. Even if it\u2019s just a tiny 10 feet off the road, that experience is so wild and raw. And I get to help them reach that goal, and that\u2019s the most magical thing in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Through our Keepers of the Outdoors series, we’ll introduce you to people who protect and care for our wild places. \u201cI\u2019m fascinated by how we define wilderness,\u201d says Emily Noyd, backcountry ranger in Yosemite National Park. \u201cThe concept of wilderness is so intangible, and it\u2019s fascinating to me that to effectively govern that land we\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":23078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[726,1443,649,113,737],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-23074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-force-of-nature","tag-keepers-of-the-outdoors","tag-national-park-service","tag-national-park","tag-yosemite"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/keepers-of-the-outdoors-a-backcountry-ranger-shares-her-passion-for-wilderness","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"A Backcountry Ranger Shares Her Passion for Wilderness","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/keepers-of-the-outdoors-a-backcountry-ranger-shares-her-passion-for-wilderness","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/keepers-of-the-outdoors-a-backcountry-ranger-shares-her-passion-for-wilderness"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Hidden-Lake-North-Cascades-Aug-2015-e1513744770619.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Hidden-Lake-North-Cascades-Aug-2015-e1513744770619.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["force of nature","keepers of the outdoors","national park service","national parks","yosemite"],"dateCreated":"2017-12-20T18:05:06Z","datePublished":"2017-12-20T18:05:06Z","dateModified":"2017-12-20T18:26:00Z"},"rendered":"