No television, no cell phones, no radio, and no newspapers. At our campsite—the only campground in the park run by a concessioner—we were over 100 desolate miles from a shopping mall or medical services. We opted for full hookups—and a limited Internet link to the outside world. At our nation's most lightly visited national park, we sought Workampers who had discovered this remote 800,000 acres separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande River. Soon, we understood why a desert landscape studded with rugged mountains and bordered for 118 miles by a ribbon of river had mesmerized so many.

Big Bend, once the hunting ground of Native Indians and home to both Americans and Mexicans who irrigated the desert floodplain to cultivate crops of vegetables and cotton, has provided diverse resources for thousands of years. In three environments, river, desert, and mountains, more than 1,200 species of plants and numerous mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and insects thrive in the disparate plant habitats. Yet, the national park's history is written in its rocks—great mountains with warm colors and surprising shapes lifted from the Chihuahuan desert floor millions of years ago
A range of mountains known as the Chicos form the most striking geologic feature of the park. Driving or hiking from a dry desert into mountains that gradually ascend to 7,800 feet elevation, we observed varying species of trees shading trails such as the Chicos Basin Loop and the Lost Mine Trail. Chicos Lodge, operated by Forever Resorts, sits atop a mount with a view through "The Window," a natural slot in the canyon wall that drains the Chicos Basin.

Workampers in Big Bend have opportunities to tramp the trails and seek out the park's treasures. Some hikes, such as the Hot Springs Historic Walk, are short and relatively easy to traverse. Others, including the South Rim, Emory Peak, and Laguna Meadow Trail, are strenuous day hikes.

Nighttime falls quickly over Big Bend with a darkness most never experience due to city, highway, and street lighting. Millions—maybe billions—of stars twinkle like diamonds set in a black velvet roof. A coyote's yelp in the distance represents the isolation and remoteness of this national park. We encountered no other vehicles after dark on the winding stretch of black asphalt connecting the Chisos Basin Amphitheatre with our Rio Grande campground and the comforts of our motorhome. We saw minimal traffic during the daytime hours.

Lee and I spent four days exploring Big Bend country, although we left many stones unturned. We hiked and stopped to drink in the expansive vistas set before us—the majestic mountains, the desert floor, and the meandering Rio Grande River. We ate peanut butter-jelly sandwiches at the base of a red-faced mountain with spires dotting its surface. One afternoon, we tracked a roadrunner with our camera lens—and another day; we shot photos of a dozen javelinas crossing the highway. We soaked up information provided by park rangers in either the Rio Grande or the Chicos Basin Amphitheatres. And we fell asleep, lulled by the rustle of cottonwood trees surrounding our campground.

In Big Bend, one needs a clock only to get to the interpretive programs at the correct time—or to a Workamping job. For other hours of the day, time stands still—or drifts backward hundreds of years in one's imagination.

A PAYCHECK IN BIG BEND
With a college degree from Penn State to her credit, Robyn Rhodes sought adventure in Yellowstone National Park before entering the world's "real" workforce. A moment—walking under Yellowstone's nighttime sky to the dorm with eight co-workers, each from a different country—defined the direction of her adult life. "Working for concessioner Xanterra with people from around the world gave me courage to step into an environment totally different from my home state."

Robyn met Dwayne in Florida's Everglades. "I had worked for Sony Technologies for nine years," he says. "After 9/11, the field declined, and I wanted to change pace. Robyn and I agreed that we wanted low-key jobs with the flexibility for adventure."

On their first trip out west together, they stopped.

VOLUNTEERS IN BIG BEND
Before Steve Smith transferred in his federal job to Fairbanks, Alaska, Toka Smith had owned a travel agency in West Plains, Missouri. "We received tourism-type information about Big Bend," she says. "When Steve retired and we got our little RV, we decided to visit. The mountain, rivers, and streams in a desert environment were very different from our expectations for Texas. I guess we thought we'd see John Wayne riding up from a canyon!"

When the Smiths decided to volunteer, they checked online and found positions in Big Bend. "We applied and were accepted—and that's our story," Toka says.

Steve and Toka have volunteered for three winters at Big Bend National Park. We met them at the visitor center in the village of Castolon where they spent three days a week, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Like all other volunteers in the park, on the fourth day, they did a special project. "We often walked the trails and picked up trash," Toka says. "Our uniforms designated us as an official presence in Big Bend."

With tongue in cheek, Toka describes their duties at the visitor center. "You see how busy we are!" she says. "Basically, we point out the exhibits and tell visitors something about the history of the area. We answer questions. In this part of the park, there are numerous backcountry places to hike, and we issue permits."

"We handle sales for a small book store," she continues. "If someone does not have a permit to enter the park, we issue those, as well as annual passes. Beyond that, we sit around and enjoy the company."

Steve adds: "The river rangers have to get in the Rio Grande at Lajatis and float a certain number of miles. Some days, we shuttle vehicles for them."

Although most volunteer Workampers live in their RVs at designated sites, Steve and Toka resided for the 2010-2011 season in a small duplex in the Castolon area's park housing. Volunteers, who do back country patrols, live in the other side. "We're a small community of rangers and volunteers, four houses and two duplexes," Toka explains.

"The desert lies in front of our door and the Santa Elena Canyon is ahead," Steve adds. "For ten or fifteen miles, we see things that a human being never touched."

Shopping is a problem for volunteers, most drive the 120 miles to Alpine once a month. "But someone usually goes every week, so we do community grocery shopping," Steve says. "The Schwan man is popular. His truck delivers ice cream and frozen vegetables to this remote place."

The Smiths say the two-week orientation period for all new volunteers is a highlight of the experience. "We met all the rangers and went on numerous field trips, including a 13-mile hike," Steve says. "The research staff explains the geological and botanical aspects of the park. The grand finale is an overnight river trip—a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Some volunteers return year after year, but Steve notes that the orientation is offered only once. "Some folks try to go a second time," he adds with a laugh.

THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Volunteer coordinator, Natasha Moore, notes that Big Bend has limited turnover among its 245 volunteers. Many fill out applications at a visitor center or online and wait up to two years for an opening. Yet, Workampers Richard and Reta Averill once drove into the park and discovered an immediate opening for park hosts.

Moore says volunteers arrive from all parts of the country and from diverse backgrounds. "They staff the visitor centers, host campgrounds, maintain grounds and facilities, perform scientific monitoring, and patrol the back country," she says. "We ask for a three-month commitment, one rotation from November through January, and the second one running from February through April. Some of the remote visitor centers do not remain open during the summer months.

"The volunteer program provides a valuable partnership to Big Bend National Park," she continues, noting that the fiscal year of 2009 reported that volunteers contributed approximately 45,000 hours of labor to keep the park maintained and accessible to visitors.

Moore comments that Big Bend has limited housing for volunteers. Most live in their RVs. Volunteers receive uniform shirts, jackets, and hats, and a monetary allowance to purchase the required dark brown pants.

For information on volunteering, contact Moore at [email protected] or check for available openings at www.nps.gov/volunteers. On the application, one can mark areas of expertise and interest.

Flagg Ranch nestled between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

On a whim, the couple left their resumes and filled out job applications at the resort.  "We were hired, Robyn for the front desk and me as grocery store manager," Dwayne says. "The following year, the president of the company asked us to manage the resort. We were upfront, saying that we had no experience in running a resort and managing employees. They walked us through it. The company provided our house with a two-car garage and paid all our living expenses. We made good money and had nowhere to spend it."

By the time the resort went up for sale, the Rhodes had formed a plan. For ten years, they had been on the employer's side of Workamping. Now, they wanted to be full-time RVers and Workampers. They had saved money to order their custom fifth-wheel, suited to their young adult tastes.

"The only downside," Dwayne says, "...we're often told that we're over-qualified. Employers look at our resumes and think we want management positions. Honestly, we do not. We loved our two seasons in Big Bend National Park, working for Forever Resorts in the Rio Grande Store and RV Park. We worked five days, 40 hours a week. On days off, we played in the park."

The Rhodes lived in an employee's compound, a bicycle ride from their workplace. Sierra del Carmen Mountains in Mexico formed a backdrop of changing color throughout mild winter days.

"When we left in mid-April 2010, cacti were in bloom," Dwayne says. "We walked around the desert for hours, not believe cacti we had walked past in January, suddenly bloomed gloriously. Big Bend is quiet and peaceful with a different kind of beauty."

Robyn and Dwayne discover that every place has its own beauty. They travel from winter to summer jobs, in 2010 to Blair Hotels in Cody, Wyoming, and in 2011 to the Catskills of New York.
"We have little tests in this lifestyle," Robyn adds. "We blew our first tire traveling to Big Bend. Then we got in a horrible storm. Powerful wind gusts rolled over a tractor trailer rig in front of us. A huge rock cracked our windshield.

"That was the day, I said, 'I don't know if I can do this!'" But we calm each other. Once we got through that rough patch, we said, "'Let's do it and enjoy it!' We're confident this is the perfect life for us while we are young and healthy."

Forever Resorts, a concessioner headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, owns and operates more than 65 vacation and entertainment properties located in or near national parks, recreation areas, and national forests across the United States. The company offers competitive compensation and quality working environments in both seasonal and year-round employment.

Applications are available to download at www.foreverresorts.com/employment