My Review of Living and Working at Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park

I know that I have not posted here for a while, but that doesn't mean that it's not on my mind. Lately, I have been thinking back to my life at Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park. For those who don't know, Kalaloch Lodge is a small and somewhat dated resort on the Washington coast. It is located near Forks and Queets, both of which are small towns. The major pull of Kalaloch Lodge is the park and coastline that surrounds it. Without these factors, it would not really stand out at all. But that's how businesses are formed. By taking advantage of some kind of resource and capitalizing on that.

I had a pretty good time at the Lodge. Even though that part of my life is over, I feel compelled to write about it. In the last few years, it was a key part of my life, and because of that, I feel that it deserves to be mentioned. I started out as a prep cook and ended my time as a server, and I want to talk about each part.

Prep Cook - Year 1

During my first year at Kalaloch Lodge, I kept to myself. I was a prep cook and enjoyed working in the back. Sometimes the work was relaxing, and other times it was pretty fast-paced. During this time, I met some good friends, but I was not overly social. 

Dishwasher - Year 2

In my second year, I worked as a dishwasher. I liked this job because I knew exactly what I was supposed to do, and I did it. I met a lot more friends during this time and was a lot more talkative and outgoing towards the end. At the end of the year, I transitioned to being a server, and I would say that this was by far the best year I had at the lodge. 

Server - Year 3

As a server, I brought in a lot more money. I loved the job. It was fast-paced. I met a lot of people, and I had quite a few friends. However, during this year, I was without my wife and child, and that was a huge source of sadness for me. It was the first time I had left them. I also noticed a huge change in the way I was treated, and that bothered me as well. Kalaloch Lodge had become a club, and many were outcasts. This was also the year when many of my friends started getting fired or pushed out. It was disheartening to see this happen over and over again. 

Analysis:

I now know that it's probably unlikely that I will return to Kalaloch Lodge for a 4th year (although I have thought about it). I think that it's best to let things be. At the end of the third year, I had had enough of it all and decided that I was unlikely to return. My managers were sad by this (they wanted me to come back and they expressed that). I am sorry that I can not help grant their wish. There are many whom I'd like to shout out to here, but I think they all know who they are. I truly love my friends and crew from this part of life!

Looking back, would I recommend working at Kalaloch Lodge?

I don't think I would. The third year kind of opened my eyes to the challenges that working there entailed, and I saw so many people getting fired or upset by things. One employee even killed herself right after her shift (I was one of the last people she spoke to). It was tragic. Another friend of mine hurt herself and had to fight constantly to "prove" that she was in pain-although it was obvious. I also saw that many people (myself included) were put off by just how isolated the lodge is. Being isolated brings with it all kinds of mental issues. Conflicts happen quite often, and some of the people that Kalaloch Lodge/Delaware North (the parent company) hired were pretty unsavory. I also witnessed a lot of sexual harassment that went unchecked. Overall, it was just depressing during my last year. Perhaps I saw more because I lived in employee housing. So, no, I don't recommend it at all. But that's my personal viewpoint, which I reserve the right to express.

However, that doesn't mean that it's the worst place in the world to work for. I look back at my time mostly fondly. I really liked my co-workers. Most were absolute gems. Many were friendly, helpful, and caring people who worked hard and were inclusive. Of course, there were some fearful, closed-off people, too. Such is just how society is. I honestly do think that this part of the world is one of the most closed-off places I have ever lived, which is a shame to me. I think that is the case with any place that is isolated from the rest of the world. Sometimes, with great beauty comes such drawbacks. 

Case in point: There was one friend whom I made and adored who was a transsexual. She was hired as a morning back-of-house supervisor. Immediately, I noticed that many people hated her. Everything she said was challenged. Many of the cooks would talk behind her back and rip her apart. She was such a kind and jolly human being at first, but the job ripped her apart. In the end, she was forced to quit, being offered an ultimatum of either going quietly for a letter of recommendation or risking being fired (they told her an investigation was opening up on her). That to me was truly sad to witness.  

Being a place that is "out there" brings with it a culture of drama. I felt that many at Kalaloch Lodge thrived on drama. Perhaps it is the small-town mentality that comes with being isolated. The issue with the transgender person was a major point of drama that many capitalized on. It was almost as if there had to be someone or something for people to attack or hate, and that was one thing that I did not like at all. 

In addition, I found that those who lived in the nearby town of Forks had their own little clique, and you could not hope to enter into that if you were from another part of the country. This form of exclusiveness can be a challenge to overcome because some barriers are just impossible to cross. I am not a huge fan of the town of Forks, and like I said earlier, I do find it a very closed-off and fearful place--and out of every place I have lived (NYC, SF, Seattle, Springfield, rural Montana, Cairo, Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kathmandu), it would make the top of that list.

I could say so much more about Kalaloch Lodge, but overall, I look back at my time there with a measure of fondness despite the negatives. That's the best way to look at things, I believe. I choose to focus on the good things, the helpful, friendly, caring employees who made my time a joy there. That's the part I choose to reminisce on. And who knows, maybe one day I will work there again for an encore season? Stranger things have happened. I'm sure they'd be very happy to have me back!