Stepping off the plane at Yellowstone Regional Airport, James Skinner knew immediately he had found his new home. Skinner returned to his home state of Florida and started planning for his move.

It took him about six years before "the stars aligned," but he never forgot finding Cody and the surrounding area "gorgeous," especially attracted to how close it was to Yellowstone National Park and destinations both in Wyoming and Montana.

"The first time that I saw Cody — the second I got off the plane — I knew this place was for me," he said.

Despite visiting Park County earlier, Skinner never had a chance to make it to Yellowstone.

Fast forward to Thursday evening; he wanted to see the national park so bad he loaded up his vehicle with camera gear and his happy corgi named Cloud, arriving at the East Entrance for opening day at 10:30 p.m. He was surprised to find he was only third in line.

"I've never been to a national park, but I love nature," he said, chomping at the bit to get through the gate. "I wouldn't mind seeing a bear, but I definitely wouldn't want to see it out of my car. I don't want to have an encounter."

He was also excited to see some snow. He had never seen more than a quarter-inch in his entire life, he said.

At the front of the line — a surprise to nobody at this point — was Powell's famous park fan Stacy Boisseau. She has now been first in line for seven straight years.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she said while rolling down her window with a proud look on her face. "I couldn't fall asleep and I felt like something was missing — like I needed to be somewhere. So I was like, I'm just gonna go. I couldn't believe it, but nobody was here."

Boisseau started bringing her three children seven years ago. They were so excited to see the park on opening day that they would park in front of the gate and enjoy the stars and an occasional wildlife experience while waiting.

In 2020 the family watched a young moose cross in front of them while heading to the Shoshone River. Then, after using the facilities, they were accompanied by a porcupine while making their way back to their SUV.

But last year Boisseau said the sixth time in the front of the line would probably be the last because her daughters, Kiya, Hailley and Grace, would no longer be able to attend the opening with her due to work and school obligations. So she came alone.

"I thought I might be sad," saying she was going to miss the music and laughs of years gone by. "But I didn't have to worry about bears eating children if somebody has to go to the bathroom at night."

Park rangers had arrived at the fee office and had raised the American flag on an absolutely beautiful mountain morning as the punctual mom dreamt about the possibility of someday being a grandmother and bringing her grandchildren to the park.

As the gates swung open, the long line of vehicles convoyed through the winding road while enjoying wildlife, snowy vistas and to the geothermal features for which the world's first national park is famous. Many of those in line had already seen herds of deer, elk and a few moose while making their way west on the North Fork Highway.

National Park celebration

On Monday, the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Park County Travel  Council, celebrated the 73rd Annual National Parks Day at the Cody Holiday Inn. This longstanding tradition honors the officials and employees of the surrounding national parks, recognizing their vital role in managing our "treasured resources," the chamber said in a press release.

Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins were the guest speakers at the traditional luncheon.

One of the first issues Sholly spoke about was the passing of former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson. He awarded the Cody resident posthumously — presented to his widow Ann Simpson — with the Superintendent's Medallion for Exemplary Service and Support.

"Al Simpson was an amazing man. He was an amazing senator," Sholly said. "The things that he accomplished were endless, and I'm unable to accurately describe everything that he did for this country."

After a minute of silence to honor Simpson, Sholly said he is very optimistic about this year's park outlook.

"This year is going to be, I think, one of the best years that we've had in a long time," he said. "Last year was our second highest [visitations] on record. I think this year — my predictions have been pretty accurate — I think we'll easily hit 4.5 million again this year, and I think that it's possible it will get close to 5 [million]."

There are still a lot of questions about international travel in the park, Sholly said, but international travel stats so far this year are up compared to last year.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the flood in 2022, Sholly's record of quickly responding to critical issues no other superintendent has faced in the park's history has been a part, though not wanted, of his positive role at the park.

"I think we're just so incredibly fortunate in terms of having Cam and his team at Yellowstone. They have done an amazing job... working on a ton of different projects and challenging issues," Jenkins said.

He prepared the park for a banner year, yet kept it as safe as possible during the pandemic and he had the park back up and running at full speed in four months after the flood washed away roads in the northern section of the park.

He also quashed rumors that there would be a workforce problem after the Trump administration made layoffs in the National Park Service early this year.

"Staffing is higher this year than it has been at any point in the last five years going into the summer, and so our critical positions are filled," he told the large crowd during the luncheon. "The team is ready. It's going to be an outstanding summer."

Another issue Sholly and park employees faced during his sevenyears at the helm was an active shooter incident this past July 4. Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, 28, of Milton, Florida, was attempting to gain access to the Canyon Village cafeteria with an AR-15 style rifle and about 100 rounds of ammunition during the busiest time in the popular restaurant.

"His sole goal was to go into the cafeteria at Canyon... and kill as many people as he could," Sholly said.

Fussner, who was a Xanterra employee, died after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement. One officer was shot in the foot after the gun fight.

"[Park law enforcement officers] killed this subject and unquestionably prevented a massive loss of life in July," he said.

He credited support from the administration for responding quickly to the issues and he continues to be proactive in communicating with leaders and businesses in the five gateway communities of the park.

"The relationships that we have [in the communities] are really important, and have been important to get us through quite a bit of burden in the last several years," he said.

Sholly also talked about the large infrastructure projects in the park, several that are currently underway. One of the largest projects is the Yellowstone River Bridge located at the intersection of the Northeast Entrance Road and the Grand Loop Road (Tower Junction). The new 1,285'-long, 175' high bridge will replace the existing 60-year old bridge on a new mile-long realignment of the Northeast Entrance Road.  

With giant cranes lifting up steel girders, tourists would love to get a better look at the work underway, but the entire zone is off limits to stopped vehicles or walking in the construction zone. The intersection at Tower Junction will be relocated 700 feet southeast of its current location. Approximately 1 mile of the Northeast Entrance Road will be realigned and nearly 0.5 miles of the Grand Loop Road will be reconstructed.

"Most of the infrastructure in Yellowstone was built in the 40s, 50s, 60s. Many of our water wastewater systems, for instance, were built in the 70s and 80s, when the park had, you know, 2 million visitors. Now there's almost 5 [million]," Sholly said. "You've got to have the right infrastructure to keep pace with visitation, and that's exactly what's happening here."

(CJ Baker contributed reporting.)