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A Sad Sign of the Times: NPS Promotes Body Armor Options To Rangers

Apr 4th - 21:58pm | JimB

Body armor is not a new development in the NPS. It's been around for years - and should have been made widely available to rangers even earlier. Improvements in armor continue to be made, and the equipment provided to rangers should be upgraded at intervals.

Apr 4th - 09:32am | Anonymous

To be quite honest, I was only on the computer looking for a site that showed a measurement sheet for my own body armor since I am about to go work in a National Park. I believe that one comment above stated "minimalist gear" that the early park rangers wore, and it made me laugh. People have this idea that rangers have always been the nature loving man in the woods.

Remains of Professor Who Went Missing in Canyonlands National Park Found in Needles District

Apr 4th - 20:51pm | Anonymous

Ray, thanks. - First Anonymous (if I keep coming back here, I may just have to get an ID!)

Apr 4th - 08:45am | Anonymous

Ray Bane, I love your spirit and spunk...well said! In regards to Mr. Wolff, I'm sure his soul finally found true peace with nature...for nature is bliss.

Apr 4th - 02:29am | Ray Bane

Believe me, you will likely have lots to live for well past 65. I am pushing 73, and life continues to be rewarding and challenging. In August my wife and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Keep active and involved. Remember, life and living are not necessarily one in the same. Living is what you do with life.

Apr 3rd - 20:08pm | Anonymous

This is a sad story. I hope that when I am 65 years of age (in the not too distant future), that I will have more to live for, much more, than this poor fellow had, apparently. What a way to end one's life, all alone, in a beautiful but desolate canyon, with no one to mourn.

Apr 3rd - 10:37am | Darrel

Ed: This comment was deleted out of respect for the relatives and friends of the suicide victim.

Descendants of Mesa Verde Anasazi Help Produce a Musical Masterpiece

Apr 4th - 18:23pm | Bob Janiskee

Would somebody out there please explain the meaning of the term "mumbo jumbo" to Anon? If he is going to be a bigot, he should at least be a literate bigot.

Apr 4th - 13:51pm | Anonymous

More cultural diversity mumbo jumbo staged for the camera.

National Park Designation is an Unholy Mess

Apr 4th - 17:42pm | Anonymous

Cape Hatteras National Seashore in not a bizarre anomaly. Rather Cape Hatteras was the first National Seashore. And the definition assigned to this new type of unit was as follows.

"A Wildlife Crisis of Unprecedented Proportions"

Apr 4th - 14:21pm | Marie

My Laymen's logic has me wondering if it is a coincidence that creatures whose food source is insects are now dying off from fungal diseases. I have to wonder what insecticides and other pesticides may have done to alter the immune systems of bats and amphibians.

Apr 4th - 09:51am | JimB

annfro - Thanks for the excellent additional information! Re: whether bats are "cute and cuddly," I'll plead guilty to making a guess about the attitudes of the general population, most of whom probably have limited experience with bats. They are fascinating animals, and I hope more people will learn to appreciate them.

Apr 4th - 08:24am | annfro

It goes beyond "irritating" the skin, I have read that necropsies of affected bats show that the fungus has invaded the subcutaneous tissue! I have to disagree with the not "cute and cuddly", many bats have very cute little faces, and their fur is softer than most cats and dogs... They are just too tiny to cuddle!

Apr 3rd - 22:39pm | Anonymous

Get out your wallet! I have never seen a doppler of the inside of a cave. Boy oh boy.

Apr 3rd - 20:45pm | JimB

I didn't want to go into too much detail in the original article, but the mechanism of the fungus seems to be that it irritates the bats' skin during hibernation. As a result, the bats become active when they should be "sleeping," and burn up food reserves needed to carry them until food (i.e. insects) is available again in the spring.

Apr 3rd - 19:36pm | Anonymous

Could be super sonic frequencies that we are starting to create! This might block sonar for them to feed!

Apr 3rd - 19:32pm | Anonymous

Start a study on the effects of our doppler radar systems!

Apr 3rd - 18:03pm | Classy Lassie

I wonder if the fungus killing the bats is r/t the one killing frogs? We must remember this IS an evolving world.

Apr 3rd - 16:48pm | Anonymous

This is very scary! I don't care if they are not cute and cuddly to most people. the fact that they are dying and scientists don't know exactly what it is or how we can stop it is not a comforting thought !I pray that they find out soon and save them!

Is Winter in Yellowstone National Park Losing Its Allure?

Apr 3rd - 19:24pm | Anonymous

My husband and I have visited yellowstone many times, in all seasons. By far, our favorite time is winter. We get very little snow where we live, and it is such a treat to have ALL that snow! The uncrowded conditions (except for bison and elk), the thermal features, and landscapes are all superb during that season. However, we have decided not to visit during winter for the past several years.

Apr 3rd - 17:45pm | jsmacdonald

While I agree about the snowmobiles, there's a lot of good skiing and snowshoeing in Yellowstone that keeps you pretty far from snowmobiles. We really love skiing in the park; the snow is often so much better than it is - say, in the Bozeman area, where the winter was awfully mild.

Apr 3rd - 17:15pm | Anonymous

We cancelled our plans after the earthquake reports.

Apr 3rd - 16:46pm | Anonymous

I live in Montana, love the outdoors and winter, and rarely go to Yellowstone. Plain and simple it's the snowmobiles. Sure they're fun and a source of revenue, but much like smoking in bars, the people that aren't into the smell and the noise are going to stay away. I'm more inclined to go snowshoeing or xc skiing, and the last thing I want to see is a line of stinky zoom zoomers.

Apr 3rd - 10:19am | jsmacdonald

What's interesting to me is that vehicular traffic was reported up for most of the winter until this last report; I wonder if that's a strong sign of the economy's bite. Or, perhaps, it meant I visited Yellowstone (via an entrance - I skied into the park a few other times) less during the last period! LOL

Apr 3rd - 08:33am | Betty H

I was there in mid-March and greatly enjoyed it. Regardless of the season, it is a fantastic place for any nature lover to visit.

Apr 3rd - 08:19am | Mark Cromwell

My wife & I visited Yellowstone in February. We traveled with a photography group sponsored through the Yellowstone Association and traveled by snow coach. It was an enthralling experience and I can recommend a visit to all photographers!

Apr 3rd - 06:40am | Kurt Repanshek

Good note, Anon. Totally forgot about that...in some part because earthquake swarms aren't THAT uncommon in the park, in part because, well, because I forgot;-) But it is interesting that Xanterra's rep mentioned that to you...

Apr 3rd - 06:36am | Anonymous

What? No mention that the earthquake cluster in December / January was causing people to cancel their vacation plans. (This according to the Xanterra rep that took my reservation.)

Have You Ever Sneaked Into Shiloh National Military Park?

Apr 3rd - 19:04pm | Wrap10

Yes, I think it does add a little extra 'something' to be out in the park, on the anniversary, at about the same time of day as the events that you're learning about took place. I won't be making it to the park for this year's anniversary, but hope to do so next year. If you ever get the chance to attend, I think you'd really enjoy it.

Apr 3rd - 06:15am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the corroborating info, Perry, and especially for the details about the ranger-led hikes on the battle anniversary. I'd dearly love to go along for one of those! Dividing into two groups like that is inspired. I can see that it gives the experience a whole new and exciting meaning for the participants.

Apr 2nd - 23:16pm | Wrap10

Bob, Nice article about Shiloh, and interesting 'technical' discussion about the start of the battle.

Top 10 National Parks: Do You See Your Favorites in This Short Video?

Apr 3rd - 02:34am | Ray Bane

Tag on Katmai, Gates of the Arctic and Bryce.

Apr 3rd - 01:18am | Kristy

I agree with Yellowstone & Rocky Mountain. I would have also included my all time favorite park, Arches in UT. I love that place. I know there aren't many trees but the rock formations are awe inspiring.

Apr 2nd - 21:20pm | Kirby Adams

Among the "park" parks: Congaree, Theodore Roosevelt, Acadia, Olympic, Big Bend, Shenandoah, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Badlands, Everglades -Kirby.....Lansing, MI

Apr 2nd - 21:15pm | Random Walker

In no particular order: Yosemite, North Cascades, Olympic, Denali, Canyonlands, Rocky Mountain, Bandelier, Yellowstone, Sequoia Kings Canyon, Wrangell - St Elias. "...adventure without regard to prudence, profit, self-improvement, learning or any other serious thing" -Aldo Leopold-

Apr 2nd - 20:23pm | Anonymous

For what it's worth, here is my top ten from a day hiking and photography perspective (in order of preference) Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Grand Teton, Zion, Smokies, Rainer, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Death Valley, Olympics.

Apr 2nd - 18:47pm | Reverend Jim Marques

This video was extremely too short. My family and I have camped every change of season in Yosemite for decades. We still can't get enough. Please show more of God's great outdoor cathedrals.

Apr 2nd - 18:34pm | Todd

Finally, Rocky Mountain NP gets some love! It's about time!

Apr 2nd - 18:01pm | Anonymous

Only one park in the East?? I agree with Deborah - where are the Smokies? And what about the Blue Ridge Parkway? And Shenandoah?

Apr 2nd - 14:50pm | Deborah

What about Great Smoky Mountain? It IS the most visited!!

Apr 2nd - 13:33pm | e walden

Not only that, but where is Mt. Rainier National Park? The beauty of Federation Forest and Spray Park should put it on that list!

Apr 2nd - 12:39pm | Clara

I agree that Crater Lake should be on the list!

Apr 2nd - 11:57am | Matt Culpepper

You'll find it tucked away in a slice of southern Oregon......

Apr 2nd - 11:18am | MC

Hey! Where is Crater Lake? :-(

Good Oysters and Bad Oysters

Apr 2nd - 14:55pm | y_p_w

I know - a little bit old, but I found this in a search for something else.

Spring Plowing Operations Under Way in Glacier National Park

Apr 2nd - 14:29pm | Amy Andreas

So incredibly glad that the Two Medicine road is being plowed early...East Glacier backcountry skiiers would like to send a big THANK YOU to the park admin.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Showdown at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Apr 2nd - 13:06pm | Dan Styer

Beamis suggests: "My constructive suggestion, as I've made many times before, is to take the parks out of the purview of the U.S. federal government and put them into the hands of non-profit private trusts. Take the politics and careerism out of vital land management decision making."

Trust For Public Land Leverages Land Purchase for Virgin Islands National Park

Apr 2nd - 06:12am | Kurt Repanshek

Parking is an incredible problem at VIIS. There simply is not enough to meet demand. For instance, at the Reef Bay trailhead there's room for two, perhaps three Jeeps, depending on how they're parked. At Trunk Bay, the biggest, most popular beach, there's room for maybe a dozen or so cars.

Apr 1st - 22:36pm | JimB

Kudos to the TPL. All of that property could easily have been converted to major development, and based on the photo with the story, that would have been a shame.

Rock Falls Close Curry Village Lodgings in Yosemite National Park

Apr 2nd - 00:28am | Anonymous

DNC sent this email to me and another family member this week:

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