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Mountain Bikers Encouraged to Seek Access to Rocky Mountain National Parks

Nov 7th - 15:54pm | repanshek

Mark, you sound as if you know this topic quite well. Are you officially aligned with the mountain bike community?

Nov 7th - 15:48pm | Mark E

The photo of mountain bikers descending on a wide dirt road doesn't sound any alarms for me. It looks they're having fun, are riding in a safe situation, and are enjoying their visit. Aren't those things appropriate for a national park visit?

Nov 6th - 09:27am | Anonymous

@ 1st Anon Poster-

Nov 5th - 21:56pm | Anonymous

Kurt, I'm with you on this one. Many times when I take to the coastal foothills for a good days hike, I prepare myself for the weekend yahoo boys with their mucho trail bikes screaming OUTA MY WAY bellow... and blasting by me with a curse look in some cases.

Nov 5th - 20:11pm | Random Walker

I see no need to cut any new trails (hiker or biker) in any of Our National Parks. In fact I believe there is way too much time and money spent on maintenance of trails already established. When I visit I like nature to be wild, free and spontaneous (to borrow from Mr. Abbey) which must be hard for her as we endlessly cut, gouge, pave, fence, sign and bridge.

Nov 5th - 19:14pm | MPB

Mountain bikes/bikers are a cancer in National Parks. The chemotherapy is convincing superintendents and the NPS itself that mountain bikes are an inappropriate method of access to National Parks. We're not talking about limiting access, we're talking about limiting the *method* of access - similar to the snowmobile issue in Yellowstone.

Nov 5th - 18:34pm | repanshek

Anonymous, Thanks for eventually getting the name right;-) But why do you hide your reply behind anonymity? Now, to your points: * I can't recall the last time there was a proposal to cut new hiking trails in the parks. But that's not the point. * I don't profess a hatred of mountain bikes. There are two in my garage. But I do prefer my road bike.

Nov 5th - 18:09pm | Anonymous

Ooops, replace every Kirk with Kurt.

Nov 5th - 18:08pm | Anonymous

Why is there a need to cut single-track trails in the parks? - Will Kirk ever write a "why do we need any new hiking trails" post or is this a barely veiled attempt to disguise his contempt for bicycles?

Rockefeller Family Turns Over More than 1,100 Acres to Grand Teton National Park

Nov 7th - 14:49pm | Anonymous

Thanks Rockefellers!

Park History: How Volcanics Sculpted Parts of the National Park System

Nov 7th - 13:48pm | Merryland

I heard that Devils Tower was created by a giant bear trying to claw its way up the side of the mountain... now who do I believe? Hmmm...

Nov 7th - 12:21pm | Bob Janiskee

Jeez, you guys are sharp. Nick is absolutely right that Devil’s Tower consists of phonolite porphyry, not basalt. That’s a good catch, since the distinction is quite important. Differing chemical composition aside, the two rocks aren’t formed the same way and don’t look alike.

Nov 7th - 07:56am | Nick de X

There's a great arch of pillow basalt on the way to the Pt. Bonita Lighthouse in GGNRA, Sausalito, Ca. And Olympic N.P., west of Seattle, has some near Hurricane Ridge. The ranger program 'Above the River's Roar' featured lava dams to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon; the tallest was 2,388 feet tall and 84 miles long.

Nov 6th - 19:08pm | Merryland

Here's one I wasn't aware of -- from a William and Mary (flat hat) news article today. I assumed anywhere there's continental drift there's a chance for magma and the like, but didn't know these details... <><><><><>

Nov 6th - 16:10pm | Glenn Scofield ...

Actually, I was just refreshed that this was a topic I could talk about without being called names... Really, my love for many of the great parks and my love of geology go hand in hand and I was just enjoying the continuation of the list! Meant no disrespect... I just got excited!

Nov 6th - 15:34pm | Bob Janiskee

There are many dozens of units in the Park System that have landforms of volcanic origin within their borders. As Kurt has already explained, the list he extracted from one of the reading modules for my national parks course was only a sample, not a comprehensive listing.

Nov 6th - 10:31am | pkrnger

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Nov 6th - 08:31am | Lone Hiker

I don't believe, in my heart of hearts, that anyone was trying to berate or take you to task Coach. Personally, I was, as I stated, just curious about his train of thought.

Nov 6th - 05:05am | Merryland

OK, I realize it was just a "highlight film" for volcanic parks, but technically every park on the Hawaiian Islands exists because of volcanism and even the cultural parks are inextricably linked to the volcanoes on which they lived.. moreso in some Hawaiian parks than others, of course. I wouldn't attempt to connect the USS Arizona with volcanism... although...

Nov 5th - 21:18pm | repanshek

Lone Hiker, Boy, this is a tough crowd today. The list was not intended to be all-inclusive. As the second sentence of the post said, there are "at least 13..."

Nov 5th - 20:05pm | Lone Hiker

Hey Kurt-

Nov 5th - 16:46pm | Glenn Scofield ...

North Cascades National Park in Washington also contains a part of the Cascade range of volcanos.

Nov 5th - 13:53pm | MRC

Petroglyph NM contains three small volcanoes too, right at the western park border.

Nov 5th - 13:01pm | rscottjones

You forgot a couple in New Mexico: both Capulin Volcano National Monument and El Malpais National Monument feature volcanic landscapes.

Nov 5th - 10:01am | repanshek

Ken, Can't locate a "Lava Cave National Monument." Could you be referring to Lava Beds National Monument? MRC, good catch. I thought I had seen Devils Postpile in the list, but my eyes deceived me. Kurt

Nov 5th - 07:53am | MRC

How about Devils Postpile National Monument? The basalt columns are the result of a lava flow. The US Forest Service has two more National Monuments worth mentioning in this context: Newberry National Volcanic Monument and of course Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Nov 5th - 07:03am | Ken

You forgot to list the Lava Cave Monument in NE California just south of the Oregon border.

Glen Canyon NRA Officials Thinking Of Digging For Water

Nov 7th - 10:39am | Merryland

Not to mention how the presence of that much water in the middle of the desert has drastically changed the ecosystem. I agree this shouldn't be the Park Service's problem. Reservoir management and sport hunting management should be the responsibility of some organization other than NPS.

Nov 7th - 09:22am | MRC

Wouldn't that be true for all National Recreation Areas? Are they really fit to be units of the National Park Service? shouldn't they be swapped with the BLM against their National Monuments?

Nov 7th - 08:34am | repanshek

Beamis, Good points all. Frankly, I think the region with its fantastic canyon country and ancient history would better qualify as an NPS unit if the lake didn't exist. I wonder if the NPS could swap Glen Canyon NRA for the BLM's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which really should be an NPS unit.

Olympic National Park Ready for Wolves?

Nov 7th - 10:35am | Alpha_Wolf_I♥Wolves

i am all for wolves...i think that hunting wolves should be illegal everywhere......healthy wolves have never attacked humans before.....i love them....my friend told me about them....before i met her...i knew nothing.....she taught me everything i know....and now both me and my friend have tried so hard to make it illegal in michigan to hunt them.....i hope it stays illegal.........forever

Park Service Now Interested in Adding Christmas Mountains to Big Bend National Park

Nov 7th - 04:18am | Merryland

Looks like we're heading towards a new designation in yet another NPS park: Big Bend National Park (and Preserve). :-b From the El Paso Times: AUSTIN -- The Texas School Land Board decided Tuesday to give the National Park Service 90 days to submit an offer to buy the Christmas Mountains Ranch.

How Will National Park Service React To Museum Proposal At Harpers Ferry?

Nov 6th - 19:29pm | Bart

The latest obsession with the NPS has been "outreach." This means going outside the boundaries of the parks to reach audiences that were previously considered unreachable.

Nov 5th - 20:19pm | Lone Hiker

Bart-

Nov 5th - 19:48pm | Bart

In all honesty I really feel I'm wasting my time contributing to this site, but I plod on because I believe we all have a responsibility to speak our minds...for what that's worth. It gives me much more satisfaction to be out in my park than pecking away at this blasted computer, but I, like Frank & Beamis, feel committed to some innovative thinking...for once!

Nov 5th - 16:27pm | Rick Smith

Frank and Bemis--

Nov 5th - 15:47pm | repanshek

Frank, I don't think you've got your facts straight, and it appears as if you're jumping to some incredible conclusions.

Nov 5th - 15:26pm | Bill Wade

Just to clear up a couple inaccuracies in your post: - The Coalition of NPS Retirees supported the proposal for the Museum by sending a letter to Director Bomar several months ago. - Art Allen does not "head up" CNPSR, although he is a member and has been a major force in trying to get the Museum on the radar screens of those who need to move it forward.

Nov 5th - 08:40am | repanshek

Frank and Beamis,

Nov 4th - 18:37pm | Merryland

By the way Kurt, nice pig...

Nov 4th - 09:26am | Durand Cornish

Our friends, my family, and I watched, with great dismay, for years, as the National Park Service DROVE OUT many locally-owned and operated shops that were scattered throughout the streets running along and including High Street.

Nov 4th - 04:53am | Michelle

Call me naive, but why should either development be approved? Trump it up as a "win-win" situation for the pretty trees and tweety birds.

Grand Canyon National Park: Open To Some Faiths

Nov 5th - 22:06pm | Susan

Thanks, Lone Hiker, I do tell my students that the heavy metals decomposition protocol, of course in simpler terms, is the way scientists are coming up with these dates. I definitely do not tell them that the scientists are wrong or right. I tell them these are the methods that the scientists are using.

Nov 5th - 21:27pm | Merryland

Oops, guess I got the T-bird mixed up with the one that did get torn down... was it the Moqui then? But that's not near the rim, so nevermind on that reference! And Linda's right about it being the middle of nowhere. The Grand Canyon School sports teams travelled many many hours to find their competitors. We even went as far as Phoenix School for the Deaf for a volleyball match.

Nov 5th - 14:26pm | Lone Hiker

I, like Merryland, was under the impression that the structure was intended as a non-denominational gathering place, as was open to more than just the affiliations listed in Kurt's original text. That it should serve as a place for the local inhabitants should be viewed as a bonus.

Nov 5th - 09:41am | LINDA

THE THUNDERBIRD LODGE WAS NEVER TORN DOWN....SITS RIGHT WHERE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND IS NOW A HISTORICAL BUILDING AND CANNOT BE TORN DOWN. THE NEW VISITOR CENTER IS A JOKE WITH NO PARKING AND MOST PEOPLE CANNOT EVEN FIND IT. IT WAS BUILT FOR A TRAIN THAT HAS NEVER PUT INTO SERVICE AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE AND IS A BIG RAMBLING SKELETON.

Nov 4th - 17:46pm | Merryland

Now looking at both sides of the issue, there are a fair number of permanent residents there and they should be entitled to some sort of worship service without having to leave the park.

Nov 4th - 08:38am | Lone Hiker

I concur with Merrland's assessment of the building's lack of usage, and some might go so far as to label it "inappropriate" usage.

Park Service's Top Investigator Pleads Guilty To Theft

Nov 5th - 19:39pm | Former Ranger

Ms. buccello's offenses are more egregious because she scammed some of her free tickets by cancelling official duty flights -one was a death notification to the wife of a slain ranger- and then redeemed the tickets for later personal use. Then she lied about it. How low can you get?

Giving a Name to Yosemite Area Peak for Longtime Ranger Carl Sharsmith.

Nov 4th - 09:04am | pkrnger

To me, Dr. Carl W. Sharsmith was no mere mortal. He is an integral part of Yosemite's history. His Yosemite legacy stands with that of John Muir and Ansel Adams.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.