| Page 1567 | National Parks Traveler

One attack in Idaho not long ago also. Kind of a nothing story, though. He's in good condition, acted the best way possible under the condition, and the bear was being a bear. It seems that there's hardly a sensational edge to the story. This is a good story of being able to live with an acceptable range of danger.

Jun 15th - 18:14pm | Snowbird

Let's face it, these beautiful creatures were here first. Tread very softly on their sacred ground...or become a bear catnip bean bag to play!

Off The Well-Worn Path: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Jun 18th - 13:38pm | Bob Mackreth

I'll second the endorsement of Apostle Islands as an outstanding place to visit, but perhaps I'm biased: I spent 12 years at the park, retiring as Park Historian a couple of years ago.

USOC Feeling Overly Proprietary About "Olympic"

Jun 16th - 23:41pm | Tom O'Connell

In a word..."Screw the Olympics" They have become irrelevant and hypocritical...who cares about the olympics??? tom

Woman Dies in Fall From Angel's Landing

Jun 16th - 23:39pm | matt

I fell terrible for this family - especially the daughter. I hate heights and exposures but I have hiked out to the end of Angel's Landing and several times during that hike I thought "I could turn around now" but I chose to continue. I also saw several people who did turn around or not attempt to hike all the way out.

Jun 16th - 23:39pm | DGK

The park should not allow anyone to go up Angel's Landing without the proper equipment (hiking boots, certain amount of water, etc.) There should be minimum standards set and met before going up. A park ranger should approve the ascent at a checkpoint after meeting such requirements.

Jun 13th - 16:35pm | StudentPilot

I was planning on this hike with family next week. Because of the ages af my children, I think I will have to pass this time. I am so sorry for the loss of your loved ones. SP

Jun 12th - 11:28am | CC

I was with Mr. Goldstein when he fell this weekend. His daughter, brother-n-law, niece and son witnessed the whole thing along with me. His daughter unfortunately was the one who was right next to him and lunged forward after him to save him and missed. She is who I feel the most for. At any rate, Barry too was an experienced hiker and this particular hike to Angel's Crossing was his fourth.

Jun 10th - 21:36pm | thomas moreau

My son had just turned 5 years old when I took him up Angels Landing. He ascended and descended the entire climb all by himself. I stayed close with a rope tied around my waist and attached to him, tied around his waist with bowline knots. We just chatted all the way up and all the way down. I remember and intense conversation about Star Wars on the way down. Was a hike I'll always remember.

Jun 10th - 07:37am | Dan Thacker

My good friend became the most recent casualty on Angels Landing. I am still in shock and mostly numb. After learning more about the trail, I was amazed at the number of accidents that have happened there. I am an avid outdoorsman although not a hiker. Are these statistics "common" among climbing trails in the western U.S.? What could be done to reduce these stats?

Jun 8th - 23:41pm | Joni Goldstein

I got the news today my brother and family were hiking this place and he and my neice walked ahead of the crowd they were with because they were going to slow..and all i know is he slipped on a rock or something and moumentim grabbed him as he started to fall and plummented or fell off..today is june the 8th and from the news i heard my brother who is a athletic man fell and they couldnt find his

Secretary Kempthorne Won't Oversee Snowmobile Decision

Jun 16th - 23:37pm | Steve

Although I haven't been in Yellowstone in the winter, a friend that has been going to ski camp for years said the restrictions on snowmobiles have made a huge difference in the park. Apparently the number of snowmobiles is limited and only the cleanest and quietest are allowed in with a guide.

Jun 15th - 18:16pm | Snowbird

The final word will be left behind close doors with Mr.Dick Cheney overseering the decision. I have two words to Mr.Kempthrone...no guts! This administration speaks with a fork tongue as the native Indians would say.

Be Careful Out There

Jun 15th - 18:13pm | kath

Signs in Yosemite and Sequoia say "If you get into this water you will be swept away and drowned" (Or words to that effect). I don't know how much clearer the NPS could be.

The Growth of "Amenity Fees" In the Parks

Jun 14th - 00:59am | Ike

Just for everyone's information...

Jun 12th - 06:01am | Jim Macdonald

If it makes you feel better, Mount Rushmore is a waste of your $8; it's a monstrosity carved into the Black Hills of the faces of four men who either all called for genocide of native peoples or who (in the case of Lincoln) would not help indigenous peoples because he believed it was inevitable. It's no irony that these were the four carved into that mountain.

Jun 11th - 21:40pm | Kat

After driving miles out of our way for the priveledge of viewing Mount Rushmore we were unable to. On our last visit circa 2002, some more distant parking was still free. We did not budget that $8 fee for the two cars in our party. We simply did not have the cash. And naturally anywhere we could park to view it was posted warning of big fines.

Jun 8th - 11:53am | SteveSgt

I think charging fees for stuff like this has the psycological effect of making "our parks" into "their parks." If, as a tax-paying citizen, I have access to a public commons, then I think of it as something I share. If I have to pay a fee to use it, then it becomes "their's" -- they being whoever is collecting the fee, or seems to be in authority.

Amenity Fee Reaction

Jun 12th - 12:46pm | Elizabeth

As a fiscally conservative liberal (or a socially liberal conservative), I've long had mixed feelings about user fees. They do provide much needed income to the parks and it seems only fair that users pay a reasonable fee. And I am not convinced that fees deter many people.

Off The Well-Worn Path: Great Smoky's Cataloochee Valley

Jun 12th - 06:45am | Snowbird

I wonder if they still grow great apples in the Catalooche Valley...I bet the moonshine was great in those days.

How Much Cell Phone Coverage Does Yellowstone Need?

Jun 9th - 23:05pm | Sally

HEY! I'm all for "Old Faithful, brought to you by Verizon" as long as it means more funding for the park! To all those tree-huggies and greenies who are technology challenged, get over yourselves...cell phones are here to stay...how about a little "tolerance" and "diversity" for other points of view, libbies??

Jun 8th - 15:53pm | Marcus L

With the cost of satellite phones (either via rental or purchase) affordable to most anyone who wants to get one, the debate over cellphone towers is a somewhat moot point. Delaying the introduction of cell towers to national parks is a temporary fix, one which those rude enough to yak on their phones will eventually overcome.

Global Warming Changing the Face of Some Parks

Jun 9th - 16:22pm | campos do jordao

Oi, pessoal gostaria de apresenta o nosso portal de turismo sustentável para a cidade de campos do jordão, criando alternativas de um turismo totalmente novo e amigo da natureza, não deixem de apreciar e criticar nosso trabalho, obrigado o endereço do portal é www.camposdojordao.inf.br

Bison to be Moved Back to Yellowstone Today

Jun 9th - 06:26am | Jim Macdonald

Update: The Montana Department of Livestock has said they will possibly be shipping some bulls to slaughter, saying the facility that NPS has set up isn't adequate for bulls (so, kill them - even if bulls don't transmit brucellosis).

Sen. Thomas' Death Costs the National Parks an Advocate

Jun 7th - 11:22am | Snowbird

Senator Thomas, reminds me bit of the former congressman of California, Pete McClosky...a strong advocate of the National Parks and avid conservationist. Sen.Thomas will be remembered as one of the few republicans that gave the National Parks adequate support and attention.

Big Cypress: Wilderness or ORVs?

Jun 5th - 10:13am | George

When NPS opened the parks to snowmobiles 40 years ago, it was said they would have no impact. Now we know better, and the Yellowstone case shows it can be difficult to curtail an established motorized use. NPS should also be thinking about the impacts of growing ORV traffic at Big Cypress, because that's where the biggest impact comes in.

none

Jun 4th - 21:15pm | SteveSgt

Wow -- a teaser ad. Should we be starting a "buzz" about whatever new features or redesign you have planned?

Yellowstone Bison Gain Reprieve

Jun 4th - 19:56pm | Snowbird

Jim, your historical perspective of Yellowstone is quite accurate. Prior, to the white man's settlment to Yellowstone, the U.S. second calvary was sent into the park to curtail any potential violence from the native Indians in the area (from 1879 to 1881, the Nez Perce upraising and the Bannock Indian problems in the Mammoth region).

Jun 4th - 16:42pm | Jim Macdonald

There were a few whites settling in the area before the official park. They generally weren't farming. They set up makeshift hotels, they offered to sell healing in the hot springs, at Mammoth. In the early years of the Park, some squatted.

Jun 4th - 16:33pm | Snowbird

Geez Sally, please do your homework before you go rambling off at the mouth.

Jun 4th - 16:27pm | Sally

Yeah, they live off tourism, (including those "EVIL *snicker* snowmobiles" tourism) but I garandamnteeya those same people would put private property rights above a government land grab... ...and you are wrong, whites settled the area before the park was born.

Jun 4th - 15:32pm | Rick Smith

Hey Sally--One small correction: Yellowstone was a park (1872) before many people other than American Indians were farming or ranching in the area. I suspect that most people living around the park would be horrified if Yellowstone ceased to exist.

Jun 4th - 12:32pm | Sally

Hey jr ranger...I got news for ya...most of those farmers were there LONG before Yellowstone was made a park...their grandfathers or great-grandfathers fed the building of this great nation with their ranching or farming.

Jun 3rd - 09:46am | Snowbird

Kurt, your blog "Yellowstone Bison Gain Reprieve" is a excellent piece of commmentary on the bison issue in Yellowstone National Park. Well researched! I wonder what approach the Craighead Institute would have on this issue...probably advocate more open space for wildlife and less human intrusion. Less cowboy influence and more open range is the key to this poor animals demise.

Jun 3rd - 04:48am | jr_ranger

Build fences?! What are we going to do - fence in the park?!! Farmers who live near a national park need to understand what that entails. If they don't like it, they can move - I'm sure there's a developer that would pay big bucks for some land near Yellowstone. Talk about death knells to NPS...

Some Thoughts on Park Visitation Trends

Jun 4th - 09:06am | Anne Mitchell ...

What a great piece Bill Tweed wrote, with a very interesting take on the long relationship between tourism, the tourism industry, and the National Parks. Thanks, Kurt,for finding and sharing this!

Off The Well-Worn Path: Great Basin National Park

Jun 4th - 04:52am | jr_ranger

Great Basin was my park of the week a few weeks ago - you can read my take on it at http://tntrailhead.blogspot.com/2007/05/park-of-week-great-basin-np_18.html Hehehe - I actually got to a story before Kurt! Score!

Jun 3rd - 17:45pm | Bobt

Wow! That pic in your post is Wheeler Peak in The Great Basin National Park? I had no idea. I kept wondering about Great Basin and just kind of thought that it was flat lands desert type of landscape. I am moving it up on my list of places to visit. Thanks for bringing more attention to it. Bob

Yellowstone's Snowmobile Public Meetings

Jun 1st - 22:03pm | Sally

Yeah but as everybody knows, most of those folks makin' statements have the time to go to the meetings 'cause they don't have jobs!!! The typical lazy liberal either there on their own accord or being paid a pittance by some envirowhacko organization!

Yellowstone's Killing Fields

Jun 1st - 19:57pm | Jim Macdonald

Montana and the Park Service announced today that these buffalo will not be slaughtered but will be trucked back to Yellowstone (at least those that come back after the last hazing operation).

May 31st - 13:53pm | phillip

Apparently ranchers and politicians alike and the so called enviorimental-conservations activist have all lost their minds.Simple solution herd the bison back into the destinated area,or simply allow nature(god)to do his work.test the bishon and come up with an anitidote.merly by the time a solution is so called figured out there won't be no more catte,bison,elk,wildlife in general or even human b

May 31st - 07:36am | Sally

Hey Jimmy...they are ANIMALS.... I say agin...Yeeeeeeee-hawwwww! Round 'em up, rawhide!!

May 31st - 03:21am | Jim Macdonald

update on story: There's been a delay in the slaughter. Of course, that means that they'll try hazing one more time, as if hazing is all right, leaving us happy that at least they're not dead. What a hopeless charade. I can't feel good about any of it.

Centennial Initiative-Natural Resources

May 31st - 19:25pm | Snowbird

Action speaks louder then words! Will see!!

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