Such a pitiful throw. I watched my boot wobble above Mono Creek, then— in what seemed like real-life slow-mo—bounce against a rock and flip into the rushing current. Gone, gone, gone. Barefoot on the bank, I screamed, cursing my idiocy for tossing my boots instead of carrying them across in the wading shoes lent by my new friend, Doug Crispin. My life flashed before my eyes there on Mono Creek, days from anywhere. But then, someone was crashing through the creekside foliage.

Much has been said and written since Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed a move to "surge pricing" for entrance fees at 17 key national parks across the country. Here's a look at some of the comments.

Longstanding efforts to expand uranium mining on lands rimming Grand Canyon National Park are poised to be rekindled thanks to a move by the U.S. Forest Service, though a Democratic congressman is hoping to block the efforts by legislation that would set aside roughly 1 million acres as a national monument.

Planning to go backpacking in Grand Teton National Park next year? It will cost you a little bit more than this year's rate.