Grand Teton National Park

The most unnerving moment of my climb to the summit of Grand Teton in its namesake national park in Wyoming came on the way down via the Owen-Spalding Route. We had come to the point where you have a free rappel of about 100-120 feet, and after the guide tied me into the rappel line and checked my harness and rappel device, I took a step back toward the brink of the cliff, only to have him shout, "Wait, wait," and then proceed to retie the gear.

Nearly four decades have passed since Congress directed the National Park Service to establish visitor carrying capacities for the National Park System, yet few parks have done so, according to a review by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Fires, fire danger, and pretty big crowds will greet visitors in some corners of the National Park System this holiday weekend, and park officials are asking for both patience and great care while you're enjoying the parks.

A two-pronged approach has been mounted to purchase 640 acres of land contained within two tracts of state land that lie within Grand Teton National Park from the state of Wyoming for $46 million.