Since the permit system for climbing the cables on Half Dome was established two years ago, there has been quite a bit of conflict and frustration around the “first come, first serve” system. After the initial balking at the “reservation fee” required for permits, the attention soon shifted to the larger problem: permit scalpers. Those…
We’re still digging out from under the ice in Seattle. So, today we’re featuring a guest post from David Wilkinson over at Switchback Travel. He recently headed out to Methow Valley in Washington for a cross country ski trip and sent us his thoughts. The Methow Valley in the North Cascades is just beyond the…
For the past two years, local biologists near Point Reyes National Seashore have been trying to free a young male elephant seal from a tight packing band around his neck. The entangled seal was first noticed about two years ago, and biologists have been trying to safely capture the seal to remove the packing strap….
This past weekend, a lost hiker, while awaiting rescue inadvertantly sparked a brushfire in Australia’s Alpine National Park over. The hiker, from Melbourne, Australia, was on an overnight hike on Mt Bogong when he became turned around. According to police, the hiker then climbed to high point while his wife notified emergency services. What he…
Pray to the snow gods. We need the fluffy stuff badly. Like the rest of the country, we have not seen much of any snow in the Pacific Northwest this season. I went skiing at Snoqualmie last weekend and there were large patches of mud showing through many runs. This is certainly not the year…
In a landmark decision made this week, the Obama administration has formally banned new hard rock mining claims near the Grand Canyon for the next twenty years. The area of roughly one million acres is sought after by mining companies because of the high-grade uranium ore reserves. While the ban is seen as a win…
As I’m sure most of you have heard, a Rainier National Park Ranger was murdered over the weekend. While the suspect’s state of mind may be in question, that is not what we should be focusing on. There are now 2 children without a mother and a husband (also a park ranger) without a wife….
If you don’t want to look like the guy above, slow down on the ski slopes. This friendly PSA is brought to you by a rather frightening ordeal we went through yesterday while skiing at the Summit at Snoqualmie outside Seattle. We had spent the day skiing and were on our way back to the…
On Thursday, December 15th, both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks will be open to the public for winter season activities. In Grand Teton NP, the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center (12 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming) will be open for winter hours (9am-5pm daily). For winter-sports enthusiasts, there is plenty to do, from…
Columbia Sportswear made a big push this year with the introduction of their Omni-Heat line of clothing and gear. Unfortunately, now they are facing a major setback, as they have issued a recall of some of their Omni-Heat Electric jackets. Why? Apparently, the battery-powered line of Omni-Heat apparel has been known to catch fire. According…
