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Month: August 2015

September Snow: Coming Soon to a PNW Mountain Near You?

I refrain from writing weather posts, as they tend to lose their usefulness quickly. However, this week’s forecast is something I can’t skip over. During the first week of September, 2015, there is a chance of snow for the mountains around the Pacific Northwest, something drastically needed during the driest, hottest summer in recorded history. …

Old Man Yells at Kids: The Appalachian Trail Drama

If life were a cartoon, he would have shaken his fist and called them whippersnappers.  There isn’t a single style of nature lover that doesn’t seen to catch some flack from a hiker or two. I hike alone, people lecture me. I see people hiking with dogs in the National Park, I lecture them. Some hike …

Olympic National Park Slowly Reopens After Storm

Update- As of 5pm September 1st, 2015, Olympic National Park is reopen. A few trails might be closed, but the park and campgrounds are open! The 29th of August will long be remembered around the Pacific Northwest. After a record long drought and more 70, 80 and 90 degree days than in any year on …

Olympic National Park CLOSED Due to Wind, Rain and Fallen Trees

8/29/2015 Updated 12:16PM In a press release just sent out by Olympic National Park officials, Olympic National Park entry roads and campgrounds have been closed. Wind speeds up to 30+ MPH and gusts up to 70+ MPH have been reported, and numerous downed trees are rumored to be blocking major roads in and around Olympic National …

Hiker Puts Out Fire in Mount Skokomish Wilderness

You’d think the huge fires burning around the state would stop people from having illegal backcountry fires. You’d assume that the fire ban covering all of  Washington State would be a deterrent for a fire at your camp during the night. You’d assume that people would be responsible in nature and be good stewards. Sadly, …

Olympic National Park Continues to Become More Popular: July Visitation Numbers

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK SEES 6.35% Increase through July, 2015 Olympic National Park is still ahead of last year’s visitors attendance through the first seven months of 2015, despite seeing a 2.9% decrease in visitors from July of 2014. The hot weather, smokey skies, and fire ban are said to be a partial explanation for the …

The Seven Highlights of Hiking Olympic’s Staircase Loop Trail

There are hikes serious hikers are afraid to admit they enjoy. Maybe it is ego, or maybe it is the expectation that each time they go out, they need to crush 15+ miles and 4,000 feet of elevation gain, but talk with hikers tends to be about their most epic hike. Comparing where you have …

Watch the West (And the rest of America) Burn via Map

“The west, the west, the west is on fire. We don’t have no water, so our precious forests burn. “ Whether we like them or not, fires are a natural phenomenon, vital to the health of the forests and even our grasslands. Over the last ten to twenty thousand years, forest fires have consumed nearly every inch …

July, 2015: Yellowstone National Park’s Busiest Month Ever

People love Yellowstone National Park in the summer. July of 2015 is now officially the busiest month in Yellowstone National Park’s history, according to the newest visitation numbers released online. In the 31 days of July, 980,702 entered the park, exploring the geysers, mountains and valleys, while seeing herds of wildlife spread throughout the world’s first …

Despite Warnings, Tourist in Yellowstone National Park Pets Bison

This year has been a rough year for Yellowstone National Park and wildlife encounters. Last week, a man was attacked while running alone off trail, mauled, killed and eaten. The bear, a mother of two cubs, was executed by park officials, and her two cubs were sent to a zoo in Ohio. Signs all around …