Officials at Mount Rainier National Park have closed access to the Westside Road and the area surrounding Tahoma Creek after a glacial outburst half an acre is size broke off from the South Tahoma Glacier. On Thursday, August 13th, 2015 at 9:40 a volunteer researcher was working near Tahoma Creek when they heard a loud …
Unlucky Time to be a Kid in Yosemite National Park
In the past seven days, minors in Yosemite National Park have had some terrible luck. It started last week, when health officials confirmed a child who visited Yosemite had somehow contracted the plague, quite possibly while camping at the Crane Flat Campground in July. Now, one week after the conformation of the plague, another tragedy …
Under the Water at Crater Lake National Park: A Geological Expedition
The world knows Crater Lake National Park for many reasons. From the stunning views around the crater rim, to the geological wonder that this old volcano has become, North America’s second deepest lake is loved by all who see it. Created as a National Park on May 22nd, 1902, Crater Lake has seen millions of …
Inspired by the Olympics: Falling in Love with Wilderness in America’s National Parks
I’ve been told my writing is grandiose. I have gotten emails saying it is overambitious hyperbole. They claim I describe every mountain in the Olympic Mountain Range to be more beautiful and remote than Mount Everest, and that each mile of coast is the most perfect stretch of beach in America. They say that Olympic …
Poaching in the Pacific Northwest: Geoduck Edition
You wouldn’t think by looking at them, but the often giggle inducing geoducks in the waters of the Pacific Northwest are a hot commodity, so much so that there is now a huge international black market for the area’s most phallic creatures. The mollusks, which are a native species to the region, are currently being poached in …