Missteps in the Parks

Search Under Way for Missing Hiker on Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park

Ground and air teams were searching Thursday for a missing 73-year-old hiker who failed to return from a day hike to the summit of Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 30th, 2009 8:43am

6 comments

A Miss is Much Better than a Mile for Hikers Rescued in Two Separate Falls

Hikers in two widely separated NPS areas were injured in falls during the past week. The incidents led to challenging rescues, but they could have been a lot worse. In both cases, the men escaped what would likely have been a catastrophic plunge by the narrowest of margins.

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By Jim Burnett - October 24th, 2009 5:00am

1 comment

Death At Channel Islands National Park Demonstrates Need to Be Prepared

A hiker who died at Channel Islands National Park from a presumed case of heat stroke sadly demonstrates not only the need to be prepared when you head out into a park, but also the wisdom of heeding advice from rangers.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 23rd, 2009 6:00am

3 comments

Man vs. Squirrel… Place Your Bets

A popular TV show has confirmed that many adults are not smarter than a 5th grader, but surely humans are smarter than ground squirrels. The following tale from Glacier National Park offers a good test of that hypothesis.

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By Jim Burnett - March 12th, 2010 1:20pm

This Third Time Was Anything But Charming – SPOT Misuse At Grand Canyon National Park

Frivolous calls to 911 centers are a growing problem all across the country, but when the call comes from a remote location in Grand Canyon National Park, both the expense and risks of an emergency response increase dramatically. A group of hikers recently activated their SPOT device not once, not twice, but three times on the same trip.

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By Jim Burnett - October 21st, 2009 10:29am

27 comments

Houseboat Fire at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Injures Six

An effort to siphon gasoline between two containers led to an explosion that injured six -- including two with burns severe enough that they were flown to a Las Vegas burn treatment center -- and destroyed a houseboat at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 17th, 2009 2:32pm

Plane Missing at Denali National Park and Preserve With Noted Wolf Biologist Aboard

An aerial search was under way Thursday across the northern half of Denali National Park and Preserve where a single-engine plane with a noted wolf biologist went missing.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 15th, 2009 6:34pm

5 comments

Adventurous Teens Need To Be Rescued From Precarious Perch on Ledge at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

If you've spent anytime around cliffs, you probably can appreciate that climbing up is a lot easier than climbing back down. Well, for three teens and their mother at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, getting down required quick assistance from park rangers who were able to rappel down and safely get the four back on firm ground.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 15th, 2009 5:30pm

Updated: Searchers Spot Missing Backpackers On Ledge In Kings Canyon National Park

Searchers looking for three missing backpackers in Kings Canyon National Park spotted a trio of men matching the missing hikers' description perched on a ledge above Roaring River Falls around noon Thursday. Due to their location, rangers were working on a technical rescue to get the three off the ledge.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 15th, 2009 3:32pm

13 comments

Missouri Man Dies in Fall From Cliff at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Bushwhacking across landscapes can be dangerous, particularly if the footing is steep and covered with talus -- areas of loose rock. At Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a Missouri man died when he slipped while crossing a talus slope and fell 70 feet into a shallow arm of Lake Powell.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 28th, 2009 2:38pm

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