Springtime in the Rockies is never a particularly easy time. In Yellowstone National Park, the freeze-thaw cycle at this time of year plays havoc with the roads, as evidenced by the slumping of a short section of the Grand Loop Road near Canyon.

A two-week search for a missing hiker in Yosemite National Park. A search for a missing snowshoer on Mount Rainier. Recovery of bodies from climbing accidents in Grand Teton National Park. A week-long, and unsuccessful, search for a missing 8-year-old at Crater Lake National Park. Each year, thousands of search-and-rescue missions cost the National Park Service millions of dollars. And each year the agency eats the costs.

It's been quite a while since the Traveler mentioned the national parks documentary that Ken Burns was working on. So what's he been up to since then? Quite a lot, it turns out.

It's not too often that a national park plays a role in a murder investigation, particularly not one out of the "cold file" bin. But authorities think Death Valley National Park just might be holding the remains of victims of the Manson Family.