A snowy weekend with the prospect of two or three feet of fresh snow had me house-bound to a certain extent with plenty of time to wonder what the coming year will bring to the National Park System and related topics.

The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is getting $7.4 million ($5.5 million USD) in federal funding for critical infrastructure improvements to stabilize and conserve its historic Powerhouse building.

It’s never easy to climb Mount Pelée, Martinique’s UNESCO-protected volcano that killed nearly 30,000 people when it erupted in 1902. The hike is steep, slippery and treacherous, and fog often obstructs what should be well-earned views.

A winter storm knocked out the communication system at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, forcing the closure of all facilities in the park.