Archive for the 'National Parks and Monuments' Category

Morning Rage

Published on May 16, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Parks and Monuments and Politics. 0 Comments

I haven’t had my morning cup of joe yet, but I read this article on MSNBC and it did all the blood-boiling I need to get going on the rest of the day.

The Bush Administration, which loves the U.S. Park Service so much that it made one lame web video about it and pretended to be some horrible bizarro version of Teddy Roosevelt is at it again — this time, they want to show their love of nature by allowing more pollution in our National Parks.

The EPA wants to change the way pollution is measured around the parks, abandoning the same method that’s been used for three decades, and instead adopt an “annual average” method that would basically make it so that pollution spikes from increased power demand and other phenomena would never show up in the data. Mark Wenzler, of the National Parks Conservation Association, sums it up: “It’s like if you’re pulled over by a cop for going 75 miles per hour in a 55 miles-per-hour zone, and you say, ‘If you look at how I’ve driven all year, I’ve averaged 55 miles per hour. It allows you to vastly underestimate the impact of these emissions.”

The NPCA says this new rule change would allow 33 new coal plants to be built within 186 miles of 10 National Parks. This, at a time when Western Parks are experiencing their highest smog levels in ten years and it’s often unhealthy to breathe the air at Smoky Mountains National Park.

… At least now I know what to suggest for the President’s National Park Service Centennial Initiative — more interpretive plaques, like this one at Joshua Tree:

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for good measure, read more on Bush’s abysmal environmental record.

e-Survivalist in Joshua Tree

Published on May 6, 2008 in Gadgets and Gear, Geek Stuff, Joshua Tree National Park, in the media and product reviews. 1 Comment

nullThis weekend, the LA Times ran a story by Dan Neil, following his adventures as he tries to make a six-day, north-south backpack through Joshua Tree National Park — weighed down with 7 pounds of high-tech gear. And that’s 7 pounds in a pack that already tips the scales at 50 pounds. Ultralight, this is not.

I realize this Neil probably did this just for the story. No experienced hiker would feel the need for a GPS receiver, two personal locator beacons and a satellite phone. Nor would they ditch their tent in the middle of the park because their pack was getting too heavy. *I* wouldn’t bring an iPod, but that’s a personal thing.

There are mini-reviews of several of the devices he uses, including the much lusted-after Garmin Colorado, as well as a few traditional travel tales to keep you entertained. Neil’s a good writer, and his description of the mindset of long-distance hiking is one of the most accurate I’ve ever read:

Like other sustained-heart-rate aerobic exercises, backpacking releases neuro-hormones that, first, bring a rush of mental energy — the brainstorms, flashes of insight and relived conversations that you mutter to yourself like a crazy person.

Then, the lull of repetition, the hypnosis of boots, the trance of the trail. Crunch crunch crunch. No talking now. This is the time of listening to your body.

But for all his modern gadget-based assistance, in the end — even though he drove through the park before he set out to bury water all over the place — after 3 days and 40 miles his toenails threaten to fall off and he hitches a ride back to his car.

Goes to show you — the gadgets don’t make the hiker. The hiker makes the gadgets.

But the hiker still probably wants all those gadgets, anyway.

Photo Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Concert for Trash Prevention

Published on April 7, 2008 in Environmentalism and Joshua Tree National Park. 0 Comments

Remember that proposed trash dump right outside of Joshua Tree National Park? If you were around during the prehistoric early days of this site, you would — it’s one of the very first things I posted.

The on-again, off-again legal relationship still hasn’t made any progress since the last appeal, but the coalition of groups fighting to stop a giant pile of L.A.’s finest garbage from getting piled up on the doorstep of SoCal’s most accessible National Park is holding a benefit concert in Pioneertown on April 18th and 19th.

According to the Press Release:
“If you like good ole rock n’ roll or are concerned about our desert environment, join us for a fun weekend and support a good cause in Rockin’ For Joshua Tree. For more information call Donna Charpied (760) 574-1887 or email donna.c@ccaej.org. Donations to support the legal battle can also be made. Checks should be made payable to CCAEJ, earmarked for Stop The Eagle Mountain Dump, mailed to Donna Charpied/CCAEJ PO Box 397, Desert Center, Ca. 92239. CCAEJ is a non-profit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

Via National Parks Traveler, who also have some good info on the history of the legal battle to prevent this dump.

Backpacking Havasu Canyon

Published on March 24, 2008 in Excursions, Grand Canyon National Park, Trail Write-Ups, backpacking, camping and hiking. 9 Comments

A 20-mile backpack in the Havasupai Reservation. This breathtaking journey takes you from the rim of one of the offshoots of the Grand Canyon down to the village of its only permanent inhabitants, alongside a tropical-turquoise river and two stunning waterfalls — Navajo and Havasu Falls. Havasu Falls has the distinction of being one of the most-photographed waterfalls in the world. A farther day-hike from the campsite deeper into Havasu Canyon gets you to two more postcard-perfect cascades — the 210 foot tall Mooney Falls and the staggered staircase of Beaver Falls. A truly memorable backpacking and hiking experience.

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Welzenbach Explained

Published on March 5, 2008 in Joshua Tree National Park, Video, climbing and hiking. 0 Comments

If you’ve ever been reading a trail write up and come across a phrase like “class-three bouldering,” you may have stopped and asked yourself, “What the hell does that mean?”

Well, it’s called the Welzenbach System.

“OK,” you say. “Now what the hell does that mean?”

Tom dug up a clear, short, and wonderful video from BackpackingVideos that sets the whole thing straight with footage from Joshua Tree to illustrate exactly what these terms mean.

Now feel free to throw ‘em around when you want to intimidate other newbie hikers.

Via the venerable Two-Heel Drive.

NPS Map Update

Published on February 11, 2008 in National Parks and Monuments, Web Sites and Apps and maps. 1 Comment

The National Park Service has updated and upgraded the maps on individual parks’ web sites.

They’re basically high-res scans of those Park maps they hand out at Visitors’ Centers — so while they’re not really suitable for hiking, they are great at getting an overview of a specific area you’re planning on visiting … and will at least show you which trails are most likely to be crowded.

There’s a small green rectangular button beneath the banner image on each park, which will fire up the streaming, zoomable flash map. Previously, clicking on any map link on an NPS page would open up a PDF map, which would either display the same information or take down your entire computer with a browser crash.

So yeah, these flash maps are a marked improvement.

Via National Parks Traveler.

Hiking The Maze

Published on February 1, 2008 in Joshua Tree National Park, Trail Write-Ups, Video and hiking. 0 Comments

A newly-designated trail near the West Entrance, this loop encompasses parts of the North View, Maze, and Window Rock trails. A fantastic route that winds through large boulder formations, desert washes, slot canyons, and Joshua Tree forests, this path encompasses just about everything people love about Joshua Tree in one lightly-traveled trail. Highly recommended.
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Hiking Barker Dam Loop

Published on January 29, 2008 in Joshua Tree National Park, Trail Write-Ups and hiking. 1 Comment

A short and well-trodden nature trail in the center of the park. An easy way to get a glimpse at one of the most accessible areas of the Wonderland of Rocks, as well as seeing evidence of Native American petroglyphs. There is also a small, man-made reservoir here that will provide the rare chance to see water in the desert.
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Hiking Ryan Mountain

Published on January 28, 2008 in Joshua Tree National Park, Trail Write-Ups and hiking. 0 Comments

A straightforward, relatively easy hike up one of the most prominent, centrally-located peaks in Joshua Tree National Park. From this popular trail, hikers can get nearly 360 degree views of the entire park. This is a wonderful way to get a feel for the scope of the landscape, and a highly-recommended stop for first-timers.
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Park Service Old-Timers Tell It Like It Is

Published on January 8, 2008 in National Parks and Monuments and Politics. 0 Comments

It often seems like National Park Service employees aren’t really allowed to speak their mind until well AFTER they’ve left the Service — even when it’s their job to specifically do so.

So while we watch President Bush make web videos about how much he loves the Park Service, we can later read a comprehensive Wish List from the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, calling for such things as “principled decision making,” the restoration of science and research to the NPS philosophy, ‘greener’ park buildings and services, halting fee-increases, and returning the NPS to “its former status as a leader in the world conservation movement.”

Wish list, huh? It feels like this should be a “Why The Hell Aren’t Things Already Like This?” list to me.

Via National Parks Traveler.