Hurricanes can be deadly, even when they are hundreds of miles away. A group of spectators at Arcadia National Park in Maine discovered this lesson the hard way.
They were perched on a rock cliff about 20 feet above the Atlantic Ocean as massive waves from Hurricane Bill smashed against the shore below them. A large wave soaked the ankles of the spectators who thought they were “in a safe area.” As people started to turn back from the cliff, a second monstrous wave struck violently and swept seven people into the churning ocean.
Four people managed to swim their way back to shore, but three others were swept out into the cold sea. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two of them, but 7-year-old Clio Axlerod of New York drowned.
Spectator Mary Ellen Martel saw their bodies “bobbing along in the frothy waters.” She added, “People were clapping and laughing when the wind would bring the spray over. It was a very festive atmosphere,” Martel told CNN in a telephone interview. “It was a warm, sunny day, and everyone was just enjoying the show that Mother Nature was offering, but not everybody knows to stay away from the edge — or way away from the edge.”
The last wilderness hike of the season in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is scheduled for Sunday, September 6. Hikers should meet wilderness ranger John Heiser at the picnic area near the amphitheater in the Juniper Campground in the park’s North Unit at 9:00 a.m. CDT. Participants should be prepared for strenuous hiking and wear sturdy boots and durable clothes.
It is essential that each person bring plenty of drinking water, food, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Heiser is offering four options for visitors to consider – looking for bighorn sheep, hiking to the North Unit Petrified Forest, hiking the Achenbach Hills, or hiking along the park’s longest bentonite ridge. The hikers will decide the morning of the hike on a majority vote.
Other considerations determining the hike will be the group size and weather conditions. The hike could last from 4 to 8 hours and cover 2 to 6 miles.
“This will be a great opportunity for visitors to get out in the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness Area and see some spectacular early fall scenery and wildlife,” said Superintendent Valerie Naylor. “It’s a beautiful time of year and we hope for a good number of hikers.”
Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars, cameras, and a favorite poem or quote. In the case of extreme weather, the hike may be cancelled; please call the North Unit Visitor Center at 701-842-2333 for current information.
It turns out that some visitors to Yosemite National Park were getting high on more than the towering granite mountains.
Yosemite Park Rangers and National Park Service Agents eradicated 4,735 marijuana plants valued at nearly $19 million. Two suspects managed to escape, and no arrests have been made.
“Yesterday’s operation reaffirms our commitment that Yosemite remains safe for visitors, that the park will not accept these incursions, and organized growers will not profit from these activities”, said Chief Ranger Steve Shackelton.
Marijuana cultivation is the most destructive illegal activity occurring within national parks. The results are tree and vegetation clearing, chemical and fertilizer pollution, unauthorized construction of roads, ditches and dams, and piles of human waste and garbage. At this particular site, officials removed nearly 400 pounds of fertilizer, 3,000 feet of irrigation hose, and 200 pounds of human trash.
Glacier National Park officials had to kill a 17-year-old grizzly bear that kept returning to the Oldman Lake Campground. One of the bear’s two cubs died when it was tranquilized.
Glacier Superintendent Chas Cartwright says the death of the yearling cub was an accident and will be reviewed. Officials safely captured the other cub and will ship it to the Bronx Zoo. That’s better than death, but probably not by much.
The public is invited to join the staff of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in celebrating Founder’s Day on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Park visitor centers in both North and South Units will offer free cookies and lemonade. National park-related movies will be shown at the South Unit Visitor Center at 9 a.m., 12, 4 and 5 p.m. to celebrate the entire national park system.
"We are pleased to celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the National Park Service with our park visitors," said Superintendent Valerie Naylor. "We are experiencing record visitation in the park this summer and the anniversary is a time to reflect on the value of national parks to Americans."
Entrance fees at national parks across the country will be waived this weekend, August 15-16. It’s the third free weekend this summer, an effort to encourage Americans to enjoy affordable vacations in our national parks. There will be no entrance fees at all 147 sites across the country that charge for admission. The 244 other parks, such as North Cascades National Park, do not charge entrance fees.
An 11-year-old boy died from dehydration in the intense heat of Death Valley National Park after he and his mother became stranded.
Rescuers found Alicia Sanchez, 28, her dog and dead son in a Jeep Cherokee buried up to its axles in sand. She said her son Carlos died Wednesday.
Sanchez and her son set out Saturday with a case of 24 bottles of water and snacks on what was to be an overnight camping trip. She fixed a flat tire and continued into Death Valley following directions from a GPS. She eventually hit an underground animal den and became mired in the sand.
Nobody reported them missing until Wednesday. An air and ground search was launched at dawn Thursday, and a park ranger discovered them about 11 a.m by following tire tracks on a dirt road into the desert.
“It’s in about as remote and isolated an area as you can find,” said Death Valley National Park Chief Ranger Brent Pennington. “A GPS does not replace a map, a compass, checking in at the visitor center and letting people know where you’re going to be.”
Summer temperatures soar above 120 degrees in Death Valley. The high temperature Tuesday and Wednesday was 111, with a low of 96 early Tuesday.
A California woman fell to her death Sunday while hiking in Zion National Park with her husband and three children. Nancy Maltez, 55, fell 1,000 feet off the north side of Angels Landing. Witnesses say Maltez stumbled while hiking on the tricky trail, which hugs the cliff nearly 1,500 feet above the Virgin River.
“There is an element of risk involved with hiking any of our trails, especially when they are high elevation trails like Angels Landing,” said Zion Pubic Information Officer Ron Terry.
A National Park Service search and rescue team found the woman’s body in the canyon below. Angel’s Landing was temporarily closed Sunday during the investigation and recovery, but is expected to reopen today.
Angels Landing Trail is one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the U.S. National Parks. The trail climbs along a narrow rock fin with dizzying thousand-foot drop-offs on both sides. Chains are embedded into the rock in places to give hikers an extra hand-hold. The trail ends on a small bald with magnificent 360-degree views. Only experienced hikers and climbers with no fear of heights should attempt the trail. As this incident demonstrates, one wrong move on Angel’s Landing can result in a fatal fall.
A 13-year old Minnesota boy was found safe at Glacier National Park after his kayak capsized in Lake McDonald. Officials launched a “major search for a missing kayaker on Lake McDonald” on Tuesday and found the boy later that evening. The boy’s grandfather searched for his grandson for an hour before calling officials.
High winds created rough conditions with waves as high as six feet. Rangers found the capsized kayak near the middle of the lake. A little over two hours later, a tour boat spotted the boy on the eastern shore of the lake.
The boy, who was wearing a life jacket, said he was capsized by a large wave. He couldn’t stay with his kayak, so he swam to the far shore of the lake. He was so tired and cold that he crawled into a hollow log to warm up, and fell asleep for about an hour. The boy was treated for possible hypothermia.
The historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park is getting its first complete renovation in its 80+ years of service. The hotel requires extensive work to bring it into compliance with building codes, earthquake standards, and to replace outdated electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems.
The National Park Service is developing the Ahwahnee Comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan for a phased, long-term rehabilitation of the Ahwahnee and its guest cottages, employee dormitory and landscaped grounds.
Check out this video tour of the Ahwahnee National Landmark hotel:
The public is invited to join the staff of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in celebrating Founder’s Day on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Park visitor centers in both North and South Units will offer free cookies and lemonade. National park-related movies will be shown at the South Unit Visitor Center at 9 a.m., 12, 4 and 5 p.m. to celebrate the entire national park system.
A California woman fell to her death Sunday while hiking in Zion National Park with her husband and three children. Nancy Maltez, 55, fell 1,000 feet off the north side of Angels Landing. Witnesses say Maltez stumbled while hiking on the tricky trail, which hugs the cliff nearly 1,500 feet above the Virgin River.