A couple in Ohio paddled down a flood-swollen Grand River in Ohio on a leisurely afternoon. A park ranger saw them go by on the river and then caught up with them on a trail later and asked if it was them he saw on the river. Since their boat wasn’t registered and they lacked life jackets, they said it wasn’t them hoping to avoid a fine. The ranger believed them and thought he had a missing-paddler case on his hands. Cue the 10 hour search party combing the river. The two later admitted it was them, and the judge gave them a choice: 90 days in jail or 100 hours community service. They chose the service, and the judge had them stand in a kiddie pool while wearing PFDs, handing out water safety pamphlets in the middle of town.

An environmental group in Montana is suing the U.S. Forest Service over their plans to use a low-flying helicopter to round up bison and push them back onto federal land to make way for livestock. They claim that the helicopters will cause grizzly bears to panic and flee. Instead they should claim that the U.S. Forest Service is incredibly lazy. Get some cowboys out there to push the bison back onto federal land, I’m sure they could get Discovery to turn it into a terrible reality show. Also, how do they know the helicopters will cause grizzly panic? Seems like a long shot.

May 14^th was a hectic day for me. I had to get up by 10am to meet some friends for breakfast, go to a BBQ and then go all the way across town for another BBQ. So I can totally relate to Michael Horst, the climber who put up two 8000m peaks on May 14^th. Alpinist is reporting that he climbed Everest then descended to Camp IV before traversing the South Col and topping out on Lhotse 21 hours later. Heckuva day, both of us. Well done.

The Hulk is the second installment in a series from Sender Films called Origins. The premise is that old world style climbing legends mentor modern climbers on their classic routes. In this installment, Peter Croft teaches boulderer Lisa Rands the finer points of climbing his 1,200-foot route The Venturi Effect.

The best thing about everyone wearing these goofy cameras around on top of their helmets is the random footage they happen to capture. There was that guy who fell backwards down the chute he was setting up to ski, and now a bunch of cyclists have this one. They were out for a little road ride when a car blew past at about 80mph. He gave the riders some space, but it doesn’t look like he gave the trees on the next corner the same courtesy.

via Adventure Journal

The Mother Nature Network has compile a list of the top 10 AT hikers, and it’s worth noting that the 10-slot went to former Gov Mark Stafford. He’s the guy said he was off hiking the AT when in fact he was somewhere in South America with his mistress. Other notables: Earl Shaffer, the first guy to walk the entire trail in one continuous hike, and the writer Bill Bryson.

A 49-year-old man was helping get his Scout troop out of the way of an incoming thunderstorm. He was standing near a tree in the rain when a bolt of lightning hit him. He was up and walking around by the time police arrived, but taken to the hospital so they could treat the wound where the lightning had exited his body. No children were hurt, but I’m sure it’ll make an exciting story for future campfires.

Do you have a favorite hellhole on Earth? This short film looks as the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California that was accidentally created when the Colorado River was diverted. It’s a fantastic story, a largely forgotten part of U.S. history told by the writer Ransom Riggs.

The Cleanest Line has a short feature on America’s most endangered rivers for this year. The biggest threats to rivers are nearby mines, hydrofracking, and sewage runoff. When you look at the list of 10, you’ll notice the threats are everywhere - the problem isn’t focused in states known for being friendly to mining interests. It’s an interesting read, especially when a lot of states are preparing for high water and flood season.