Backcountry.com: The Goat

Grass Cutting at All National Parks Suspended Indefinitely

Rocky Thompson — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Following the death of a seasonal worker at Blue Ridge Parkway near Ashville, North Carolina, all grass cutting at national parks will cease until safety guidelines can be reviewed. The man who died was a Vietnam vet in his third summer of employment. His riding mower fell 140ft over a boulder-strewn embankment.

“A five-member National Park Service accident investigation team concluded its investigation Monday, but has not released its findings. Stinnett said it would be “months” before the results of that report are made public.”

There’s no doubt—this is a tragic accident and terrible loss, my heart goes out to everyone who knew the man. But I wonder, is suspending all grass cutting nationwide not a bit heavy handed? Perhaps just suspend grass cutting at this one park where the accident happened, and leave the five-person safety council out of it. This bureaucratic nonsense is what destroyed NASA; let’s try to stick to logic in the National Park Service.

So, Just How Much Water Is Out There For Us to Pollute?

Rocky Thompson — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:45 +0000

Though the surface of the Earth is covered in more than 70% water, most of the Earth is, of course, earth. This image from the US Geological Survey gives you an idea of what size sphere you’d get if you put all of the planet’s water in one ball and compared it to home. With a volume of about 332,500,000 cubic miles, it’d reach from Salt Lake City to Tokeka. While the ocean is deep, it’s relatively just a thin film wrapping the globe. I will keep this in mind next time I have the urge to fill my hot tub with bottled water from Fiji.

via Moldy Chum

Skier Unhurt After Plummet into Crevice

Rocky Thompson — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:19 +0000

A Seattle skier was making his way across open terrain near Decker Mountain in British Columbia. He spotted a small crack, then he spotted it expanding, then he spotted the sun from the bottom of a crevice. He had no cell phone or emergency beacon, but he did have an extraordinary bit of luck. Another skier on the mountain saw him disappear, and since he also lacked a cell phone, he skied out to get help. The skier was rescued and is uninjured. The best part is that it happened in Canada so U.S. taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill. U-S-A!

Santa Cruz Becomes a World Surfing Reserve

Michael Frank, Adventure Journal — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:01 +0000

Local surfers as well as the Santa Cruz government and local businesses have teamed up to give the designation (which really means nothing on its own) some teeth. And to make World Surfing Reserve mean something in the rest of the world, too, by creating a formula that can be followed by communities worldwide. The idea grew out of the Save the Waves Coalition, which has fought for specific surf spots globally. But they wanted a way to unite entire communities behind protection initiatives and although nascent, they see the model as one that can take off worldwide. Via NPR.

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New Mayan Calendar Found, End of World Isn’t On It

Steve Casimiro, Adventure Journal — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:33 +0000

A Mayan ruin predicts the future — and the end of the world isn’t on it. One of the oldest records of Mayan culture has been unearthed in Guatemala and the astrological chart is pretty amazing. Archaeologists stumbled onto the tables inscribed on the walls of a small building while excavating part of the Xultun ruins, a large, heavily looted archaeological site in northern Guatemala. What the numbers in the table indicate are huge lunar cycles, as well as the cycles of Mars and Venus. And we’re talking major math, calculated out thousands of years. The table predicts the heavenly bodies’ orbits not only well beyond the existence of Mayan culture, but perhaps beyond our own. Via Scientific American.

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Man Kills Rabid Mountain Lion with Frying Pan

Rocky Thompson — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:39 +0000

Not only did he kill the rabid mountain lion that was attacking his dog, but he did it at 6:45 in the morning. That’s early for anything, let alone killing mountain lions. The story is a funny one that includes the frying-pan-hero screaming obscenities at everyone and one of their friends shooting the dead rabid mountain lion several times to make sure it was dead. But the absolute best aspect of this story is the picture the guy submitted to the local newspaper.

via Outdoor Pressroom

A Canadian Leads the Giro d’Italia for 1st Time

Michael Frank, Adventure Journal — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:40 +0000

This past Saturday Ryder Hesjedal became the first Canadian to wear the maglia rosa (the pink leader’s jersey) since the race began in 1908. He got there by climbing slightly better than his rivals and then hung on during another rolling day in southern Italy on Sunday. Yesterday he fought hard to hold his narrow, nine-second lead and should be able to defend it for a few more days, until the Giro hits the mountains, where the 31 year-old isn’t going to be a favorite. Via Cyclingnews.com.

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A Tunnel Under the Tetons?

Steve Casimiro, Adventure Journal — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:46 +0000

Sure, for $400 million a mile. It ain’t gonna happen, but that doesn’t mean Jackson, Driggs, and Victor residents aren’t fantasizing about a road under Teton Pass, an idea that was discussed at a recent Wyoming Department of Transportation meeting. The benefits would be immediate for drivers commuting over the avalanche-prone Route 22 between Idaho and Wyoming but even more tastily for backcountry skiers, who would have the existing road over the pass to themselves. “Conceptually, it’s a neat idea,” said WYDOT district engineer John Eddins, but costs could be extraordinary — up to $200 million to $400 million a mile. Well, it’s a nice fantasy. Via Jackson Hole Daily.

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All the Beauty of Yosemite (By Webcam)

Rocky Thompson — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:27 +0000

The Yosemite Conservancy’s webcams are challenging the New York hawks for nature webcam domination. The non-profit group posted the cams in Yosemite just in time for the spring snowmelt to capture all the waterfalls and bloom of green in the valley. As silly as it is to watch a webcam of a rock, I have to say, I like that it’s there, and the technology will only improve. It’s a nice way to infuse a bit of nature into a windowless desk job. It might not be as nice as taking a hike over lunch, but at least it’s a bit of a mental break. Plus it’s free.

Jersey Ski Resort Sues Over Warm Weather

Michael Frank, Adventure Journal — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000

Mountain Creek, a 1,040-vertical-foot, eight-lift ski area in New Jersey, has taken its insurance company to court to pay out on a bad-weather policy. Everest Indemnity issued the insurance to cover Mountain Creek if temperatures were too warm to make snow and natural snow didn’t fall. That’s exactly what happened last December, but the two companies are fighting over how to calculate the temperatures, and $1.7 million is on the line. The policy required 11 days between December 12 and 27 with temps over 33 degrees for payout; Everest says there were nine, so nothing is due, while Mountain Creek says 16, so the whole enchilada is due. At issue is which weather stations to use — on mountain or nearby. Via The Ski Channel.

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