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The Grand Tetons National Park

By Mike White, DailyTitan.com

With its scenic views, bristling wildlife and good-old cowboy charm, the small town of Jackson Hole, Wyo. is more than just a home on the range.

As air travelers begin their downward decent into Jackson Airport, the only municipal airport within the national park, they’re treated to the picturesque view of the jagged Grand Teton Mountain Range.

The Jackson Hole valley sits at an elevation of 6,200 feet above sea level and is home to many wildlife including elk, bison, moose and grizzly bears.

The town of Jackson is part of a 97 percent government-owned preservation area including the Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the National Elk Refuge where over 7,000 animals hibernate every winter.

Beyond the wildlife, however, the deeply rooted heritage of Jackson unfolds around its visitors as soon as they arrive in town. Elk antlers in the form of archways are dominant decor marking the entry points of the Jackson Town Square. There, a Clydesdale-drawn stagecoach circles and paces the roads while the driver enthusiastically tells passengers about the Buffalo Bill Cody shootout that occurs every evening.

Down the street, a giant neon sign depicting a cowboy on horseback waving his hat catches your eyes as night falls. Underneath sits the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Steakhouse, a well-known place to eat some of Jackson Hole’s finest food.

Buildings made of log and carved wood showcase the western architecture the small town prides. Bear, moose and cowboy souvenirs can be seen in every storefront; tourists can also find huckleberry jam and even chocolate-covered moose droppings.

A few miles north of town, photographers and hikers can take advantage of the sprawling scenery and its mesmerizing wildlife in the national parks.

Moose junction, near the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, is an exciting place for amateur photographers to snap off-shots when the moose come down to cool off or catch a drink in the river.

Photography enthusiasts will also be taken aback by the jagged peaks of the Teton Range, originally named “Les Trois Tetons” (The Three Breasts) by French-Canadian fur trappers in the 1920s, but later given the individual names Grand Teton, Middle Teton and South Teton.

Hikers can partake in the variety of trails at different skill levels the national park offers guests. Beginners are usually directed to the loop at Jenny Lake and if you hike a few miles up, you’ll find breathtaking falls. More experienced hikers can test their skill on the vertical, higher altitude formations.

For those who don’t hike or are looking for other activities, fly-fishing, kayaking, canoeing and even paddle boarding are other activities found at several lakes at the base of the Tetons.

But if you’re looking for something more exciting, whitewater rafting on the Snake River is one of the most favored activities of the summer season.

The scenery along the river banks, home to many bald eagles and osprey, is calm and serene until the water turns into raging rapids. The eight-mile stretch of river sweeps you away through several natural obstacles including rocks, rapids and fallen trees.

Some of the Snake’s most popular features are “The Big Kahuna,” “Lunch Counter” and “Champagne Rapids.”

The Big Kahuna rapid is known for catapulting rafters into the air before dropping them in the water and soaking them. Lunch Counter, which in the spring can become a class IV rapid, a rapid considered difficult with long and powerful currents, standing waves and whirlpools, has become a spot surfers take a liking to; many paddle out and ride stationary waves for more than ten minutes at a time. Champagne, unlike the others, is a turbulent rapid spilling out into deep calm water while sending millions of effervescent bubbles to the surface.

While river activities take up the spring and summer months, skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing supply winter travelers with plenty to do.

If you’re looking for a real old-western experience or just wanting to get in touch with some of nature’s most beautiful surroundings, Jackson Hole is the destination for you.

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 7, 2011 – 10:49am From National Parks Traveler

Editor’s note: This version adds comment from The Access Fund.

Climbing in Denali National Park and Preserve, NPS Photo

It will cost more in 2012 to climb Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker in Denali National Park and Preserve, as park officials are moving to offset the cost of protecting and rescuing climbers.

The decision to boost the fee from $200 to $250 for climbers age 24 and younger, and to $350 for all others, comes after a long public engagement process and meetings with the country’s foremost climbing organizations. The exchanges weren’t always complimentary, as at times the climbing community questioned whether all park visitors should bear the costs of the program and insinuated that perhaps Denali’s mountaineering program was bloated.

However, in a prepared statement issued by the park this morning Phil Powers, executive director of the American Alpine Club, expressed satisfaction with the fees.

“This is an example of the kind of considered process that results in policy we can support. I want to applaud (Denali Superintendent) Paul Anderson and the National Park Service for opening up their process and listening to the concerns of the climbing community,” Mr. Powers said.

At The Access Fund, policy director Jason Keith also was satisfied with the outcome.

“It’s been a long road. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but we’re happy with how things worked out in the end,” Mr. Keith said in a phone call with the Traveler, noting in particular the $250 youth fee.

“The park worked hard to get there,” he said.

Denali’s mountaineering program has evolved substantially since 1992, when 13 climbers died on McKinley, which is considered to be one of the most dangerous mountains in the world to summit due to the weather spun off from the Gulf of Alaska. In the aftermath, officials adopted a three-part strategy to heighten the safety of climbers: (1) a mandatory 60-day pre-registration; (2) enhanced preventative search and rescue education (PSAR), and; (3) a special-use fee to partially recover the costs of the program.

That third leg, the special-use fee, in 1995 was set at $150 per climber for those heading up either 20,320-foot McKinley or 17,400-foot Foraker. Part of that revenue was used to establish the 7,200-foot Kahiltna Basecamp, the 14,200-foot Ranger Camp, and the 17,000-foot High Camp for climbing rangers so they could be properly acclimated to the elevation and ready to respond to rescues or other assistance.

The revenues also enabled the park to create a “preventative search and rescue” — PSAR — program to educate climbers to the risks and hazards they might encounter on the mountains. The results of that approach were recognized in 2008, when a “study published in 2008 by the Journal of High Altitude Medicine and Biology concluded that the Denali PSAR program had reduced the fatality rate by 53%.”

However, while the fee increased to $200 per climber in 2005, the park has been spending much more than the revenues generated by the climbers. This past March, park officials said those climbing fees covered just 17 percent of the costs of maintaining the mountaineering program, which for fiscal 2011 was estimated to run $1.1 million.

The park has received a total of $440,000 in base increases to fund the high altitude helicopter program and expects to collect $200,000 from the cost recovery mountaineering special use fee. This leaves $520,000 in direct operating costs that must be funded from either other park program funds, an increase in the user fee, or a combination of both.

Climber numbers over the past decade have remained essentially flat, as has NPS staffing, the park officials noted. Excluding costs of the high altitude helicopter portion of the program, operational expenses have gone up significantly, due mainly to inflation.

In an effort to find a more sustainable funding model, park management began informal discussions in 2006 with leadership from the American Alpine Club, the Access Fund, and the American Mountain Guides Association, as well as park concessioners and other stakeholders in the climbing community. In October 2010, the park formally initiated a proposal to increase the fee.

Almost 500 public comments were submitted, the majority of which indicated they would support some aspect of a climbing fee increase, as long as the increase was reasonable and equitable. Other comments submitted called for the elimination of the use fee altogether, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, several comments suggested full cost recovery including a fee increase up to $1,500 per climber.

The new climbing fees will take effect for the 2012 mountaineering season. In future years, fees will be adjusted periodically based on actual costs, not to exceed changes in the cumulative consumer price index, a park release said.

“Mountain climbing represents a longstanding tradition at Denali National Park dating back to the first ascent of Mt. McKinley in 1913,” said Superintendent Anderson. “Climbing fulfills one of our park’s fundamental purposes. As such, we are committed to sharing in the cost of the program and continuing to allocate appropriate levels of the park’s base funding to the climbing program.”

The superintendent added that the park’s mountaineering program will strive to institute many of the suggestions for operational efficiencies gathered during the public process.

For additional information on the mountaineering program or cost recovery special use fee visit the park website at www.nps.gov/dena/. Contact South District Ranger John Leonard for questions about the fee at (907) 733-9105 or john_leonard@nps.gov.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska is the largest park in the national park service. Also known for having the continent’s largest assemblage of glaciers and the greatest collection of peaks above 16,000 feet, the park offers extreme adventure for the stout of heart. Mount St. Elias is the second highest peak in the United States at 18,008 feet and presents ample mountaineering opportunities. The park’s remoteness has resulted in little human occupation in the past, preserving its primitiveness.

The park is located a days drive east from Anchorage and lies adjacent to Canada’s Kluane National Park. There are three ways to view and get into the interior of the park. The 61-mile McCarthy Road is a dirt and gravel road that can take up to 3 hours to traverse. The Nabesna Road is a 42-mile gravel road from Slana to Nabesna that traverses the headwaters country of the Copper and Tanana drainages. The third way to view the park is by airplane where you can fly past massive peaks, over jagged glaciers, and endless expanses of wild Alaska.

The park and preserve encompasses four mountain ranges, the Chugach, the Wrangell, the Saint Elias, and the end of the Alaska Range on the northern borders. This in turn holds some of North America’s most remote wilderness. The terrain runs the gamut of mountains, glaciers, coastal and intertidal communities, rivers and lakes. Mountain climbing and ice climbing are big options to consider.

This truly wild Alaska is waiting to be explored by kayak, rafting, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering and mountain biking. Mountain biking can be done on the McCarthy and Nabesna Roads, some dry creek beds and a number of trails in the Glennallen, Copper Center-Chitina area. Sea kayaking can be done in Icy Bay on the coast and along the 150 miles of rugged coastline. Keep in mind that the coastline is for experienced sea kayakers as the coastline is wild and exposed to the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska or Yakutat Bay. Most kayakers are flown into the area to start at Kageet Point on the eastern edge of Icy Bay or Pt. Riou, located on Chugach Alaska Native Corporation land southeast of Icy Bay. Rafting opportunities are available in the rivers.

Hiking and backpacking can be done almost anywhere in the park, but conditions can often be muddy. Better hiking is available on the trails and routes that lead into the Mentasta Mountains north of Nabesna Road or past mile 36. You can also charter a plane to drop you off in the more remote interior. The landscape offers tremendous scenery and wildlife viewing. During the summer there are a wide variety of beautiful butterflies to be seen.

There are ample opportunities for fishing in the park and preserve. With the numerous lakes and rivers it can be a fly fisherman’s dream. Grayling, whitefish, Dolly Varden, lake trout, rainbow/steelhead trout, cutthroat trout, sculpin, burbot, lamprey, smelts, and suckers are all found in the park. The Gulkana River is a good place to catch salmon.

Sport hunting is allowed only in the preserve and in accordance with Alaskan regulations. It probably offers one of the biggest varieties of animals to hunt in the state. There are opportunities to hunt bear, Dall sheep, mountain goat, muskoxen, moose, waterfowl, and caribou. Off-road vehicles (ORV) can be used on established routes.

Winter also offers its share of outdoor adventure. Ice climbing, cross country skiing, snow skiing, snowmobiling, and snow shoeing are all options to enjoy if you love the cold weather. Remember that it can get minus 50 degrees F. in the dead of winter.

So no matter what your outdoor pleasure is, if you enjoy solitude and ruggedness, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the place for you. With the numerous shorebirds and two passerine migratory routes, the numerous wildlife, dragonflies and unique butterflies along with the rugged beauty of the terrain, you will experience something you won’t get any where else. This is definitely a park that should be on your must-see list.

It’s pretty simple to get off the beaten path in this video about Biscayne National Park because there is no path. Biscayne’s park features are 95% underwater. Listen as Park Ranger Rebecca Haynes takes you through the unique attributes of Mangroves.

Today was the fifth stage of the Breck Epic. Epic indeed. After some singletrack climbing and descending on the Breckenridge ski hill, surprisingly good singletrack in fact, we hit the Burro Trail. This is a tennish mile rocky rooty trail that kept us working, especially given the steady rise. This was followed by some steady climbing on dirt road that brought us into a breathtaking alpine amphitheatre and the Wheeler trail. To the south was the northern face of Quandary Peak, one of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. It’s hard to describe just how amazing this scenery is. I’ve heard talk of some killer north facing couloirs on Quandary and I saw them today. After five days of racing this god-forsaken singlespeed, a lazy early summer ski day sounds pretty damn appealing. In fact, the Jeff Carter rule of hiking states that ski descents are the only reason to hike at all. There used to be two reasons, but I’m engaged now.

So this Wheeler trail is beautiful and a great place to take your bike for a walk, because all the gears in China aren’t riding that climb. Again, the Breck Epic delivers the Big Ride in race form. Yeah these aren’t the 6 hour days of the Transalp, but it also isn’t riding a 3% grade up a paved road for two-and-a-half hours either. In fact, thus far, I’d say this race combines the beautiful high alpine riding of the Transalp with the luscious singletrack of the BC bike race into one tasty package.  I love it.

So after nearly an hour of hike-a-bike, we topped out on the East facing flanks of the Ten Mile range and rode some soggy singletrack that kept us from taking in the views.  Having ridden this trail before, the view is of the Gore range, a fairly remote range north of Summit.  Cross the service road, lots of photographers, and see my good friend Catherine cheering us all on. Then we boot up to Wheeler pass where we are greeted by a nearly fifty mile-an-hour wind. Then it’s a three thousand foot descent to Ten Mile Canyon and the bike path. Loose high alpine trail gave way to bermed turns and stream crossings.  Hit the bike path and watch the geared bikers pass me by. At one point I try and catch a draft from a fifty year old lady with a lunch box on the back of her cruiser, but she, too drops me. The singlespeed does have its limitations.

In the singlespeed category, I pretty much saw my last-day podium hopes vanish as Jake simply rode away from me today. In fact he was second on the day. I have really enjoyed this competition and will come out as strong as I can tomorrow hoping for a miracle. There has been great camaraderie amongst all the singlespeeders and they are a great bunch of guys and girl. On the eve of the final stage, I can say this has been one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life, watching this incredible event come together in the mountains where I ride whenever I get the chance. As the fatigue of the week has set in, my ability to lay down witty blogs appears to be falling off. Thanks for reading.