| Page 1079 | National Parks Traveler

I live in the area where this woman lived and have read all the posted comments in the local papers. Many have assigned blame to the rangers for allowing people to ascend the cables in poor conditions. This frustrates me so much! People, take responsibility for your own actions and stop expecting the government to take care of you. There are natural consequences to everyth

What Do Bears And Wolves In Yellowstone National Park Do When No One's Watching?

Aug 4th - 08:42am | Anonymous

Matt for president.

Aug 4th - 06:43am | Jim W

Amazing! two very intelligent creatures enjoying one anothers company. If you look at postures of both the wolf and bear you notice both in relaxed, comfortable states. The bear is going about his/her business with it's head down smelling for food. The wolf's tail is hanging loosely behind not showing a dominant nor a submissive state but rather just a relaxed situation.

Aug 3rd - 16:40pm | Jon Devereaux

Sir. Clearly you are no film student. Your cynicism is unwelcome, and unwanted. Take a moment from your bitter and drab life to enjoy a wonder of Nature. If you were to even casually examine the angles of the shadows, and the blending of them in one shot, you WOULD see, were you capable of perceiving (which I doubt) that these animals are, indeed, in close proximity.

Aug 3rd - 16:21pm | irrnceltic

this just proves that we humans could learn bunches from the animal world...

Aug 3rd - 15:47pm | Anonymous

Sadly - The Politicians took away the Wolf's endangered status. So enjoy this photo as the wolves will be wiped out....AGAIN form political stupidity and greed.

Aug 3rd - 11:04am | Shelly Willis

My sentiments exactly Bob, also man - the most destructive, cruel species.

Aug 3rd - 04:01am | irene hutchison

Dances with bears! I wish i'd seen that! :)

Aug 2nd - 22:59pm | Shireen C

Great & Lucky catch of these two!I live just outside Yellowstone and have never seen anything quite like it. Thanks!

Aug 2nd - 21:29pm | Marc

This is not so unusual, as can be seen in this video… bears are now seen "playing" with dogs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-Nyt4Bmi8 Yes, we can learn a lot from nature… silly humans!

Aug 2nd - 20:18pm | Anonymous

We have seen several images in "Nat Geo" of Polar Bears interacting with Sled Dogs in a similar manner. Does not seem too far a stretch to see this happening -- for "who cares what" reason... I think this is a moment that was shared to inspire humans to put aside differences and try to tolerate others.

Aug 2nd - 18:47pm | Woody

It's either a juvenile bear, or a king-hell BIG wolf.

Aug 2nd - 18:05pm | R.Kipling

Probably looking for Bagheera and Mowgli.

Aug 2nd - 17:59pm | Anonymous

It looks to be a juvinile bear. As such it's not a lot bigger than a full grown adult wolf. I love the speculative explanations about perspective though...except they seem to fly in the face of logic considering the 2nd picture has the wolf behind the bear, sniffing at its legs.

Aug 2nd - 17:55pm | Matt Man

They are both on their way to punch their timecards for the day. Everything I needed to know I learned from Looney Tunes. You remember that cartoon:

Aug 2nd - 17:52pm | michael W.

Just curious, but did you actually read the story?

Aug 2nd - 16:37pm | Anonymous

Bears are bigger than wolves. If you see a photo where they look similar in size -- like these -- it means that the wolf is a lot closer to the camera than the bear. He is keeping a healthy distance.

Grizzly Bear That Charged Man in Yellowstone National Put Down By Rangers

Aug 4th - 06:39am | Anonymous

I always get a laugh out of those who think humans are infringing on bear turf. In such a short time us humans have come to view natural surroundings as somehow alien. Humans and grizzlies have been occupying the same habitat for thousands of years. There's nothing more natural than a human killing a grizzly, ought to happen more often.

Aug 3rd - 14:19pm | y_p_w

Anonymous:

Aug 3rd - 13:06pm | Anonymous

I see a growing number of "animals" being put down for infringing on human turf. Sorry, but, it was their turf first. People that are not using their heads cause the problems we are having. I don't want to see bears, cougars, coyotes, etc.

The Outer Banks

Aug 4th - 00:07am | Ron Saunders

Kurt, Nice article and surely a good book. Sparks my interest. Interesting, the folks that are attracted to the outer banks and their impressions about the same areas of interest throughout the years and decades. And Gee Whiz Anon, I guess the article wasn't perfect was it ? Ron (obxguys)

New Solar Project at Yosemite National Park is Largest Of Its Kind in the NPS

Aug 3rd - 15:10pm | Anonymous

"Savings" may be fleeting. A local gov't entity in East Tenn. claimed a given "Savings," but did mention the cost (paid for by federal tax payers). This calculated to pay back over 32 years assuming accuracy of "savings" and no upkeep/maintenence costs in the ensuing years. Nope, it's still not ready for prime time.

National Park Road Trip 2011: Lodging At Mammoth Cave National Park

Aug 3rd - 14:59pm | linda

I have enjoyed your posts on your trip. We took trips like this in the 1970's and plan to take one next year staying in cabins and hotels in or near each park. Your reports have been a wonderful way to plan and get excited about seeing our NP's again. Thank you

Aug 3rd - 10:49am | D Wagner

When do you anticipate the new issue of your book to be available??

Aug 3rd - 09:34am | Brad

Thank you for your amazing trip reports! I have read each one and watched all the videos. It was nice taking a virtual trip with you over the summer. Have a safe trip back to GA and be prepared for the heat which we've been dealing with now for months.

Aug 3rd - 08:55am | Connie

Thanks for your road trip.....I have really enjoyed living vicariously through your travels. Having visited quite a few of the stops you've visited, I've enjoyed seeing the videos. It has also enticed us to take another cross-country trip to a few new places that we haven't seen yet. A trip to the NorthWest is definitely in order now. We are headed to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in Septemb

Aug 3rd - 08:37am | Gary

I have enjoyed your information about our Nt. Pks. I look forward to more. Thank you.

National Park Travelers Club To Meet in Washington, D.C.

Aug 3rd - 14:29pm | tomp2

...with a field trip to the nearest NPS unit (I'm guessing Timpanogos Cave or Golden Spike).

Aug 3rd - 10:42am | Kirby Adams

I propose a "National Parks Traveler" meeting for all readers of NPT. Kurt's house. Early this fall. BYOB.

Billy Malone And the National Park Service Investigaton At Hubbell Trading Post

Aug 3rd - 14:00pm | Violated Expect...

After reading this very good book, it is abundantly clear to me that the NPS demonstrates a pattern of making bad situations worse, though arrogance, stubborn behavior and poor judgment. It was clear at several junctures in this case that the NPS should have reevaluated, changed course and moved on. Instead, they repeated the

Aug 3rd - 09:24am | Choices

Examples abound, if not made institutional, in the DC culture that transparency is the enemy. Can't really blame government agencies their operation model when the top attorneys at DOJ are the examples. Survival skill, really. Those with the transparent genes are hammered. That culture trickles down to the boots on the ground and is not encouraging for the human spirit.

Jennifer Pharr Davis Sets Time Record For Thru-Hike On the Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Aug 3rd - 11:10am | Rick B.

Guys - she has already done the leisurely look at the flowers trek on the trail. I get that this is more an athletic endeavor now, in a place she likes.

Aug 3rd - 10:50am | Kirby Adams

Everyone enjoys the outdoors differently. I'm often found at a scenic overlook with my back to the vista, straining to see a little brown bird that flew into a half-dead bush on the slim chance it's a bird I haven't seen before. Speed hiking sounds like hell to me, but I totally "get" Jennifer. And I envy her for what she must have felt at 3:27 p.m. on Sunday.

Aug 3rd - 09:58am | CraigBowman

Hi from GA. . .what an odd thing to do ! ! Hike the most beautiful path in the Eastern US and do it as fast as you possibly can. No side hikes to vistas ? No extra hours in the prettiest meadow or mountain you've ever seen, no. . .I don't get it ! But, her deal, not mine. God Bless, Craig

Aug 2nd - 22:20pm | Matt M.

To each their own. I think this is dumb, but if it makes her happy, why not?

Aug 2nd - 19:32pm | Learning Curve(r)

We ALL have different learning curves. Maybe it's just a phase, lol! Congratulations on your achievement, really, but do come back and "enjoy" every step when you are ready. No disrespect (I know what drives you:).

Aug 2nd - 19:13pm | Rick B.

Well, we already had the debate for and against speed hiking, and the general agreement was "not my thing, but she is respectful - more power to her".

Aug 2nd - 19:02pm | Anonymous

Obviously, this lady is very athletic, but I can't help but think that this is a perversion of the outdoor experience.

Grand Teton National Park Refines Bear-Watching Guidelines

Aug 3rd - 09:48am | CraigBowman

Hi from GA. . .We witnessed this 'bear jam' thing when we visied GTNP & YENP earlier this summer, and I do not envy the park rangers their job. Anybody with an expensive camera and a long lens is a 'photographer' these days. We found them to be annoying and generally rude. Whatever the ranger on site does to keep these idiots safe is probably more than they deserve.

Aug 3rd - 09:47am | J.D.

I totally support this new regulation. It is long over due in my opinion. I can’t COUNT the number of times I’ve seen people willfully approaching wildlife in our national parks. The offenders have been all sorts of people: professional photographers, photographer wanna-bees, overly excited visitors with point & shoots & cell phones, and even people

Reader Participation Day: How Should National Parks Handle Overgrown Vistas?

Aug 3rd - 09:15am | Cliff Leverette

In the case of national battlefields, I think that the way that the battlefield was first preserved as a national monument is the way to keep it. In some cases, the original architecture of bridges and buildings important to the park have to be replaced, but efforts should be made to keep the orginal lines and style.

Aug 3rd - 08:04am | MRC

The landscape of Yosemite Valley as seen by early white travelers was heavily influenced by the fire regime the native inhabitants of the valley used to clear grounds for their use. Doing nothing, most of the valley, except the immediate meadows of the Merced river and recent talus slopes under the big walls would be woods.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Officials Proposing To Charge For Overnight Backcountry Use

Aug 3rd - 07:46am | jbwood5

Backpackers, in comparison to other users of the Park, have minimal impact. Instead of hitting this small group of people with fees, how about implementing a "special access fee" for visiting and using places like Cades Cove, Clingman's Dome, and even the very expensive visitor centers (charge $1 or $2 to view the film). With a fee structure such as that, additional staff could be put in-plac

New Webcam Debuts At Mount Rainier National Park

Aug 3rd - 05:43am | Fred Fox - The ...

Dottie, I believe that would be Mt Hood in Oregon.

National Park Mystery Photo 31 Revealed: Lewis Mountain Negro Area Sign Exhibit at Shenandoah

Aug 2nd - 16:41pm | Bob Janiskee

I don't know who made the "like new" replica sign shown in the photograph.

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