Pete Thomas Outdoors

Condor Kirk's epic Pacific Crest Trail hike in 3 minutes (video)

Hiking enthusiasts who followed Kolby "Condor" Kirk's 1,700-mile trek along the Pacific Crest Trail last fall are sure to appreciate the compilation of images and footage he crammed brilliantly into a short video uploaded last week to popular acclaim.

It shows Condor, a.k.a. The Hike Guy, at various points along the trail, his many expressions helping to illustrate both feelings of satisfaction after completing a long leg, and the toll a hike of this magnitude can exact (Condor lost 90 pounds during the five-month expedition).

 

The adventurer from Bend, Oregon, took up the quest after losing his job and subsequently gained widespread notoriety in hiking circles. He began at the Mexican border and did not quit until he had hiked most of the length of California. Finally, sapped of strength and energy, he wrote on his Facebook page:

"Well, my friends, I have found my northern terminus. After hiking for hours through 18 inches of snow in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, I came to the realization that I have found my limits."

The Pacific Crest Trail runs 2,650 miles between the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders.

Stated a  KCET report after Condor's hike came to an end: "While Kirk did not finish, he and many others will tell you that it's not about finishing, but the journey. Congrats, Condor! You're an inspiration to us all!"

Search continues for killer of Mt. Rainier park ranger

 

The "manhunt on the mountain" continued Monday for the man believed to have shot and killed a Mount Rainier National Park ranger on Sunday during a traffic stop inside the vast Washington state wilderness park.

[*Monday night update: Police find body of shooting suspect.]

Margaret Anderson was married with two young children and Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, a veteran of the Iraq war known to possess survivalist skills, is "a strong person of interest" in the case. Barnes, a suspect in an earlier shooting that injured four people in Seattle, is said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and prone to anger spells.

Police believe Barnes may have fled into the national park to hide out in the aftermath of the Seattle shooting.

Park officials evacuated 125 visitors and the manhunt involves about 200 personnel, searching from the ground and air.

Webcams installed throughout the park reveal the vastness of wilderness, and a mostly snowy landscape, with dark and threatening skies.  It's eerie to look at the webcams, knowing that a sick killer is on the loose.

Anderson, certainly, could not have known what kind of person she was contending with after the gunman sped past a checkpoint used to make sure visitors carried tire chains for the snow.

After a pursuit she was able to use her vehicle to block the road in front of the gunman—the road that leads to Paradise—and according to the Associated Press, Anderson was fatally shot before she stepped out of her truck.

She had worked at the park for four years. She and her family lived in the nearby small community of Eatonville. Above is an AP video news report about the incident. Below is an image showing a view of Mt. Rainier National Park from its "Mountain" webcam.

Is a hunting license required when geocaching?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: I was stopped by a game warden on a dirt road while out geocaching. He told me that if I am in a hunting zone when the season is open and I have a method of take (I always have a rifle with me), I must not only have a hunting license and tag for that zone, but I also have to show them to the game warden. All of this even though I said I was NOT hunting! Is this true?

If it is true, would this not deny everyone that uses the forest, and even land owners, their second amendment rights if they didn’t have a hunting license?

I thought this was ruled on and settled years ago. Have there been new laws enacted? The only new law I’ve heard of allows us to take our guns into national parks. This seems contrary to that new law. (Randy S.)

Answer: Fish and Game law does not require a person to have a hunting license and/or harvest tag while carrying a firearm in any area at any time of the year where access by the general public is otherwise unrestricted. A hunting license is only required if you are taking birds and mammals (Fish and Game Code, sections 22, 54, 86 and 3007).

According to retired DFG Capt. Phil Nelms, anyone who is traveling in these areas, especially persons carrying firearms during an open hunting season, can expect to be stopped by a game warden and questioned as to the nature of their activities. And, for some species of animals the season is open all year.

Game wardens have the authority to inspect any firearms, licenses, tags or game you may have in your possession (FGC, sections 1006 and 2012). This authority in the Fish and Game Code is in addition to that provided for all peace officers to inspect any firearm that is being carried in any area that is otherwise not open to the discharge of firearms, such as from or upon any public road (Penal Code, sections 374(c) and12031(e)).

Q: Are there any restrictions on the collection of crayfish? Any bag limits? Do I need a fishing license? (Kathleen J.)

Yosemite National Park trail improvement project completed

Yosemite National Park is a place of such natural beauty that it seems easy to take little notice of the areas that help visitors enjoy their magnificent surroundings. Thankfully, there are those who realize the importance of maintaining these oft-overlooked spots, and a 75-mile trail restoration project in Yosemite has come to completion with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at the park's East Valley Loop Trail.

The six-year, $13.5-million project -- funded mostly by Yosemite Conservancy doners -- is reportedly the largest trail repair and restoration project ever undertaken in Yosemite.

"Our goal was elegant in its simplicity -- improve the condition of Yosemite's most treasured, high-profile trails in order to protect irreplaceable natural resources," said Yosemite Conservancy president Mike Tollefson.

More than 30 miles of the John Muir Trail, from Tuolumne Meadows through Little Yosemite Valley to Yosemite Valley, had work done. There are new stone walls and rock staircases as well as drainage structures and habitat restoration to improve safety and protect areas bordering the trail.

Restoration and improvements were also made to about half a dozen trailheads along Tioga Road, offering better defined routes to popular locations, safer parking, food storage lockers or wilderness education exhibits.

"Yosemite's trails are pathways to discovery and inspiration. Some of the park's most important trails were improved to reverse years of degradation," said Park superintendent Don Neubacher. "The result is better trails, restored habitats and greater education opportunities for visitors."

 

Photo: Hikers enjoy the John Muir Trail near Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap in Yosemite National Park. Credit: Keith Walklet

Hiker falls to death on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

A 26-year-old woman fell to her death Sunday while descending from the summit of Half Dome within Yosemite National Park.

Hayley LaFlamme, of San Ramon, Calif., plummeted about 600 feet from the cabled route on the granite monolith. The incident is under investigation but thunderstorms were in the vicinity most of Sunday morning and the incident occurred at about noon.

Stormy weather makes for extremely hazardous conditions. Those planning to climb Half Dome should consult a web page set up by the park to show how to prepare for the endeavor.

The last hiker to have died on Half Dome was Majoj Kumar, also from San Ramon, on June 13, 2009. The most recent fatal accident on Half Dome's cabled route before that was in 2007.

Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park to open Saturday

The long-anticipated opening of Tioga Road, which traverses Yosemite National Park, will occur Saturday at 8 a.m.,  according to park superintendent Don Neubacher.

The Tioga Road (State Highway 120) represents the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. News of its opening will be well-received by fans of the majestic Sierra wilderness park.

However, there remains several feet of snow in the Tuolumne Meadows area. Hiking opportunities are limited and visitors are urged to use extreme caution. Additionally, ice is prevalent and stream crossings are treacherous.

Campgrounds along the Tioga Road are closed.  All commercial services, including the gas station, store, and village grill, also are closed until further notice. There are several no-stopping zones along the road, but vault toilets will be available in several locations.

Hiking stilettos sure to turn heads, possibly even ankles

It's either a peculiarly powerful fashion statement or a recipe for broken ankles -- or both.

In case you haven't heard, Gray Ant and Teva have partnered to develop a line of what product photos portray as hiking stilettos, which seller New High (M)art says marries "the Teva velcro-strap styling and grip-sole construction to a bold 4-inch stacked heel."

This unusual line of sport sandals is no joke, but it has become the butt of jokes, understandably, among those who have a hard time grasping the concept.

Quipped Conan O'Brien during his Tuesday night monologue: "They say the stilettos should make climbing Mt. Skankmore that much easier."

Not everybody is so cruel. The Daily Candy website stated: "They've been dubbed the most comfortable high-performance heels on the planet by their engineers -- and pretty damn good-looking by us."

Though stylish, they're also pricey, selling for $330 a pair and coming in two styles: Black-and-white with velcro closure, and tan with a buckle closure.

Smartly, New High (M)art posted this disclaimer on its website: "Not recommended for actual hiking, gardening, mountain climbing, or Phish concerts."

-- Images are from the New High (M)art website

 

Yosemite raid unearths major pot-growing operation

Yosemite National Park rangers this week raided a vast marijuana farm and seized 3,657 plants worth more than $14 million on land inside the park and the Sierra National Forest.

The raid Tuesday in El Portal occurred after a joint investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and Mariposa County Sheriff's Office. Two Mexican nationals, who were in the U.S. illegally, were apprehended in a raid that also involved officers from other agencies.

One of the men was armed with a loaded .45-caliber pistol, park officials said.

The cultivation site was extensive. Some of the plants were 10 feet tall and several pounds of processed marijuana also were confiscated. The workers had destroyed native vegetation to make room for the cultivation site.

In a news release announcing the bust, park superintendent Don Neubacher said: "We want these growers to know that we will not tolerate this type of activity on public lands and we will continue to aggressively seek out and eradicate illegal marijuana growing operations."

The raid was carried out safely, park officials said.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of pot plants that were seized during a raid in Yosemite National Park courtesy of National Park Service

Two fires prompt trail closures inside Yosemite National Park

Two fires caused by lightning have prompted trail closures in the northern portion of Yosemite National Park.

A fire near Lake Vernon has grown to 230 acres while the so-called Slope Fire near Harden Lake has burned 688 acres.

Because of the fires, all trails to Pate Valley from White Wolf are closed until further notice. The trail from the Tiltill Valley Trail Junction to Lake Vernon also is closed.

The Tiltill Valley trail to Tiltill Mountain remains open, park officials said.

Smoke from both fires is visible in the Hetch Hetchy area and from Tioga Road near White Wolf. The wilderness fires do not pose a threat to park facilities.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Half Dome at sunset courtesy of Kenny Karst

 

Yosemite expects holiday crowd but still no Half Dome cables

An odd sight this bustling holiday weekend at Yosemite National Park will be Half Dome with no people following the cable route to the top of the iconic granite monolith.

That's because the cables, which typically are in place by now, have not yet been installed and will not be installed for about two weeks because snow has not yet melted along the trail to Half Dome and on a portion of trail just below where the cables generally begin, creating unsafe conditions.

If it seems as though Yosemite is being overly cautious, it's clear that the park is being exceedingly cautious as it strives--after four deaths in four years on Half Dome--to make conditions safer for the thousands who make the pilgrimage to Yosemite each year specifically to attempt the challenging 16-mile round-trip hike.

For the first time, permits will be required to hike to the top of Half Dome on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. This interim measure--the park is developing a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail--is to alleviate overcrowding, which can lead to falls.

Permits can only be acquired, for a service fee of $1.50, via the National Recreation Reservation Service. No more than 400 permits per day (slightly above the average weekday usage rate) will be issued. Backpackers obtaining wilderness permits can receive a Half Dome permit with no additional reservation required. Rock climbers who reach the top of Half Dome without entering the subdome area can descend using the cables without a permit.

Half Dome news aside, Yosemite is expecting a very large crowd this weekend and the park urges visitors to arrive before 10 a.m. or late in the afternoon to avoid long lines at entrance points. They can also utilize the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation system. Glacier Point Road opens for the first time this season today at noon. Tioga Road, however, remains closed because of snow.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Half Dome courtesy of Kenny Karst