Zion National Park »
Fighting for Monuments, Refuges and Water—Again and Again
Once a national monument is designated to conserve a landscape and its cultural history, once a natural habitat is legally protected to save wildlife, or once an oil pipeline is stayed to safeguard a
Read More »Tell a River’s Conservation Story Through Photography
It was barely dawn. We huddled amongst hard, orange rocks of Zion National Park, listening carefully to the trickle of water of that once carved its way through the canyon. Peter, as usual, took
Read More »Travel Tale: High Hopes in the Southwest Canyons
Say the words “American West” and right away you imagine vast, open plains, deep canyons and starting over. What is it about going West that has always meant hope in the American psyche, as
Read More »Do National Park Crowds Breed Advocates—or Build Annoyance?
A trip to Denali National Park is a journey into wild America at its best. This six-million-acre landscape is bisected by only one, 92-mile ribbon of road. Travel along it, and you’ll see low-elevation,
Read More »A Drone Crashed in Yellowstone: Do We Need Tighter Security in Our National Parks?
Anyone who has visited Yellowstone National Park can attest to the beauty of Grand Prismatic Spring, a body of water that has a deep, brilliant blue color at its center and measures 370 feet
Read More »National Park Shutdown: Move the Barricades or Write to Congress?
It was supposed to be a fall wedding in the heart of Yosemite National Park’s beautiful, famed valley. That was my son and his bride’s plan, until the government shut down the park on
Read More »Are Off-the-Grid Getaways Becoming Obsolete?
I’d like to tell you that I just returned from a totally off-the-grid vacation. Somehow, I feel more adventurous when I say that to you. I’d like to tell you that, but it wouldn’t
Read More »Jon Krakauer and Me
The “Recommended Packing List” in my Pre-Departure Briefing booklet for the Canyons of the American Southwest trip suggested I bring the usual gear: everything from a wool sweater and polypropylene long underwear to a pair of
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