Are the US National Parks Becoming Less Safe?

Are Accidents and Fatalities in the US National Parks on the rise? A man was seriously injured on Thursday falling into a volcanic crater in Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano National Park. The man was apparently trying to get a better view of the caldera when he plunged 70 feet down to a lower ledge; initial reports stated that he lost his […]

It’s National Parks Week!

US National Parks Waive Their Entrance Fee for a Day It’s National Parks Week! US National Parks offered free admission on Saturday, April 20. Did you take advantage? Many people have likely heard about the entrance fee increases in National Parks. While some ghastly numbers were bandied about as trial balloons early in the process, the actual fee increases ended […]

North Face Team Climbers Presumed Lost in Avalanche

Three Respected Climbers Missing, Presumed Dead in Avalanche at Canada’s Banff National Park Tragic news from Banff National Park this morning. Three of the most respected members of the mountaineering world have apparently been killed in an avalanche. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/americas/north-face-climbers-presumed-dead-avalanche/index.html David Lama, Jess Roskelley, and Hansjörg Auer were “caught in an avalanche earlier this week while attempting to climb the east face of Howse […]

Shock, Sorrow…And Hope…for Our Lady of Paris

Notre Dame Cathedral Burns Just Eight Months After We Visited *BecauseItzThere was planning to run the third in a series of posts about our preparations for Patagonia. However, in light of the tragic events in France — and a place which we feel oddly connected to — we decided that can wait a bit.* By now almost everyone who has […]

Fitz Roy Turns One Year Old!

The Domestic (Dog) Adventure: Fitz Roy Two months ago we introduced the fabulous Fitz Roy, the first four-legged member of the BecauseItzThere team. It has been a seriously new experience having Fitz aboard. Site Editor and Minister of Expedition Brian has managed a hiking expedition or two, most often with positive results, and he has had some past experience with […]

Patagonian Route of Parks!

Chile unveils new scenic hike in wild Patagonia…but details remain rather sketchy We are preparing for a trip to Patagonia next year. So it is no surprise that THIS announcement would get our attention… According to the BBC… “Chile has launched a huge scenic route through its Patagonian wilderness to boost tourism and highlight the need for conservation. The Route […]