Major bummer. Well-known NOLS leader, climbing guide and
activist Jim Ratz died in a fall in Sinks Canyon, Wyoming. The
52-year old mountaineer was off climbing by himself and was rappelling a rock face when the accident occured. No
witnesses saw the fall. Ratz was a legendary advocate of the outdoors. He was also a co-owner of
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, a company almost all major climbers know
well, and he served as the executive director of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) from 1984 –
1995.
“Play dead, Kathleen.”
What a bizarre story. A group of campers in Pennsylvania say that
a bear dragged their
compatriot, a 21 year old woman named Kathleen Feeney into the woods, tore at her clothes, bit her, covered her with
brush and tree branches, and pawed her something fierce. As the bear was attacking, her friend, apparently having just
read the Worst Case Scenario Handbook shouted: “Play Dead, Kathleen!”
Good advice, my friend, for the bear eventually gave up on a Kathleen lunch and left her alone. Quick-thinking
Kathleen was treated for scratch marks on her back, bites on the back of her head and a puncture wound on her leg. My
guess is she won’t be camping again anytime soon, nor tuning into Nickelodeon for Yogi Bear reruns.
Rambln Ramblin…Ramblin (naked) Guy
One would think that taking a ramble in Britain sans clothing would be a bit uncomfortable. Serious shrinkage, no
doubt. But Stephen Gough, 45, who walked the
length of Britain in the nude says he’s contemplating doing it again, perhaps with a friend. The former Royal
Marine says we’re just too bashful about our bodies, and so this is his unique way of showing people in this part of
Britain, well, his parts.
Eruption In Yellowstone?
We are nearing the anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens which took place on May 18, 1980, and is widely
regarded as a major catastrophic event. But we have several other places of high volcanic activity here in the states,
one of which, is smack dab in the middle of one of our most treasured national parks, Yellowstone.
Take a look at this story on MSNBC sent to me by Carl. The story
explains that a new report by the National Geological Survey places Yellowstone 21st on a list of the most dangerous of
the 169 volcano centers in the United States. There is also
a mini-site dedicated to a potential “super volcano”
in Yellowstone that aired on the Discovery Channel…something to be aware of, esp. if you’ve got a Yellowstone trip
planned this summer ;-).
Roy Chapman Andrews – the Real Indiana Jones
I’ve been working on a TV story about the Explorers Club and great explorers and
have been writing about folks like Sir Edmund Hillary and Thor Heyerdahl. But one character who keeps coming up in my
research is Roy Chapman Andrews.
My guess is that most people have no idea who Roy Chapman Andrews is. But the fact is Andrews made several major
discoveries, including a nest of dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert, something no one at the time had ever found. But
Andrews was a dashing, natty-dressed fellow and actually was such an adventurer that he was the model for the character
of Indiana Jones…another factoid most people are probably unaware of.
Here is a nice little audio piece on Andrews from NPR.
Listen and learn.