NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, June 30, 2011

INCIDENTS

Rocky Mountain NP

Three SAR Operations Undertaken Over Two Days

Rangers responded to three calls - two lost parties and an injured hiker - on Monday and Tuesday, with both of the former resulting from trails that were hard to follow due to deep snow. The park received a call on Tuesday night from a man and woman in their 20s who had become disoriented while hiking near Lake Haiyaha in the Bear Lake area and were unsure as to how to get back to either the Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake trailheads. Rangers went to the Glacier Gorge parking area and employed lights in an effort to help them find their way out. Around 10 p.m., the lost pair reported that they could see the lights, but that they were too far in the distance to help them figure out what direction they should take. Rangers told them to stay put, suggested techniques for staying warm throughout the night, and told them they'd be heading toward their location at 6 a.m. Temperatures during the night were relatively mild, remaining in the mid-40s. Rangers reached the lost hikers at 7 a.m. and escorted them out. At about the same time the call came in from the lost hikers on Tuesday evening, rangers were notified that an 18-year-old woman had suffered an injured ankle near Ouzel Falls in the Wild Basin area. Since this trail was snow-free, they were on scene by 9 p.m. and evacuated her by horse. On Monday evening, a call came in reporting that a 56-year-old man who'd lost his way at the base of Flattop Mountain in the Bear Lake area. Rangers contacted him and advised him to keep moving east. His cell phone battery then ran out. Other hikers reported contacting the man at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and rangers reached them about 90 minutes later. Many visitors are not expecting deep snow trail conditions on higher elevation trails in the park at this time of year. Due to snow-covered trails, good route-finding skills are important and following tracks in the snow may lead a hiker to go off route and become disoriented. It can take longer to hike in these conditions and many visitors are not prepared to stay out after dark or overnight. Visitors should come prepared with these essentials items: Water, high-energy food, layers of insulating, windproof clothing, sturdy footwear and extra socks, storm gear for rain and snow, hats and gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, first aid kit, topographic map, flashlight or headlamp, waterproof matches, pocket knife and whistle. Cell phones are helpful but are unreliable. There are numerous trails in the park that are free of snow. Visitors are encouraged to stop at a park visitor center for current trail conditions. Many trail conditions are posted on the park website, HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/romo" www.nps.gov/romo - follow the Quicklink to Trail Conditions Reports. [Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer]

Mojave NP

Man Killed In Fall From Moving Train

Rangers, San Bernadino County deputies, and Union Pacific police all responded on Monday to a report of a body lying near the railroad tracks west of the Kelso Depot Visitor Center. The victim, apparently an illegal passenger, appeared to have fallen from the train while it was in motion and hit the ground with great force, causing dismemberment. The coroner was summoned and is conducting an investigation into the man's identity. There were no witnesses, but the incident appeared to have occurred sometime early that morning. [Kelsey Cassidy, Park Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Fort Laramie NHS - Over the weekend of June 24th, more than 70 members of the Great Sioux Nation and other tribally-affiliated people met at the park to conduct the Sicangu Lakota Treaty Council. Fort Laramie is the site where treaties were signed between the Sioux and the federal government in 1851 and 1868.

Grand Canyon NP - On Wednesday, June 15th, the park celebrated the completion of two years of improvements to the Mather Point and Grand Canyon Visitor Center area. Hundreds of people showed up to join in the celebration. Photo.

National Park Foundation - The National Park Foundation, in partnership with Coca-Cola, America's State Parks, and the National Recreation and Park Association, yesterday launched the second annual “America Is Your Park” campaign.

Intermountain Region - Alden Miller, a 17-year veteran of the NPS, has been named superintendent of Navajo National Monument in Arizona, which cares for three of the largest and best-preserved cliff dwellings of the Southwest's ancestral Puebloan people. Photo.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of Communications and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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