NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 16, 1999

                               *** NOTICE ***

The saga of the returned Morning Reports seems to have come to an end, except
for the investigative work.  As noted previously, many folks on the admin
issues bulletin board received 200 or more returned undeliverable Morning
Reports dating back to last July.  Meanwhile, a total of just over 8,200
messages - either undeliverable Morning Reports or notices that past editions
of the MR had been read by recipients - came back to your editor, requiring
about eight hours to download via the park's LAN.  The cc:Mail system
administrator and others are currently trying to determine just what
happened.  Film at 11....

INCIDENTS

99-124 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Rescue

Experienced mountaineers M.C., 51, and D.G., 36, set out
to climb Mount Rainier via the Gibraltar Ledges on Sunday, April 11th.  High
winds and whiteout conditions prevented them from ascending above Camp Muir
(10,080 feet), so they began descending the mountain.  The wind blew them off
the Muir Snowfield route and onto Paradise Glacier.  As they were crossing
the glacier at the mountain's 8,800 elevation, both men fell into a narrow
crevasse which was covered by snow and not visible.  D.G.'s backpack
caught near the top of the crevasse, and he was able to extricate himself;
M.C. fell about 70 feet and became wedged in the crevasse.  The park was
notified via a 911 call.  Climbing ranger Michael Gauthier and volunteer Tom
Mallard were flown in by helicopter.  They descended into the crevasse and
found M.C. hypothermic, but ambulatory and not seriously injured.  He was
extricated and flown to Harborview Medical Center.  M.C. has twelve Mount
Rainier summits to his credit, including a climb of the challenging Liberty
Ridge route.  D.G. has attempted the mountain on four occasions and has
climbed other Cascade volcanoes.  The contract helicopter had a difficult
time achieving lift; it took a half hour of knocking ice off its blades
before it could fly from the glacier.  [Maria Gillett, MORA, 4/14]

99-125 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Arson 

A number of fires were set along the parkway between French Camp and Dancy
during the afternoon and early evening of Sunday, April 11th.  The fires made
the local television news stations; later that evening, four more were set in
the Cherokee District in Alabama.  The latter are believed to have been
copycat fires, not set by the same person as the first fires.  The
investigation is continuing.  [Tim Francis, ACR, NATR, 4/14]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

Little River NRA - The park is interested in trading a 1985 three-quarter-ton
military type four-by-four Blazer for a Caprice or Crown Victoria sedan in
good condition with reasonable mileage.  The Blazer is green, has low
mileage, and is in good condition.  Contact Dwight Dixon at 256-997-9239.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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