A heart-tugging tale in this morning’s Mercury News recounts how an Australian named Grant Tischler hiked to the place where a plane crash killed his father 55 years ago Wednesday. Wednesday morning, Tischler arrived early at the trail head for…
In the news
Yosemite’s Tunnel View: new and improved
by tom • October 23, 2008 • 0 Comments
It’s hard to imagine improving on the vista at Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park, but that won’t stop people from trying. They already cut down some ponderosa pines that had the temerity to block people’s sight lines; now they’ve…
Angel Island fire shots
by tom • October 13, 2008 • 2 Comments
A section of Angel Island caught fire Sunday night. There are tons of great pictures on Flickr. I never watch TV on Sundays; otherwise I would’ve known about it (possibly; my potential for cluelessness is boundless). Cal Fire’s page here.…
Ventana Wilderness fire devastation
by tom • October 13, 2008 • 3 Comments
Here’s a chilling photo album from just one section of the Ventana Wilderness: It’s in the Tassajara area. Fedak tells me the whole area remains closed because of this year’s fires. This page notes that the Basin Fire burned over…
Great pix from the Steve Fossett crash site
by tom • October 10, 2008 • 1 Comment
A kindly commenter named Gus left this link with a bunch of pictures and maps from last week’s Steve Fossett crash discovery. My Google maps of the crash site proved to be fairly accurate. What mystifies me: if the plane…
Yosemite rock slide links
by tom • October 9, 2008 • 2 Comments
Scary rock slides crashed into Curry Village in Yosemite Valley yesterday and the day before. Rick of Hike Half Dome sent me a link yesterday after I went to work so I’m playing catch-up this morning. The latest from the…
Steve Fossett crash wrap-up
by tom • October 3, 2008 • 2 Comments
Steve Fossett would have had a hard time picking a more dramatic backdrop for his final adventure. From the road leading up to the eastern Yosemite gate, the Minarets loom dark, jaggy and dangerous on a far-off ridge in the…
Fossett’s plane wreckage found
by tom • October 2, 2008 • 1 Comment
Just found this: CNN video of this morning’s press conference. Also, CNN.com has pictures of some of the wreckage. This just in: Some human remains found at the crash site. The latest on Steve Fossett’s plane, courtesy of USA Today:…
Hiker finds Steve Fossett’s ID near Mammoth Lakes
by tom • October 1, 2008 • 3 Comments
Steve Fossett, the round-the-world-in-a-balloon guy, disappeared just under 13 months ago. On Monday, a hiker in the hills near Mammoth Lakes found what appear to be items belonging to Fossett, the Associated Press reports. Update: LA Times says the items…