Barred owls are notoriously aggressive and territorial, and have been , even when seemingly unprovoked. Now, the federal government plans to authorize killing up to 450,000 barred owls across the western United States under a finalized in 2024.

The management plan is not a new proposal, but it follows a long tradition of hikers in the Pacific Northwest reportedly being attacked by the flying predator.

Reports of aggressive owls are well-documented and longstanding. Multiple runners in the Portland area have reported being and left with wounds throughout the years. Stolen hats, visible puncture marks, and advisories to wear hard hats in certain parts of the city have all been associated with the owl attacks. And after a Washington woman was by an owl while walking in the woods near her house in 2022, biologists report that the occurrence is becoming more frequent.

As most true crime fans will recall, the “owl theory” was one hypothesis put forward to explain the death of Michael Peterson’s wife in the Netflix documentary The Staircase.聽That’s right, some argue that Kathleen Peterson may have died after .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) management plan, however, is designed not to save humans from barred owls but to save other, less dominant species of owls, such as the northern spotted owl and the California spotted owl. Barred owls, which are native to the eastern seaboard but only appeared west of the Mississippi in the early 1900s, are classified as invasive to the West and Northwest. In total, the FWS says in its that no more than 15,600 invasive barred owls per year could be killed under full implementation of their approved strategy.

Stretched out over the proposed 30-year management period, this would mean a total of 468,000 barred owls would be euthanized throughout the western United States. However, the FWS added that 鈥渢his is an upper limit that may be removed assuming maximum implementation of the strategy,鈥� adding that, even if reached, 鈥渋t would result in the annual removal of less than one-half of one percent of the current North American barred owl population.鈥�

Tom Wheeler, executive director of the California-based nonprofit , told 国产吃瓜黑料 that a coalition of conservation groups supports the management plan. Wheeler cited a letter co-signed by groups including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and the Center for Biological Diversity, that stated the “strategy is a necessary conservation action to stop the extinction of the northern spotted owl and to protect other native species impacted by the barred owl鈥檚 invasion.”

“Barred owl removal is also a habitat protection strategy. Barred owls outcompete spotted owls and are driving the species to extinction. BO removal is likely to provide both long- and short-term habitat protection,鈥� Wheeler told聽国产吃瓜黑料.

In addition to attacking humans, the FWS notes that barred owls are one of two primary threats to the continued survival of the threatened northern spotted owl, along with habitat loss, because barred owls are 鈥渓arger, more aggressive, and have a wider prey base.鈥� Unlike northern spotted owls, California spotted owls are not yet classified as threatened but 鈥渘ear threatened.鈥� However, this species, too, faces severe displacement from barred owls.

At least 14 national parks are included in the areas where barred owls could be killed, including the Washington national parks Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades, Oregon鈥檚 Crater Lake, and the Sequoia and Kings Canyon, as well as Yosemite, Redwood, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks in California.

Some environmental and animal welfare groups are not pleased by the plan. Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy against the FWS over the plan last year. Last week, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (CPANP), a nonprofit, published a letter to Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, urging him to vote against implementing the management strategy. The letter鈥檚 author, wildlife biologist Elaine Frances Leslie, called the planned culls an 鈥渦nprecedented and deeply troubling course of action鈥� and one that 鈥渧iolates the spirit of the National Park Service鈥檚 mission.鈥�

Leslie noted that although barred owls are not native to the Northwest and West, 鈥渞ange expansion is a well-documented ecological process鈥� and 鈥渨hile we agree that some of the range expansions are due to climate change, fragmentation, and other human-caused disturbance, the rate of range expansion is inevitable. We have considered policy, but we must also consider moral and ethical concerns. To massacre barred owls to protect the spotted owl in this matter is unethical.鈥�

FWS that the culling will be performed by professional removal specialists who meet training, experience, and competency requirements, which include 鈥渢he ability to accurately identify spotted owls and barred owls using both visual and auditory means, and confidently distinguish between the two species.鈥� The agency notes that no public hunting of barred owls is permitted under the strategy, and that it is unlawful for anyone to kill a barred owl without authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Leslie and the CPANP argue that, among other issues, it will be challenging to ensure that the owls killed are exclusively barred, not spotted, and claim that the plan 鈥渋s a pretext to open up old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, and to allow for incidental killing of threatened northern spotted owls.鈥�

鈥淭here is no way that there will not be incidental 鈥榯ake鈥� (killing or capturing) in a project of this size and scope,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that this plan will be detrimental to both barred and spotted owls.鈥�

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A helicopter crashed while landing on a helipad in the settlement of Lobuche, near Everest Base Camp, amid a snowstorm on October 29. It was one of several that were evacuating foreign tourists from Nepal鈥檚 Khumbu region due to severe rain and snowstorms.

It鈥檚 the latest in a string of ongoing emergencies聽atop the world鈥檚 tallest mountain.

Law enforcement officials stated that the helicopter lost traction while attempting to land at 7:43 A.M. local time, skidding in snowdrifts and overturning on the helipad. The only occupant at the time of the crash was the pilot鈥攊dentified by as Vivek Khadka鈥攚ho escaped unharmed.

A video of the crash was shared on by AccuWeather, a global weather company.

The crash occurred amid severe weather caused by Tropical Cyclone Montha, which made landfall on the southeastern coast of India on October 28, bringing heavy snowfall to the high-elevation regions around Mount Everest and severe rainfall to lower elevations. Meteorologists anticipate further severe rains and snow today and into the weekend. In response, officials on both the Nepalese and Chinese-Tibetan sides of Everest have closed their respective regions to tourists. They are also recommending that travelers postpone any plans to trek other high-elevation circuits, such as Manaslu, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri.

Over the past few days, several high-profile evacuations have occurred in the Nepalese Himalaya as a result of the snowstorms. Over 1,500 people, including approximately 200 foreign tourists, were rescued from the area around a high-elevation lake on Wednesday. Yesterday, a group of 72 trekkers was from Annapurna Base Camp.

The difficulty of these operations was highlighted again on October 31, when a trio of British and Irish tourists, along with a dozen Nepalese porters and guides, were rescued from Nepal鈥檚 Hidden Valley after spending three days stranded in subfreezing temperatures. Helicopters were unable to fly due to the weather conditions, so a rescue team had to trek in to evacuate them on foot.

鈥淭hey were barely able to walk, but were really happy when they saw us,鈥� Nepalese army officer Gaurab Dhoj Khand Thakuri said to . Nepalese officials told the outlet that 鈥渁valanches, landslides and road blockages could continue to affect the area until at least Saturday.鈥�

These latest storms are the second bout of heavy snowfall to hit the Everest area this month. Hundreds were rescued from around Everest in early October after another powerful storm dumped several feet of snow across the region.

The post A Helicopter Crashed Near Mount Everest Base Camp While Trying to Rescue Tourists appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

All roads leading in and out of Yellowstone National Park were reopened on October 29 following a mass closure of roadways that occurred earlier this week. A snowstorm that blew through the area on October 26 caused a staggering 30 vehicular incidents in a single day inside the park, as drivers struggled to navigate ice, blowing snow, and extreme weather.

Mishaps included cars sliding off the road, stalling, and becoming stranded, reported Wyoming media outlet .

The outlet鈥檚 meteorologist, Don Day, explained that the park, which sits at roughly 8,000 feet, lies in a unique climatic zone. While weather events may be mild outside the park, within it, even seemingly minor storms can have a big impact.

鈥淭he whole park is on an elevated plateau,鈥� said Day. 鈥淓ven the ‘lower parts’ of the park, like Lake Yellowstone, are still at a high altitude. That elevated plateau makes Yellowstone a ‘high island’ that creates its own weather, in a sense.鈥�

The debacle was the first major winter event in Yellowstone National Park of the 2025 fall season, which may explain the many incidents, according to Day. He called it a 鈥渨ake-up call for a lot of people,鈥� adding that, 鈥渨e have to remember how to drive in this, maybe not go so fast, and assume that if a road might look wet, it might be ice. Little things like that make a big difference.鈥�

The winter weather system that caused the storm聽was especially well-suited to make the park鈥檚 interior roads particularly dangerous.

鈥淚t had a lot of moisture,鈥� said Day, 鈥渁nd the upper-level wind pattern was just right to focus in on the park, especially as you got up into the higher elevations.鈥�

Most of the vehicular mishaps were caused by black ice, according to Day. Many of Yellowstone鈥檚 roads are heavily shaded by tree cover, and even on sunny days, it can be cold enough for black ice to form.

鈥淏y 3:00 P.M., that sun angle is already low enough that the pavement may have already cooled off. What was wet an hour ago is now black ice, and that low sun angle plays a huge role,鈥� explained Day.

Julie Argyle, the postmaster at the Lake Village Post Office inside the national park, told Cowboy State Daily that the vehicle mishaps came at a bad time, due to staffing shortages in the park resulting from the federal government shutdown.

鈥淣ot even the rangers were at full staff,鈥� said Argyle. 鈥淚 don’t know how many people on the road crews are working.鈥� She recalled that during a previous snowstorm on October 12, 鈥渋t took them longer than normal to clear the roads because of the people who weren’t there.鈥�

The road closures came just days before the park was scheduled to shutter its East, South, and West entrances for the winter season. Most of the closed roads have since reopened, but on October 31, park officials will again block them off until late Spring 2026. Only the North and Northeast entrances of the park will remain open through the winter.

For current road conditions, visit Yellowstone鈥檚 webpage.

The post After 30 Vehicle Mishaps, Yellowstone Closes Major Roads Into Park appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Just before noon on July 20, 2025, an Italian mountaineer named Marco Confortola trudged to the summit of 26,509-foot Gasherbrum I in Pakistan. Confortola snapped photos of himself to commemorate the moment: in ascending the peak, he claimed to have climbed all 14 of the world鈥檚 mountains above 8,000 meters.

Or had he?

In the following weeks, two Italian mountaineers named Simone Moro and Silvio Mondinelli called Confortola鈥檚 achievement into question. They contacted the Italian Alpine Club鈥檚 journal, , to dispute the claim, alleging that Confortola had failed to actually reach the summit on some of the 14 peaks. Confortola hit back at them in an interview published by . A lengthy online fracas ensued.

“I went to the summit, and then people can say what they want,” Confortola told聽Lo Scarpone. (Confortola did not respond to requests for an interview with 国产吃瓜黑料.)

Why did these mountaineers dispute Confortola? The heroic photos he uploaded to social media from the summits, they said, appeared to be manipulated versions of images taken by other climbers. In the Lo Scarpone article, Moro and Mondinelli included screengrabs of Confortola’s photographs, as well as photos from other climbers, to show the similarities.

Confortola鈥檚 photo from atop 28,169-foot Kanchenjunga, they pointed out, looked like a cropped version of an identical photograph taken by a different climber, Pakistan鈥檚 Shehroze Kashif. Confortola鈥檚 photo on 27,825-foot Makalu looked eerily similar to one taken by his countryman, Marco Camandona. In an interview with the Italian climbing website , Comandona accused Confortola of stealing his photo. A summit selfie Confortola posted from 27,940-foot Lhotse is also nearly identical to that of Spanish climber Jorge Egocheaga.

“If someone took a summit photo in the same way, does it necessarily have to be a stolen photo?” Confortola told聽Lo Scarpone.

The accusations of the false summits鈥攁nd the photographs that were called into question鈥攇enerated a small tonnage of media intrigue. Stories about the accusations appeared in UK newspapers and , German newspaper and Spanish news outlet , and on multiple mountaineering websites. Other than a La Stampa, Confortola did not provide comment to any of the outlets.

“I’m being smeared with mud and accusations,” he told the newspaper.

But a growing chorus of mountaineers did comment to outlets, including Italian great Reinhold Messner. The 81-year-old Italian said that he, too, doubted that Confortola actually climbed some of the peaks.

鈥淚f someone claims to have reached the summit of an eight-thousander, he has the duty to show proof,鈥� Messner told the Italian daily newspaper . 鈥淚f this is missing, the alleged ascent remains a personal matter: for the history of mountaineering, it does not exist.鈥�

A Long History of Fake Summit Photos

Confortola is not the first climber to have his accolades called into question due to photography. Accusations of false achievements on high mountains have existed for more than a century, and in almost every case, photographs have played an instrumental role in confirming or debunking the achievement.

In 1906, American explorer Frederick Cook claimed the first ascent of 20,310-foot Denali, but his achievement was later debunked as a fake, and his supposed summit photo revealed to have been taken on a different mountain. Today, that mountain is affectionately known as Fake Peak. Italian alpinist Cesare Maestri claimed a first ascent of Argentina鈥檚 10,262-foot Cerro Torre in 1959. But today, his achievement to have been faked.

Austrian alpinist Christian Stangerl admitted to fabricating an ascent of 28,2510-foot K2 in 2010. The late Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck of faked ascents. In 2016, two different pairs of Indian mountaineers to claim Mount Everest summit certificates.

One of the strangest fake summit attempts I鈥檝e ever seen occurred in 2023, when an anonymous Reddit user posted on the that he and two partners had summited 24,452-foot Muchu Chhish, a peak in remote Pakistan. This was a big deal, because Chhish, at the time, was the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.

The post elicited a lot of buzz鈥攊t became r/Mountaineering鈥檚 most-upvoted post of all time. But within the professional climbing community, there was a strong feeling of skepticism. The photos the individual posted did not appear to be from the summit of a mountain as high as Muchu Chhish.

I communicated briefly with the author of the Reddit post. He refused to connect on a phone interview, or to provide GPS evidence of his ascent. He later deleted the photographs from Reddit and vanished. 鈥淚t was so obviously fake that we didn鈥檛 spend much time on it,鈥� Dougald MacDonald, executive editor of the American Alpine Journal, told me at the time. 鈥淵ou have to wonder: Why?鈥�

Do Experts Think The Photos Are Fake?

I showed Confortola鈥檚 disputed summit photo from the summit of Lhotse to Connor Plunkett and Galen Reich, two researchers at the open-sourced intelligence group . I asked them if they believed the image was real or fake. They told me that specific details in the photo led them to believe they had undergone some level of manipulation.

鈥淚 try to be careful when making claims,鈥� Plunkett said. 鈥淏ut the evidence strongly suggests that there’s been some editing here.鈥�

When accused of faking the Lhotose photo, Confortola聽told Lo Scarpone, “That’s another lie. I took the photo.”

Plunkett said that Confortola’s聽photo appears to have been manipulated through a digital editing technique known as cloning. This entails copying and pasting certain sections of a photograph, or groups of pixels, from one region of a photo to another.

鈥淭here is obvious cloning going on in the background of this image,鈥� Plunkett explained.

The image, a selfie, appears to show Confortola crouching in front of the Lhotse summit, with wind-swept snow spray billowing off the top. The angle of the photo, and Confortola鈥檚 placement in it, is almost identical to the one that Egocheaga took and put online in 2013, the same year when Confortola聽allegedly climbed the peak.

Plunkett and Reich pointed out that some sections of the billowing snow鈥攚hich isn’t present in Egocheaga鈥檚 image鈥攁re identical, such as a cluster of snow spray immediately to the right of Confortola鈥檚 helmet and a cluster near the top of the photo, directly above the apex of the summit. The identical pattern of snow suggests that the snowflakes were added to the photo with editing software.

But both Reich and Plunkett told me that there is no way to prove with 100-percent certainty that an image is fake. Researchers must rely on their own eyes, and on a growing collection of online tools.

鈥淵ou don’t need to be a forensic image expert to be able to tell that something has been manipulated,鈥� Plunkett said.

How the Professionals Look for Photo Manipulation

Plunkett and Reich told me that they rely on a collection of free online tools to help them determine whether or not a photograph is legitimate.

Plunkett and Reich recommend starting with an image鈥檚 EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data, which is embedded in digital photos. This information often includes the date and time a photo was taken, and may also contain the latitude, longitude, and even elevation. Users can use online tools like and to find the metadata in a given photo, although this tactic is a long shot, as social media platforms typically wipe metadata when files are uploaded. Even taking a simple screenshot will result in an identical photo without all of the original metadata.

If that doesn鈥檛 work, Reich and Plunkett said to try reverse-image searching portions of an image, such as for the bits of snow spray. For mountaineering photos in particular, they recommend cropping out the entire foreground鈥攚hich often includes the triumphant climber鈥� and reverse-image searching the background. Google is a good start, but they also recommend the Russian search engine to access a wider net of photos.

They also advise using an augmented reality tool like to analyze the peaks that would be visible in the background of a purported summit photo. The damning element of the alleged Muchu Chhish summit photographs is that no tall peaks appear in the background, yet the mountain is ringed by other high points.

鈥淭he accuracy of their terrain data is much better than Google Earth,鈥� Reich said.

Reich said the easiest way to spot whether a summit photograph has been stolen from a different climber is to use a publicly accessible tool called Forensically, which has a clone-detection feature.

I used a different tool, called MaxAI, to layer the Lhotse images of Egocheaga and Confortola on top of each other. I noticed that every ridge of snow in the two photos is exactly the same.

A Need for New Ways to Verify Summits

Rodolphe Popier, a veteran alpine chronicler and record-keeper for mountaineering archival sites 8,000ers.com and , told me that he has held suspicion of Confortola鈥檚 climbing achievements for years.

Popier, who was among the first to raise serious questions about , said that the problem of false summit photographs stems from mountaineering鈥檚 lack of an official institution to verify ascents.

鈥淭here is no court of law to judge mountaineering,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he only court is public opinion. Today, that public opinion is represented by social media, which is very quick to react, but is not always a good judge.鈥�

Indeed, climbers make news of their ascents by publishing summit photos on Instagram or Facebook so that their followers and sponsors can see. But it’s easy to copy or download these images from the Internet.

These days, hundreds of climbers often summit Mount Everest during the same week amid the spring climbing season. Some of these climbers have sponsorship dollars and other incentives at stake in reaching the top.

Amid the influx of people on the world鈥檚 highest mountains, Popier believes climbers should meet a minimum standard of proof when they claim a successful ascent. He points to GPS tracking files, summit photographs showing clearly recognizable geographic features, as two ways to verify a climb.

That’s an argument that even Confortola may agree with. In his short interview with Lo Scarpone,聽he advised other mountaineers to do everything they can to make sure their climbs are able to be verified.

“At this point, I’d advise all climbers to always carry a satellite tracker, to avoid all this pointless controversy,” he said.

In lieu of presenting hard proof of a successful climb, Popier said mountaineers should expect their accolades to be doubted.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very simple,鈥� said Popier. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to claim something publicly, be prepared to prove it. If you have no proof, don’t be surprised when you are criticized.鈥�

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More than 20 hikers needed to be rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington in New Hampshire after wintry conditions swept across the famed peak on Saturday, October 25.

Officials that many of the hikers were not prepared for the 鈥渇ull winter conditions鈥� that they encountered. The hikers, whose names have not been released, were taken to lower elevations aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway, a rack-and-pinion railway that runs along the mountain and offers tours.

Rescuers say the hikers鈥� lack of preparedness serves as an important reminder of the dangers and unpredictability that can arise in the backcountry.

鈥淢any [of the hikers] were hypothermic and without gear, even near suitable for the conditions. Most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season. A few indicated it was their first hike ever,” Andy Vilaine, railway assistant general manager, on Facebook. Vilaine is also a conductor and was part of the Mount Washington rescue.

Mount Washington sits at an elevation of 6,288 feet, and because the surrounding region is very low-lying, it is one of the most topographically prominent summits in the country. This, along with a range of climatic and geographic factors, means that temperatures and winds on the peak are frequently extreme, and weather conditions can change rapidly. For nearly a century, Mount Washington鈥檚 summit held the world record for the strongest wind ever recorded at 231 miles per hour.

鈥淪ummits at or certainly above 4,000 feet have full winter conditions. This should come as a surprise to no one,鈥� Vilaine said.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway typically runs year-round, but after mid-October, the peak鈥檚 summit facilities, which are part of , are shuttered. From this point until mid-May, the railway carries visitors to a lower point, Waumbek Station at 4,000 feet, instead of continuing to the summit. According to the railway鈥檚 dedicated , 鈥渂y the last week of October, sub-arctic conditions make the summit inhospitable to casual visitors.鈥�

鈥淢ultiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance. Be 鈥榳ildly Responsible鈥� and please do some research on current higher summits weather and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day,鈥� writes the New Hampshire State Park on Facebook.

Even in the summer months, Mount Washington sees extreme weather. In June, 国产吃瓜黑料 reported that a hypothermic woman was rescued from the summit, also by the Cog Railway. At the time of the rescue, the summit was recording winds upwards of 120 miles per hour and temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 150 hikers have died on Mount Summit since record-keeping began in 1849.

New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) officials have begun levying fines on rescued hikers deemed to have entered the wilderness unprepared. Rescuers responded on October 19 to a hiker near the summit of Little Haystack, which is 4,760 feet high, who did not bring water, food, or a headlamp. The hiker will be charged for the rescue costs, according to the publication, . Another hiker who in May failed to bring a map or other navigation device, and later 鈥渁dmitted to rescuers that he was unprepared for the hike and failed to do proper research. They, too, will likely face similar charges.

Just one day after the mass rescue on Mount Washington, another hiker was saved on the peak, according to in New Hampshire. The individual called for help at 7:00 P.M. from just below the summit, telling rescuers that 鈥渉is phone and headlamp were dying and that he was unprepared for the low visibility, single-digit windchills, and snow he encountered above treeline.鈥�

The New Hampshire fines stem from a piece of legislation called , which states that 鈥渁ny person determined by the department to have acted negligently in requiring a search and rescue response by the department shall be liable to the department for the reasonable cost of the department’s expenses for such search and rescue response.鈥�

There are ways to avoid these penalties, however. New Hampshire is one of several states that sells annual , which hikers can purchase for $25 per person and $35 per family. According to the NHFG, 鈥減eople who obtain the cards are not liable to repay rescue costs if they need to be rescued,鈥� but 鈥渁n individual may still be liable for response expenses if the actions that created the need for the emergency response meet criteria set forth by legislation.鈥� Rescued parties deemed negligent are also exempt from charges if they possess a hunting or fishing license or an off-highway recreational vehicle, snowmobile, or vessel registration.

“Please don鈥檛 become a statistic and do your research before venturing out,鈥� Vilaine said. “Hike Mount Washington like it is any one of the other 48 peaks,鈥� wrote Vilaine, referring to New Hampshire鈥檚 48 peaks over 4,000 feet. 鈥淒o not assume services or a ride down. The summit is halfway.”

The post A Snowstorm Blew Over Mount Washington. More than 20 Hikers Were Trapped. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A pair of Arizona hikers were rescued on October 22 after being struck by lightning near the summit of Mount Humphreys, the state鈥檚 highest peak with an elevation of 12,637 feet, just outside of Flagstaff. The two men, who did not know each other before the incident, both survived the strike.

Rescue personnel received an emergency call shortly after 10:50 A.M. and were immediately deployed to the trailhead near Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said in a statement obtained by local news station聽.

One man鈥檚 phone was thrown nearly 100 feet away from him, according to local outlet . The second hiker鈥檚 phone was still operating, and he used it to call for rescue.

Severe weather conditions, including lightning, hail, and heavy rain, grounded aircraft that would have otherwise been used for the rescue. Because the upper half of Mount Humphreys is above treeline, it鈥檚 a precarious place to be in an electrical storm. The describes the 5.5-mile section as 鈥渟teep and long and extremely rocky in its higher reaches,鈥� and notes that 鈥渁bove the tree line it exposes you completely to the whims of nature.鈥� Lightning struck a trio of teenagers atop the mountain in 2016,

鈥淏e prepared to turn around and head for lower ground if a thunderstorm is brewing,鈥� warns the Service.

One of the hikers, who was from nearby Flagstaff, descended nearly 3,000 feet, where he met rescuers at 2:45 P.M. The second hiker, a Canadian, was more severely injured and had stopped hiking at 11,800 feet. He was reached by responders an hour later.

鈥淎fter medical evaluation, rescuers determined that the patient was unable to walk out due to the steep terrain and his condition,鈥� said CCSO. 鈥淎 litter carry-out was conducted using low-angle rope techniques in sections of the trail requiring additional safety measures.”

By 6:45 P.M., both lightning-strike victims were turned over to medical personnel.

While the rescue teams were on the mountain responding to the lightning strike, a second distress call came in about a pair of teenagers also on the peak. The two had become lost, they said, after they encountered a bear near the trail. Part of the rescue team split up to find these teens, who were located safely and returned to their parents.

Being struck by lightning is rare; the odds of it in a given year are less than one in a million, according to the (CDC). Nearly 90 percent of all lightning strike victims survive, but deaths do occur.

Arizona is among the states with the highest number of lightning deaths and injuries. Overall, the CDC says that the Southeast is the most dangerous region of the country for lightning strikes, noting that Florida is the 鈥渓ightning capital鈥� with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the last 50 years. Last month, two elk hunters were killed by lightning in Colorado, which also has a high incidence rate, after sheltering under a tree during a storm.

If caught outside during a thunderstorm, the CDC recommends seeking shelter as quickly as possible, but avoid waiting out a storm under trees. (Being underneath trees is the second-leading cause of lightning deaths.) If you are in an exposed area with no shelter, do not lie prone on the ground under any circumstances. A lightning strike sends electrical currents into the ground that can still be deadly over 100 feet away from the strike itself.

鈥淚f there are no safe shelters in sight, crouch down in a ball-like position: put your feet together, squat low, tuck your head, and cover your ears,鈥� says the CDC. 鈥淏ut remember, this is a last resort. Seek safe shelter first.鈥�

For more on how to survive a lightning strike, check out this 国产吃瓜黑料 guide.

The post Two Hikers Were Struck By Lightning on Arizona’s Tallest Peak appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A federal prosecutor in Wyoming has聽offered Michelino Sunseri, a trail runner who was found guilty of cutting a switchback earlier this year, a plea deal. The athlete initially faced a potential ban from the park and a fine of up to $5,000. Now, he鈥檚 looking at a far less severe punishment.

In September, Sunseri was found guilty of cutting a switchback while running up and down the Grand Teton in 2024. Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), the public interest firm handling Sunseri鈥檚 defense, told 国产吃瓜黑料 that prosecutors will now seek to dismiss the case in exchange for 60 hours of community service and a course on wilderness stewardship.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wyoming called the plea deal 鈥渁n evolution of what is right,鈥� and one made 鈥渢o preserve prosecutive and judicial resources while upholding the best interests of the public and the justice system,鈥� reported the .

Federal magistrate judge Stephanie A. Hambrick, Sunseri鈥檚 sentencing judge, was less satisfied.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an interesting message you send to the public,鈥� she told another Sunseri attorney, Ed Bushnell, in court, as reported by the . 鈥淚f you whine and cry hard enough, you get your way.鈥澛燞ambrick neither accepted nor rejected the plea deal. Instead, the judge said聽蝉丑别听飞颈濒濒聽take 30 days to decide whether to accept the proposal聽and has scheduled a follow-up hearing for November 18.

Sunseri鈥檚 ill-fated run up and down the Grand occurred on September 2, 2024. While descending the peak, he took a shortcut on the 13-mile route, using an informal trail to bypass a switchback. As a result of the cut, 鈥攖he group that oversees record keeping鈥攔efused to recognize his record.

But the 33-year-old鈥檚 choice didn鈥檛 just stymie his record attempt. It also landed him in legal trouble. Sunseri had violated a federal code, , stating that 鈥渓eaving a trail or walkway to shortcut between portions of the same trail or walkway, or to shortcut to an adjacent trail or walkway鈥� is illegal in national parks.

Exactly one year later, on September 2, Sunseri was found guilty of a Class B misdemeanor for cutting the switchback. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison, though court documents obtained by 国产吃瓜黑料 indicated that this was never in question. Still, Sunseri faced a permanent ban from Grand Teton National Park and a fine of up to $5,000. His team promptly appealed the guilty verdict.

Sunseri claimed he chose to cut the switchback not to save time, but to avoid the main trail, which was crowded with hikers by the time he was descending. 鈥淚 was ahead of pace,鈥� he told the AP. 鈥淚 knew I was going to get the record regardless of which trail I took. I didn鈥檛 want to be yelling at people to get out of my way.鈥�

He also argued that the sign visible in his direction of travel鈥攄ownhill鈥攚hich states 鈥淪hort Cutting Causes Erosion,鈥� did not clearly indicate that the trail was closed. (A sign at the other side of the cut, visible to those coming uphill, was more explicit, reading 鈥淐losed For Regrowth.鈥�) 鈥淭he trail has been sitting in its current state for decades,鈥� ultramarathoner Joey Wilson told the AP. 鈥淚f they really wanted to close that trail, they could plant seeds over it and put a log down. Trail closed. Do not cross.鈥�

Shortly after Sunseri鈥檚 guilty verdict, the PLF told 国产吃瓜黑料 that their client had already been offered several plea deals, but all of them would either require an admission of guilt and/or a ban from the park.

鈥淭hese mountains mean everything to Michelino,鈥� his team said. 鈥淎greeing to give up such an integral part of his life because of a law he didn鈥檛 know he was breaking was unthinkable.鈥�

The PLF declined to comment on this latest proposed plea agreement to 国产吃瓜黑料. Senior attorney Damien Schiff indicated that the proposal offered by the prosecution鈥攃ommunity service and a wilderness stewardship course鈥攊s acceptable, and 鈥渕ore or less what Michelino has been offering to do from the get-go.鈥�

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An unprecedented spike in moose-vehicle collisions has occurred along a single one-mile stretch of highway outside Jackson, Wyoming, roughly five miles from Grand Teton National Park. Six separate incidents have been reported in the past five months, an uptick from the usual three or four collisions annually reported in years past.

The moose mating, or 鈥渞utting,鈥� season usually runs from the end of August to mid-October, a period that naturally leads to more moose encounters as the animals are more active, aggressive, and less cautious.

This abnormal crash rate was reported by and .

Over the past ten years, between three and four moose-vehicle collisions have been reported annually along Highway 390, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (JHWF) said in a . The six crashes in a single one-mile stretch so far in 2025鈥攁ll but one of which have been fatal to the moose, are 鈥渢otally unprecedented,鈥� Renee Seidle, JHWF executive director, told . Four of these collisions even ccurred at the same intersection.

鈥淔or me in my tenure that I鈥檝e been here, I鈥檝e not seen anything like this at that one spot on the Village Road,鈥� Seidler said.

A 2022 report found that between 2016 and 2020, an average of 69 moose per year were struck by cars in Wyoming, and 鈥渁n average of 21 big-game animals are killed by vehicles per day.鈥� Recently seem to be having an impact in some stretches of the highway, but Seidler counters 鈥渄ense development and access roads on WY390 make it challenging to create effective mitigation solutions鈥� in the area.

Speed is often a factor in moose-vehicle collisions. However, in the two most recent incidents, which involved public buses instead, highway patrol determined that the bus operators were driving under the speed limit and were not at fault.

“The operator goes through a lot, I鈥檒l tell you,鈥� Mike Toronto, executive director of Wyoming鈥檚 Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit, told Jackson Hole News and Guide. 鈥淭he operator in the last accident broke down sobbing because of it. Part of it is the shock, part is the fact that he knows he killed an animal, not intentionally.”

It鈥檚 unclear if buses or cars are more likely to hit animals crossing. Buses are larger, less capable of swerving, and take longer to brake, but bus drivers are also far more likely to drive cautiously and avoid speeding, said Toronto.

Buses also house far more passengers, which means fewer聽cars on the road. The bus in the latest incident was carrying four passengers, so 鈥渋f we weren鈥檛 running buses, we could have had four additional vehicles on the road,鈥� Toronto explained. 鈥淲ith more moving vehicles, there鈥檚 a higher probability of hitting an animal.鈥�

According to Seidler, the early fall is the worst time for animal-vehicle collisions in Wyoming for several reasons. Animals at this time are moving for migration, and they鈥檙e distracted by breeding and hunting season. The upcoming end of Daylight Saving Time on November 2 means commuters will begin driving to and from work an hour later, and it will be darker during evening commutes. (Both of the bus-moose collisions occurred in the dark, one at dawn, another at dusk.) Studies have also found a link between animal-vehicle collisions and the end of daylight saving time. For instance, in 2022, researchers determined that collisions with deer the week following the autumnal clock change.

JHWF shared a list of tips to help drivers avoid moose and other large animals, which includes avoiding the use of a cell phone while driving and maintaining the posted speed limit. After an animal crosses the road, keep your eyes peeled for others who are likely to be following. Drivers should keep an eye out for signs of wildlife habitat, such as 鈥渃reeks, streams and other waterways passing under or along the road,鈥� because animals will often attempt to cross at these locations.

If you do spot wildlife near the road, even if it isn鈥檛 attempting to cross, JHWF recommends reducing speed and flashing your hazard lights to warn drivers behind you, in case the animal darts across the road and you need to brake suddenly.

The post An Abnormal Number of Moose Have Been Struck By Cars Near Grand Teton National Park. Experts Are Miffed. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On October 15, American ski mountaineer Jim Morrison stood atop Mount Everest. The 50-year-old wasn’t just on the highest point on Earth to enjoy the view; he was there to say a final goodbye, and to make history. Morrison carried the ashes of his late partner, Hilaree Nelson, the famed ski mountaineer who died on Mount Manaslu in 2022.

Morrison spread Nelson鈥檚 ashes on Everest鈥檚 summit. Then, he fastened a pair of skis and dropped into a harrowing ski descent of the Hornbein Couloir, an infamously steep, narrow chute. When connected to the Japanese Couloir below, it forms a line that plummets nearly 12,000 vertical feet. Morrison previously called the route “the greatest line never skied,” and now, his effort is perhaps the most impressive ski descent of all time.

鈥淚 had a little conversation with [Nelson] and felt like I could dedicate the whole day to her,鈥� Morrison told . Nelson, one of the world鈥檚 leading ski mountaineers, had been killed by an avalanche while the duo were attempting to descend Manaslu.

Located on Mount Everest’s聽North Face, the Hornbein has captivated mountaineers since Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld made its first ascent in 1963. Morrison鈥檚 party was only the sixth to ascend the route, and the first since 1991.

Skiing from Everest is far from a new endeavor: Japan鈥檚 Y奴ichir艒 Miura succeeded in descending much of the peak on skis back in 1970. A documentary about the feat, , became the first athletic film to win an Academy Award. Last month, Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel skied from the summit down to Everest Base Camp, via the standard Southeast Ridge Route, without supplemental oxygen.

But a ski descent of the Hornbein is another beast entirely. No route is as dizzyingly steep, and the world鈥檚 best have eyed it for decades. As 国产吃瓜黑料 reported in 2024, the Hornbein is 鈥渁 1,500-vertical-foot gully whose maw opens just 1,000 feet below the peak鈥檚 summit, and then spills mercilessly onto the 5,500-foot slope beneath. The narrow gully teeters between 45 and 60 degrees in steepness, bends gently in the middle, and then narrows to about the width of a standing human body.鈥�

 

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If you want to get off the top of Mount Everest as quickly as possible鈥�save for strapping on a wingsuit and leaping off鈥攖he Hornbein is the way.

鈥淭he conditions were abominable,鈥� Morrison told National Geographic. 鈥淚t was a mix of survival skiing and actual shredding. Some sections were smooth enough for real turns. Others were rutted and raised four feet up and down, like frozen waves.鈥�

As he made his way through the technical sections of the couloir high on the mountain, including a 650-foot stretch of bare rock that required a rappel, conditions began to improve and the skiing got easier. But that just left Morrison feeling bittersweet.

鈥淚 kept thinking, I鈥檓 never coming back here,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淚 should get a few more turns in while I can.鈥�

For Morrison, the descent seemed to be an exercise in letting go, both of his late partner鈥檚 ashes and the shared dream they had of skiing the Hornbein together one day.

鈥淲hen I finally crossed the bergschrund, I cried,鈥� he added. 鈥淚鈥檇 risked so much, but I was alive. It felt like a tribute to Hilaree鈥攕omething she鈥檇 be proud of. I really felt her with me, cheering me on.鈥�

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A聽 mother grizzly bear attacked a pair of hikers in British Columbia, but both are expected to survive after being treated at a nearby hospital. The attack occurred on October 12 while the duo was hiking Farm Cabin Trail in the McGregor Mountains, a roughly ten-mile out-and-back route that leads to a remote alpine cabin.

British Columbia鈥檚 Conservation Officer Service (COS) reported on that the hikers were聽seriously injured after encountering a grizzly sow with two cubs. In light of the incident, the trail has been closed until further notice.

鈥淔ollowing an investigation, the COS Predator Attack Team determined the bear鈥檚 actions were defensive,鈥� said COS. 鈥淒ue to the location and nature of the incident, no action will be taken against the bears.鈥�

Bear attacks on humans are rare, but can be serious. Defensive attacks by female bears, or sows, are particularly common in late spring, when they are hyper-protective of their newborn cubs. According to the , 70 percent of all fatal attacks by grizzly bears, specifically, are instances of female bears defending their cubs. Adult bears of both sexes are often more aggressive in the autumn, when they enter a period known as hyperphagia, dramatically increasing their food intake to stock up on calories in advance of winter hibernation.

In September, a聽bear attacked a hiker in Yellowstone National Park, which park officials believed to be a grizzly, and two more hikers were attacked in Alaska鈥檚 Kenai Fjords National Park later that month.

In August, 国产吃瓜黑料 reported on two instances in Montana and British Columbia where hikers used bear spray to deter aggressive bears. The tool is considered a must-have deterrent when venturing into bear country, though questions remain about its efficacy compared to firearms in fending off charging bears.

Along with their post on the October 12 attack, the COS published a list of guidelines for those heading into bear country.

• Stay Alert & Make Noise: Talk, sing, or clap regularly to avoid surprising a bear鈥攅specially near streams, dense brush, or when visibility is low.
• Travel in Groups: Hike in groups whenever possible. Bears are less likely to approach larger groups.
• Carry Bear Spray: Keep bear spray accessible (not in your backpack) and know how to use it. It鈥檚 highly effective in deterring aggressive bears.
• Keep a Clean Camp: Store food, garbage, and scented items in bear-proof containers or hang them at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet from tree trunks.
• Avoid Bear Habitats: Steer clear of areas with fresh tracks, scat, or animal carcasses. These may indicate a bear is nearby.
• Respect Closures and Warnings: Obey trail closures and posted signs. They鈥檙e there for your safety and the bears鈥� protection.
• Never Approach Bears: No matter how calm or curious they seem, keep your distance. Use binoculars or zoom lenses for viewing.

In the instance of a bear encounter, the COS advises hikers, 鈥淪tay calm and don鈥檛 run. Speak in a calm voice and slowly back away.鈥�

鈥淚f the bear charges, stand your ground and use bear spray if necessary,鈥� the organization adds.

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