Dan's Outside

2003.05.23

***Everest speed record broken.
A 25-year-old Nepalese Sherpa, Pemba Dorjie Sherpa, sets a new world record for the ascent of Everest. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

***Tioga Pass opening tentatively set for June 6
if conditions continue as they are currently. It sounds like the road is pretty much plowed out, but that there is still some avalanche control and other work to do.
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May 23, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.23

2003.05.22

***Whitman Quits as E.P.A. Chief.
Christie Whitman often differed with the White House on environmental issues during her two-and-a-half-year tenure as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. By Katharine Q. Seelye. [New York Times: Science]

One can only hope that this is a step towards a time when the country realizes how out-of-step the current administration is on environmental issues.

***70-year-old claims Everest record.
Yuichiro Miura from Japan is the oldest person to climb the world’s highest peak 50 years after it was first conquered. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

***Nations Join the U.S. in Banning Canada’s Beef.
After the discovery of mad cow disease in Canada, several nations joined the United States in placing a temporary ban on the import of Canadian beef and cattle. By Clifford Krauss with Sandra Blakeslee. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

One cheeseburger, please; hold the prions.
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May 22, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.22

OwensValleyMap

Small road map of Owens Valley, California
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May 21, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on OwensValleyMap

2003.05.21

***Crags, Couloirs & Crock Pots
– Owens Valley, Gateway to Backcountry Paradise, by Alex Sepulveda

“From the towns of Lone Pine in the south to Lee Vining in the north, Owens Valley represents a veritable playground for backcountry enthusiasts with incredible access to crags, couloirs and campsites galore. Or if you prefer, mountain biking, hiking and fishing opportunities abound.”

This is one of my favorite parts of California. You don’t really know California until you drive down Owens Valley on a hot summer afternoon, gazing up at the eastern wall of the Sierra crest.
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May 21, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.21

2003.05.17

***End-of-winter-start-of-summer trip
to Mammoth next weekend. The plan is to telemark ski one day at Mammoth and XC nearby the next – perhaps on San Joaquin Ridge. I’ll bring hiking boots along just in case.
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May 17, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.17

2003.05.14

***Large fish ‘may follow dinosaurs’.
About 90% of large predator fish have been cleared from the seas by industrial trawlers, a report says. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]
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May 14, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.14

2003.05.13

***Doing Science at the Top of the World.
In a place where sea-ice runways crack apart, even the simplest setback can threaten ambitious research and, potentially, the researchers themselves. By Andrew C. Revkin. [New York Times: Science]
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May 13, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.13

WhiteLupineFlower

White lupine flower. May 10, 2003
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on WhiteLupineFlower

WhiteLupineQuicksilverMay2003

White lupine on the Castillero trail near the ridgetop mine at Almaden Quicksilver Park. May 11, 2003
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on WhiteLupineQuicksilverMay2003

2003.05.11

&***I discovered this patch of white lupine
last year near the ridge-top mine on the Castillero trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park. Although this flower grows in many places, this is one of the best displays I’ve seen.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.11