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Wyoming climber killed in Grand Teton avalanche

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A helicopter heads toward Garnet Canyon in this file photo from April 2011 taken during a search for two lost skiers in Grand Teton National Park. Two snowboarders were rescued Feb. 13 after mistakenly riding into Granite Canyon. (National Park Service photo by Jackie Skaggs — click to enlarge)

A Wyoming man was killed in an avalanche Sunday while climbing in Grand Teton National Park. Three other climbers were rescued by helicopter, including one who sustained life-threatening injuries. Luke Lynch, 38, of Jackson, Wyo. died when he was struck by an avalanche in the steep Sickle Couloir on the northeast face of Mount Moran. The snowslide swept Lynch and two others downslope for approximately 500 feet over rock and ice covered terrain. Also injured was Stephen P. Adamson, Jr., 42, and Brook Yeomans, 37. A fourth climber, Zahan Billimoria, 37, escaped injury. All of the climbers are from Jackson. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Grand Teton, avalanche, climbing, fatality, mount moran, safety

Yellowstone visitor injured by bison

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A group of bison graze and rest near the roadside south of Madison in Yellowstone National Park in August 2013.

A girl visiting Yellowstone National Park sustained serious injuries Friday after being gored by a bison. The 16-year-old Taiwanese exchange student was visiting the Upper Geyser Basin with her host family. While hiking near Old Faithful Geyser, the family joined a group of people watching a bison grazing adjacent to the trail. According to first hand reports, the group was somewhere between three and six feet from the bison. The girl turned her back to the bison to have her picture taken when the bison gored her. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Wildlife, Yellowstone, bison, safety

Black bears on bridge too close for comfort

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The latest viral video out of Yellowstone National Park is a great reminder of why you should stay 100 yards from bears, and exercise special caution around bridges, rivers and other places where moving around gets riskier and more difficult. The video shows a black bear with cubs running around amidst several tourists on a bridge between Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo. and Cooke City, Mont. A worker with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks posted the video on YouTube, and it has received more than 220,000 views as of Monday afternoon. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Wildlife, Yellowstone, black bears, safety, video

Public warned about grizzly trapping in Grand Teton

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A tranquilized grizzly bear lies in a trap similar to those used for research studies or for capturing and relocating problem bears around the greater Yellowstone area.

Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) plan to conduct trapping of grizzly bears within Grand Teton National Park as part of ongoing research efforts required under the Endangered Species Act. The trapping allows researchers to collect data and monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Monitoring of grizzly bear distribution, as well as their food selection and other activities, is vital to recovery of grizzlies across the GYE. Trapping operations will begin Wednesday, May 6, and continue through June 30, 2015. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Research, Science & Nature, Wildlife, grizzly bears, research, safety, trapping

Grand Teton motorists warned to slow down during big game migration

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Elk and other wildlife are moving along spring migration routes around Grand Teton National Park and nearby areas.

Wildlife have begun their annual migration from wintering areas toward summer ranges located in Grand Teton National Park. Because spring migration appears to be fully underway, motorists are advised to drive with extra caution during the coming weeks, and be alert for animals wandering near park roadways, especially Highway 26/89/191 (Hwy 89) and the Antelope Flats/Kelly scenic loop roads. Early this week, elk started to drift north from the National Elk Refuge. With the receding snowpack, elk have fanned out across the sagebrush flats north of the Gros Ventre River. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Grand Teton, Wildlife, migration, safety, traffic

Video captures Yellowstone bison ramming parked vehicle

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A video screen capture shows a bison in Yellowstone National Park as it rams a parked vehicle in the Lamar Valley.

Two frequent visitors to Yellowstone National Park ended up on the losing end of a close encounter with a lumbering bison last month when the agitated beast rammed their parked sport utility vehicle. The unexpected collision was captured on video, and the footage has gone viral, as it shows the amazing power of Yellowstone's 2,000-pound behemoths. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Photos & Videos, Wildlife, Yellowstone, bison, lamar valley, safety, tom carter, video

Warm weather prompts Yellowstone area bears out of hibernation early

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Unseasonably warm winter temperatures may be the reason behind bear activity in Yellowstone National Park, as February temperatures have hovered near record highs across the region. The first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity in Yellowstone occurred Monday, when a grizzly bear was observed late in the afternoon, scavenging on a bison carcass in the central portion of the Yellowstone. Continue Reading →

Filed under: News, Wildlife, Yellowstone, grizzly bears, hibernation, safety

Study: Ranger interaction key to bear safety for Yellowstone visitors

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Yellowstone National Park managers are looking for ways to more effectively deliver safety messages about watching bears, wolves and other wildlife at roadside traffic jams.

Most visitors to Yellowstone National Park rank the chance to see a grizzly bear at or near the top of their vacation wish lists. But park managers struggle with how to best keep humans and bruins safe when crowds gather to view wildlife along the roadside. When it comes to educating visitors about the risks and rules of watching bears, it turns out the most effective communication method is the one used least often. Visitors who received an oral explanation from a park ranger were "much more likely" to correctly remember safety advice and regulations than those who got information from any other means. Yet that was the method of communication encountered by the fewest respondents. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Research, Science & Nature, Wildlife, Yellowstone, bear jams, research, safety, wildlife watching

Death In Yellowstone: True stories of park’s fatal perils

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Yellowstone National Park historian Lee Whittlesey is the author of "Death In Yellowstone," a compilation of true stories about the park's fatal perils.

Don’t bother asking Lee Whittlesey about his favorite Yellowstone ghost stories. He doesn’t believe in ghosts. He doesn’t need to. The Yellowstone National Park historian knows horror stories far scarier than made-up specters. They are haunting, disturbing and particularly terrifying because they actually happened. These are the stories of people falling into boiling water, of wild animals attacking and feasting on flesh, and the unsolved mysteries as to whether a person fell or was pushed. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, death in yellowstone, fatality, lee whittlesey, safety