You guys want to take a try at finding a grizzly?

Jim, Bryan and I woke up early after our first night camping in the Tetons so we could get an early start to get to our second campsite, which was about 15 miles away, a lot for us at the time. Our out-of-shapeness had hit new lows.We got there early in the afternoon and had the two backcountry tent sites all to ourselves. It's a damn good feeling to get to your campsite and realize that you have it to yourself, but it's stressful as hell waiting around to find out if it'll stay that way. It didn't. A couple in their late 20s hiked in around 5pm, put up their tents, and immediately started looking over the ridge that had occupied our attention from the minute we had finished putting our food in the bear box. After a few minutes, the couple started walking towards us, binoculars in hands."You guys want to take a try at finding a grizzly? We're not very good at this and, fuck, do we want to see one.""Sure." I grabbed the binoculars and to my surprise, found a family of grizzly bears after 30 seconds of looking. No clue how. I'm bad at nearly everything I do and finding a bear off in a distance field is not one of my specialties. Or so I thought.We all laid down in the grass until the sun went down and watched a grizzly bear and her cubs prance around a field for an hour. When they were finally out of site, a moose came along, like we had just changed the channel on the show we were watching. We shoved alcohol down our throats and our new friends went to bed early, leaving us for dead. A black bear came into our campsite that night. I don't care what you say about black bears bla bla, if you're in the middle of the Tetons and there's a bear at your campsite, that is shit inducing scary. Call me whatever you want, I was scared. Frozen. I was hugging my roommate. We don't talk about that embrace anymore.We woke up the next morning, and much to our dismay, our new friends had left, and we never got to have that next day "HOLY SHIT, REMEMBER LAST NIGHT? BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!" fest. Didn't even get to say goodbye and, more importantly, didn't get to tell them about the bear at our campsite.Two weeks later, on a flight to Omaha, at DIA, I saw my two friends on the plane. They were 14A and 14B. I was 14C.I had the time of my life.MP3: The Gaturs - Cold Bear

Trouble In Paradise

35 million dollars worth of grass found in Redwood National Park.From Planetsave:

On Wednesday a 5 acre marijuana farm located in Redwood National Park was raided by over 60 park rangers and other cooperating law enforcement officials. The farm was located less than six miles away from the world’s tallest tree. It is the first major marijuana growing operation to have been found in the well-known park

The world's coolest car + Steinbeck on the redwoodsMP3: Skygreen Leopards - Jesus Was Californian

Ravenous

We left in April. Six of us in all. Mr. MacCready and his wife, from Ireland. Mr. Janus, from Virginia, I believe. With his servant, Jones. Myself. And our guide. A military man, coincidently. A Colonel Ives. He professed to know a new, shorter route through the Nevada's. Quite a route that was. Longer than the normal one. Impossible to travel. We worked very very hard. By the time of the first snowfall we were still one hundred miles from this place, that was November. Preceding though the snow was futile. We took shelter in a cave. Decided to wait until the storm had passed. The storm did not pass. The trails soon became impossible, and we had run out of food. We ate the Oxen. All the horses. Even my own dog. And that lasted us about a month. After that we turned to out belts, shoes, and roots we could dig up... but you know there's no real nourishment in those. We remained famished. The day that Jones died I was out collecting wood. He had expired from malnourishment. And when I returned, the others were cooking his legs for dinner. Would I have stopped it had I been there? I don't know. But I must say. When I stepped inside that cave... the smell of meat cooking... I thanked the lord! I thanked the lord! - RavenousMore RavenousMP3: Damon Albarn - Boyd's Journey (From The Ravenous Soundtrack)

That 70s Guy

As you probably already noticed, we post a lot of pictures from the 70s and 80s on this website thing we got going. It wasn't until this morning, while coming across a wonderful picture of this dude camping, that I remembered a mildly funny podcast from Outside's Eric Hansen where he decides to turn back the clock and dress the part of a 70s outdoor enthusiast. It's worth taking a listen.From the podcast:"The stars and stripes are flying proudly thanks to my super bitchin' American flag backpack. 'Looooking good,' I say to myself. And it's true. I am the avatar of the bicentennial outdoors, embodiment of all that is joyous and unbridled."Telly Tom's amazing photosMP3: Cactus - Parchman FarmRock.

Palindrome Wars

Now that school is back in session, you can be sure that kids all across the country are telling ridiculous stories of what they did on their summer vacations. The first year I went to camp, I told my entire class, in full detail, about a palindrome war that I participated in. Yep, a palindrome war. We were The Race Car Team and I think it was The Mom Team that was crowned the victors after they clinched the Capture The Flag competition.If I were a teacher and I heard that shit come out of my nine year old self, I would be very very concerned.STAY OFF THE EROSION TRAIL!This American Life: Notes On CampMP3: David Vandervelde - Someone Like You

Dry Tortugas

For the past few days, it's been impossible to turn on the television without hearing about Cuba, Florida, and Hurricane Ike. Rightfully so. With all the talk of Southern Florida, The Florida Keys, and The Everglades, we're reminded of a place we've always wanted to visit, Dry Tortugas National Park.Here's some info:

The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water-the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800s due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features.

While "Terrapin Station" would clearly be the best choice for the musical accompaniment , we don't want to beat you down with Grateful Dead.Next best thing:MP3: The Turtles - Earth Anthem (Thank you Brendan and the amazing Rising Storm)

Save The Earth, Here's A Pin

Nothing more annoying than a college kid yelling at you to save the Earth or crying while watching videos of animals being killed in a student union.Here's Sierra Club's list of the top ten "greenest" campuses. Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT comes in at #1.Above: Sunrise somewhere outside Middlebury. Middlebury readers, help me out with the location? I know you're there.Update: It's Lake Dunmore. Thank you Ms. Hunsberger.MP3: Willie Nelson - Moonlight In Vermont (Thank You False 45th)MP3: Paul McCartney - A Love For You