The Knobs show Ohio's natural history
By Bob Downing, undefined, Akron Beacon Journal - Wed, Feb 15, 2012 3:19 pm
LANCASTER, Ohio -- The Knobs stand out, in more ways than one.
The lumpy, flat-topped formations southwest of Lancaster mark the edge of the Appalachian Plateau. They rise 250 feet above the surrounding farmland and offer views to the Hocking Hills to the south and to the lowland plain of central Ohio to the north.
The dome-shaped formations are what biologists call islands in the sky, with the...
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Discover the beauty of Coyote Buttes
By Standard-Examiner staff - Wed, Feb 1, 2012 12:59 am
Standard-Examiner staff
It might seem strange at first, but there’s a reason why a wilderness area in the heart of one of the most remote areas in the continental United States has a strict quota on the number of visitors allowed in each day.
Within Southern Utah’s Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness lie the Coyote Buttes, a striking landscape of colorful, ancient sand dunes frozen in time...
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Warming up to winter: Hearty crew enjoys camping in the cold
By Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Fri, Jan 20, 2012 4:19 pm
GERMANTOWN, Wis. — With the sun sinking fast in the late afternoon sky, the activity intensified in the winter woods.
Black-capped chickadees flitted from tree to tree, looking for food before nightfall.
A downy woodpecker rapped out a tune on a dead snag.
And a clan of two-legged, upright walkers scurried to prepare sleeping quarters and gather firewood before the sun disappeared.
“I don’t think...
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Resort hopes Native American blessing brings snow
By Lynn DeBruin, The Associated Press - Tue, Jan 17, 2012 5:05 pm
PARK CITY — Some have danced for rain.
In Utah and other parts of the West, it’s all about the white stuff.
It’s why officials at Park City Mountain Resort brought in members of the Northern Ute Tribe to perform a snow blessing.
On Saturday, they prayed, danced and chanted as hundreds of helmet-clad skiers and boarders watched and hoped the ritual would elicit more cooperation from Mother Nature...
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Minn. man turns fishing passion into tourism job
By Kevin Allenspach, St. Cloud Times - Fri, Dec 2, 2011 1:39 pm
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Some of the best moments of Joe Henry’s life have come at one end or the other of a fishing line.
There was the time when he was 12 years old and landed a 12 1/2-pound northern out of Lake George (of all places) and got his picture splashed all across the newspaper.
Then a couple of years ago he proposed to his wife, Leah, by secretly tying her engagement ring to the hook of...
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Gladesmen thrive in remote reaches of the swamp
By Susan Cocking, Miami Herald - Fri, Nov 25, 2011 12:15 am
IN BIG CYPRESS SWAMP, Fla. — Rain was blasting in horizontal sheets on a recent weekday afternoon as Ron Bergeron—road builder, rock miner, cattleman, rodeo rider and gator wrestler—surveyed his expansive outback getaway bordering the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Seminole Indian Reservation. But instead of retreating inside his comfortable cedar cabin, he donned a rain slicker and...
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Midweek trip to Peace River offers serenity
By Susan Cocking, Miami Herald - Sun, Oct 30, 2011 11:02 pm
ON PEACE RIVER, Fla. — For generations, just about every scout troop, school club or church youth group in South Florida has paddled on the Peace River, about a three-hour drive northwest. Whether on a day trip or an overnight camping expedition, canoeists and kayakers flock to this calm, shallow, tea-colored watercourse to take a break from the manic pace of the city and experience a non-Mouse...
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Without funding, Utah may close some state parks
By Josh Loftin, The Associated Press - Fri, Oct 21, 2011 4:43 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah officials are warning lawmakers that some state parks will close if they don’t get additional funding and more flexibility with fees.
State Parks Director Mary Tullius says the agency needs about $3 million in next year’s budget to maintain existing operations.
Tullius said during a legislative committee Wednesday the agency is looking at other options to generate revenue...
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This camper doesn’t rough it when it comes to meals
By Brent Frazee, The Kansas City Star - Fri, Sep 16, 2011 2:31 pm
KNOB NOSTER, Mo. — The days of having to roast hot dogs on a stick over a campfire or wrapping some concoction in tinfoil and letting it simmer on a grate are over for Dave Lako.
When he goes camping today, he looks more like a master chef than someone who just is searching for a quick and easy meal.
He often brings three sizes of Dutch ovens, a cutting board, an assortment of meat, vegetables...
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Search called off for missing Australian hiker
By The Associated Press - Tue, Aug 23, 2011 10:29 am
DUCHESNE — The Duchesne (doo-SHAYN’) County Sheriff’s Office has called off its search for a 64-year-old Australian hiker missing in the Uinta Mountains.
Eric Robinson set out July 28 on a 10-day, 60-mile hike. He was last seen Aug. 2 on the Yellowstone Trail. His family notified sheriff’s officials when he failed to arrive as scheduled at Mirror Lake.
Searchers on foot, horseback and in...
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