Missing in Mesa Verde

Rangers and other rescue workers are searching Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado for a 52-year old Texas man that was reported missing Sunday, June 9, according to the National Park Service.

Mitchell Stehling told his wife and parents he was going to visit Spruce Tree House. When he did not return, they notified park dispatchers. A hasty search of Spruce Canyon, Spruce Tree House, Petroglyph Trail and other trails on Chapin Mesa was initiated following the report. Crews were out early Monday morning expanding the search area on foot, by horseback and by helicopter. Two dog teams from Dolores Canine Search and Rescue are also assisting in the search. Approximately 30 people searched multiple trails and canyons until late evening.

Crews resumed their search this morning. They are being joined by 20 members of the San Juan National Forest Hot Shots bringing the total number of personnel involved to 50.

Temperatures in the park are in the 90s. The terrain consists of steep canyons and mesa tops at an elevation between 6,500 and 8,000 feet. Mr. Stehling was last seen wearing a brown shirt and hat, khaki shorts and hiking boots. He was not carrying any water or other gear.

Feather sale sentence

A Montana resident was recently prosecuted for selling feathers using the MySpace social networking site, casting a new light on the little known fact that people still use MySpace, or did so as recently as 2009. Below is the Department of Justice account of the case:

<blockquote><strong>Seller of Golden Eagle and Hawk Feathers Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Violations of Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Lacey Act </strong>
June 6, 2013

Steven Patrick Garcia, Jr., 36, of San Jose, Calif., was sentenced June 6 in federal court in Billings, Mont., to two years in prison for selling and offering to sell migratory bird parts in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act, according to the Department of Justice. Garcia had pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 16, 2013.

Garcia admitted by his plea that on Dec. 2, 2008, he offered for sale and sold golden eagle and hawk feathers and that on Feb. 25, 2009, he sold golden eagle feathers knowing that those golden eagle feathers were unlawfully taken and possessed.

"Today's prosecution and sentence demonstrate that individuals that attempt to profit from the unlawful taking of golden eagles, bald eagles, hawks and all other migratory birds will be investigated, prosecuted and punished accordingly," said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael W. Cotter.

The Secretary of the Interior maintains a list of migratory birds which are protected from, among other things, being killed, sold, bartered, transported or possessed, except as otherwise permitted by federal regulation. Enrolled members of federally recognized American Indian tribes may obtain permits to possess eagle and other migratory bird feathers and parts for religious and ceremonial purposes, but federal law strictly prohibits the sale of migratory birds, feathers, or their parts by any person. The Lacey Act prohibits, among other things, the sale of wildlife knowing that the wildlife was taken or possessed in violation of any federal wildlife-related regulation or law.

According to court documents, Garcia communicated via MySpace with an individual in California and sold the individual hawk feathers for $200 and a golden eagle feather for $25 in December 2008. The hawk feathers were later forensically identified as twelve tail feathers of either ferruginous or red-tailed hawk. Garcia also communicated via MySpace with an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent who, at one point in time, observed approximately seventy photographs of migratory bird feathers on Garcia's MySpace Page. The agent purchased 12 ferruginous hawk and 12 rough-legged hawk tail feathers from Garcia in February 2009 as well as one complete set of subadult golden eagle wings for $400. Approximately 146 items containing feathers representing 18 different species of migratory birds were obtained from Garcia's home in Lame Deer, Montana, in March 2009.

This case resulted from a nationwide investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement into the illegal commercialization of eagles and other migratory birds protected by federal law. The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana.

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Creek side trek

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Heading down the creek. (C) J.S. Reinitz"]

[/caption] Sometimes in life, it's good to break out of the routine and dart off in a random direction if for nothing else than a change of scenery. Such was the case last weekened when I managed to pry my 10-year-old son and his friend from the xBox. They had been digging, building and exploring the virtual world of Minecraft, and they needed to get out and explore the real world, especially now that the winter blizzards and spring icestorms and the summer floods were starting to subside. They logged off with surprisingly little arguing, and we headed out to the local nature preserve, the one that's not too far away and still has interesting trails. Being early summer, the termperatures were still comfortable, and the usually vibrant mosquito population hadn't quite bounced back from the recent thunder monsoons. I figured we'd take the normal high ground trail (being as the lower loop was partially submerged), the path we've taken dozens of times over the past decade, maybe see some deer and be done with it. Making our way down the occasionally washed out woodchip path, we passed a few memorial benches and found ourself at the memorial bridge over the as-of-yet-unnamed ravine. That's where the kids took an interest in the small stream at the bottom. Can we follow this, they wondered. I glanced at the trail that headed up the next hill and then looked back down at the creek. It was shallow with lots of rocks and sandbars for reasonably dry footing, and I knew it ended up back at the main path not far ahead. Sure, why not. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="370" caption="Creek guide, author, photographer. (C) J.S. Reinitz"]

[/caption] But first a quick rundown on some rules. Rule No. 1: It's OK to get your shoes muddy, but you want to keep dry, so don't soak them in attempt to remove the mud. We will take care of the mud when we get home. We still need to work on following that rule. Rule No. 2: You are wearing shorts, so stay out of the weeds, because there is poison ivy afoot, and so on. So off we went, crawling over fallen trees, hopping back and forth over the creek making our way down stream. The young explorers found worms gathered in sandy spots under the water and peeled bark from old logs to discover little bug-based ecosystems underneath. They observed fungus and mushrooms and dug up small chunks of quartz. Along the way, I spotted a piece of milky white glass jutting up from the soil, and I dislodged what turned out to be a small jar. Later, I searched for information on the words cast into the bottom and determined it was an old Musterole container. Musterole was a cold remedy in the mid 1900s, kind of like Vicks VapoRub. Internet auctions offer similar and better specimines for anywhere from $5 to $30, although none of the items I saw had actual bidders. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="450" caption="Musterole jar, lit with flashlight. (C) J.S. Reinitz"]

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Dislodged rock kills climber

Rock Climber Dies in Yosemite National Park
Date: June 3, 2013

A 28-year-old climber died in a rock climbing accident on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park yesterday afternoon, Sunday, June 2.

Felix Joseph Kiernan, from London, England, was climbing on the East Buttress of El Capitan, a popular climbing route in Yosemite Valley, when he was struck by a rock.

Kiernan and his climbing partner were approximately 600 feet up the climbing route when a loose block was dislodged. The block, estimated to be one foot by two feet, fell approximately 150 feet before striking Kiernan and causing fatal injuries. The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m.

A second party climbing just below Kiernan immediately called the Yosemite Emergency Communication Center via cell phone and reported the incident.Yosemite Park Rangers and Yosemite Search and Rescue teams were immediately sent to El Capitan where they began climbing the route to reach the climbing party.

Park Rangers reached Kiernan around 4:00 p.m. and pronounced him deceased. A California Highway Patrol helicopter, H-40, and the park's helicopter, Helicopter 551, assisted in the incident by inserting Park Rangers and rescue equipment onto the wall and hoisting the victim to Yosemite Valley. Park Rangers rappelled the route with Kiernan's partner and the second climbing party.

Search continues for man swept over falls

Visitor Swept Over Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park
Date: June 2, 2013

At about 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, a visitor was witnessed being swept over the precipice of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park. Aleh Kalman, 19 year old male, from Sacramento, Calif., came to the park with a church group and was hiking the Mist Trail when the accident occurred.

Kalman was seen swimming above Nevada Fall, approximately 150 feet from the precipice, when he was swept away by the current. Witnesses reported to park officials that he was swimming back from a rock in the middle of the river when the current swept him downstream to the edge of the waterfall.

Ground teams, along with a California Highway Patrol helicopter, were immediately dispatched to the location of the waterfall to begin searching for Kalman. Search efforts continued throughout the evening until fading light prevented further efforts.

Yesterday afternoon, the Merced River which feeds the 594 foot waterfall, was flowing at approximately 500 cubic feet per second, which represents a very swift and powerful spring flow of water. Currently, the river is flowing at approximately 650 CFS with water temperature in the low 50's. Water levels and temperatures are expected to remain relatively the same throughout the week.

The Mist Trail, from the footbridge above Emerald Pool to the top of Nevada Fall, is temporarily closed at this time in order for ground teams to continue searching the area below the waterfall. Yosemite National Park Rangers will continue search efforts throughout the day. These efforts consist primarily of combing each side of the Merced River looking for the victim. Three dog teams and approximately 20 ground Search and Rescue personnel are searching the area for any signs of Kalman.

Photo: Chewed tree

We found this on our walk near a pond last weekend. It looks like something quit part way through. (C) J.S. Reinitz