This month’s copy of National Geographic has some great reading for those headed out to Yellowstone National Park this summer. However, it’s the kind of information that you may not want to hear if you’re a worrywart. Apparently the volcano supervolcano that created one of the country’s best national parks isn’t as sleepy as researchers once thought.

Although researchers aren’t trying to terrify us, there is some evidence that the volcano has been inching upwards in recent years. It’s doming, it’s growing, and researchers refer to it as a caldera at unrest, which sounds a little unsettling to us. Especially when you consider some of the suspected supervolcano eruptions that have taken place in the planet’s history. About 2.1 million years ago an eruption at Yellowstone left a hole in the ground as large as Rhode Island.

For now, researchers seem to agree on one thing: they aren’t sure what will happen and when. An eruption could wipe out much of the human race and next week we could be plunged into a volcanic winter for 100,000 years, or never at all. All we know is we better go see Old Faithful before it's upstaged by something a little more extreme.

Related Stories:
· When Yellowstone Explodes [National Geographic]
· Tonga's Underwater Volcano Might Affect the Fiji Beach Scene [Jaunted]
· Science Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Mud Volcano at Yellowstone: enyacologne] ]]> kjb 2009-07-21T14:19:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/16/73431/2949

It won’t be long until Jackson Hole is covered in snow, and Dick Cheney is clogging up the town’s main arteries with his entourage. To take advantage of the warm weather and summer scenery, we suggest indulging in a fly fishing trip to the Equality State—ya, that’s actually Wyoming’s official nickname.

It’s prime trout season on the Snake River through October, and the fish are daring you to try and catch them. The Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa has created a Cast Away Fly Fishing Package to allow for the ultimate lazy and active vacation combination. During the day you’ll be learning to fly fish thanks to private lessons. At night you’ll be snoozing away in the comfort of luxury accommodations.

Package rates start at $2,166, which is a little expensive, especially in the current economy. However, you are getting a four-night stay, breakfast every morning, weeklong passes to the national parks, and dinner for two at the lodge’s fancy pants restaurant. You’ll owe a nice dinner to your sweetheart if she tags along; let’s just hope she enjoys “New Western Mountain” cuisine.

Related Stories:
·Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa [Official Site]
·Fresh Air Travel: Cheyenne is America's Cleanest City [Jaunted]
·National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: timailius] ]]> kjb 2009-07-16T16:57:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/11/15337/0170

Watch out LA, as the American Lung Association is out with their annual "State of the Air" list, which ranks American cities based on how polluted they are. This year, the rankings have a simple and strong message for those in search of clean travel: go out west.

You may already be familiar with Cheyenne, Wyoming from the Oregon Trail game, but this year it gains notoriety after taking the crown for least year-round particle pollution, followed by Sante Fe, Honolulu, Great Falls, MT, and Farmington, NM. Of course, we could have told you that Wyoming and Montana have some pretty clean skies. Among places we're surprised to see on the list is one-time industrial center Duluth, MN, coming in at an impressive #13.

Nobody likes hearing about the winners however, as we know that the juicy news is in who got ranked the worst for air quality. The bottom of the list is no surprise: Los Angeles takes the cake as most polluted place in the country. In fact, the state of California dominates the "worst of" section, with Bakersfield, Visalia, and Fresno rounding out the bottom four. The city that surprised us most here is NYC, which came in a not-so-awful 18th-to-last-place—pretty good for the most populous city in the country.

Related Stories:
· State of the Air [American Lung Association]
· Pollution travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Wyoming travel guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: katymcc] ]]> BS 2009-05-12T09:16:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/30/104639/27

Probably the only thing we remember from our tours of Yellowstone a couple years ago are guides telling us about the supervolcano that formed the caldera that covers a large chunk of the national park. You can't have geysers and bubbling mudpots without lots of geothermal activity underground, and so Yellowstone is used to the occasional quake. But a recent batch of hundreds of mini-earthquakes, has scientists scratching their heads.

Though even the strongest of the tremors, at magnitude 3.8, is just strong enough to be easily noticed without seismic equipment, the fact that more than 250 quakes have occurred in the past few days has geologists on high alert, one University of Utah professor tells the AP:

This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to. We might be seeing something precursory.

Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety.

While it's good to know someone's watching out for park visitors, it's not exactly clear what precautions could be taken if a massive earthquake were to suddenly hit. In 1959, a huge quake triggered a landslide that killed 28. The good news is that these quake swarms happen pretty often, so it could just be a little something to add some edginess to your national park visit.

Related Stories:
· Scientists Eye Unusual Swarm of Quakes [AP, via Google]
· Recent Quakes in Yellowstone National Park [University of Utah]
· Earthquakes coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: trialsanderrors]]]> pbb 2008-12-30T11:00:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/17/224852/056

Wrap up summer and welcome fall in the stunning Western Rocky Mountains at the 24th Annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival in Wyoming. Much more than your standard, simple art fair, this one runs from September 4-21, with everything from Native American art to cuisine to music to gallery walks to workshops; in all, more than 50 events will take place over the 18 days.

Some highlights? The "Taste of the Tetons," which allows visitors to sample tons of food, dessert and wine in historic downtown Jackson (tickets are just $1 each). Or the QuickDraw Art Sale and Auction, where 30 artists create original works on-site and spectators can then bid on them.

There will also be tons of opportunities to view and buy Western art, jewelry and even to take in a Jackson Hole Cowboy Jubilee Historic Ranch Tour where you can feast on local barbecue, hear cowboy tunes and listen to area ranchers describe their daily lives. It just might help you prolong your summer dreams of escaping to the ranch a while longer.

Related Stories:
· Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival [Official Site]
· Datebook: Jackson [NYT]
· Fall Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: JacksonHoleWy.com]]]> sedona 2008-08-18T10:00:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/18/10398/8812

Stephen Colbert was right! Two campgrounds near Yellowstone National Park have been closed at the height of tourist season after a bear attacked a camper Thursday morning.

The bear, believed to be a grizzly, entered a tent at the Soda Butte campground at the park's northeastern end and bit and scratched a man. It is not known whether he was camping alone or how old he was, but it appeared his food was stored correctly (a common draw to hungry animals in and near the park).

The National Park Service said the bear returned to the scene of the crime later on Thursday, proving that bears are not actually that smart.

Related Stories:
· Grizzly Crawls into Bed with Montana Camper [Great Falls Tribune]
· Scary Alaska Travel: Bear Mauls Teenage Girl [Jaunted]
· When Animals Attack coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: tut99]]]> egw 2008-07-18T11:15:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/5/141841/2841

Jackson Hole is famous for being the adopted home of VP Dick Cheney, being on the fringe of Wyoming and not having a home for sale for less a couple million. While these three facts may deter some, it's also a mecca for American climbers and average people who want to be guided to the top of the Grand Teton, one of North America's coveted mountains.

Lucky for those with little or no climbing experience, Exum Mountain Guides has been in business in the Jackson Hole area for 79 years, offering more expertise and successful summits of the Grand than anyone else. This isn't for the faint of heart or those inspired from watching those Everest reality shows. If you decide to tackle this in your lifetime it's time to take out your polishing cloth and get those cojones their shiniest.

Trips up the Grand can be arranged in private or group trips, and the Exum guides are always mindful of your skill level, safety being their top priority.

Related Stories:
· Exum Mountain Guides [Official Site]
· Climbing coverage [Jaunted]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Adam Dale]]]> DanielR 2008-06-05T16:00:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/