Monday, January 26, 2026

Treasury Department Cancels Contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton (Recreation.gov)

The Treasury Department just announced that they have canceled its contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, a government contractor and consulting firm that runs Recreation.gov, the website that National Parks and National Forests use to sell timed entry permits, campsite reservations and other services. According to a press release issued earlier today:
Today, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced the cancelation of all contracts with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. The Treasury Department currently has 31 separate contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton totaling $4.8 million in annual spending and $21 million in total obligations.

“President Trump has entrusted his cabinet to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and canceling these contracts is an essential step to increasing Americans’ trust in government,” said Secretary Bessent. “Booz Allen failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect sensitive data, including the confidential taxpayer information it had access to through its contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.”

Most notably, between 2018 and 2020, Charles Edward Littlejohn — an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton — stole and leaked the confidential tax returns and return information of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers. To date, the IRS determined that the data breach affected approximately 406,000 taxpayers. Littlejohn has pled guilty to felony charges for disclosing confidential tax information without authorization.
Right now, it's not exactly clear what will happen to Recreation.gov. If you recall, there was a class action lawsuit that was filed against Booz Allen Hamilton in 2023, claiming that Recreation.gov was charging "junk fees" to consumers. Several months later, however, the lawsuit was dropped. Hopefully, we'll soon have a better understanding of the future of Recreation.gov, especially for those wishing to visit a park or area this year that requires a permit or reservation of some type.



              ************************************************************************************

Check out our online trail guides:







              ************************************************************************************

Check out our online trail guides:



Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Route improvement project coming to Delta Lake in Grand Teton

Grand Teton National Park Foundation posted this blurb on their social media yesterday:
Instagram’s favorite Grand Teton lake is getting some much-needed care. 💚

In partnership with Grand Teton National Park and Access Fund, Grand Teton National Park Foundation is proud to support a new project to improve access to Delta Lake this year.

After years of heavy use without a designated trail, erosion and informal 'social trails' have degraded the primary approach to the lake, creating safety concerns and causing environmental damage.

Beginning summer 2026, Access Fund crews will help stabilize the route while preserving the wild character that defines Delta Lake.
You can read more about the project on the Foundation's website.



              ************************************************************************************

Check out our online trail guides:



Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Book pre-announcement

FYI, everyone: I'm excited to announce that a brand new edition of Ramble On: A History of Hiking will be released in early February! Please check back for more information!
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, January 19, 2026

What happens when wolves, coyotes, foxes and people share the same landscape?

Grand Teton National Park posted this earlier today:
Every year, scientists conduct carefully reviewed research in Grand Teton National Park to help us better understand and protect this place. One of those projects is the 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, which is studying how gray wolves, coyotes, and red foxes interact with each other and with humans across the park.

Here’s why it matters 👇
• Wolves were absent from the ecosystem for more than 70 years
• Coyotes became the dominant canid when wolves were absent
• Red foxes were less prominent in the park during this period

Since wolves returned to the region in the late 1990s, those relationships have shifted again. Using GPS collars, remote cameras, genetic analysis, and even anonymous cell phone data, researchers are tracking how these three species move, compete, use the landscape, and react to human presence.

Early findings show:
• Larger canids have larger home ranges
• All three species expand their ranges in winter
• Coyotes overlap with other canids more than foxes or wolves
• Human presence adds both risks and opportunities for wildlife

The Canid Coexistence Project—led by University of Wyoming researchers in partnership with park and Wyoming Game and Fish biologists—is in the middle of data collection. Supported by @grandtetonfoundation, this research helps park managers anticipate conflict, protect habitat, and sustain healthy wildlife populations as visitation continues to grow.

Science plays a key role in keeping Grand Teton wild, resilient, and thriving. 🏔️
Thanks to the researchers helping us understand what coexistence really looks like.




              ************************************************************************************

Check out our online trail guides:



Posted by at No comments:

Friday, January 16, 2026

The Truman Everts Story

I ran into this Yellowstone National Park video about Truman Everts a few days ago. I was already familiar with this amazing story of survival, as I read a book about it several years ago. I thought you might be interested in it as well:





              ************************************************************************************

Check out our online trail guides:



Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)