Hope is dwindling on finding 4 climbers reported missing for more than a week on Mount Rainier on the Disappointment Cleaver Route. They are Mark Vucich, 37, of San Diego, and Michelle Trojanowski, 30, of Atlanta. The two were planning to camp at the Muir snowfield. Sork “Erik” Yang, 52, of Springfield, Oregon, and Seol Hee Jin, 52, from Korea.
Here’s an amazing story of Yong Chun Kim, of Tacoma, Wash., who burned $1 and $5 bills to keep warm after being separated from his group while snowshoeing in Mount Rainier National Park.
46-year-old Patrick Scott Powers of Mansfield., Mass, fell 800 feet from Tuckerman Ravine while descending Mount Washington on January 9, 2011.
DCist has an interesting history
of Fort Reno which is DC’s highpoint. It notes that the fort was originally called Fort Pennsylvania and was the “largest and most heavily armed fort in the city” during the Civil War. It also notes the area was once called “Friendship.”
here’s an amazing story (with lots of photos) on nwhikers.net of a hiker who was escorted from a campsite by a helicopter following the New Year Day murder of a Rainier ranger (authorities were concerned people in the park could be shot for their supplies).

15-year-old Jordan Romero completed Vinson Massif on Christmas Eve 2011 making him the youngest person to complete all 7 summits.
*Jordanromero.com
*Wikipedia profile
Fleeting Light: The High Desert and the Geminid Meteor Shower from Henry Jun Wah Lee on Vimeo.
The Geminid Meteor shower is tonight. Here’s a time lapse from last year in the Alabama Hills by Mount Whitney.

An article on Christmas trees notes that David Douglas for whom the Douglas fir is named died while climbing on Mauna Kea when he fell into animal trap which was soon occupied by a bull. A monument to him is on mountain where he died Ka lua kauka (“Doctor’s Pit” in the Hawaiian language), off Mānā Road.
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