Hiker Plunges to Her Death at Yosemite

Two companions still missing, both presumed dead

(NEWSER) - One of the three hikers swept over Yosemite's Vernal Fall last month has been found. Search and rescue workers and rangers recovered David Hormiz's body Saturday, about 240 feet from the base of the 317-foot waterfall, KTLA reports. The bodies of Hormiz's two companions, both also presumed dead, have not been found; some trails near the fall remain closed as the search continues. More»

He moved as little as possible during the day

(NEWSER) - A 64-year-old man who survived for six days after getting lost in California's Joshua Tree desert says he survived by staying in shade during the day and walking during the cold nights. Edward Rosenthal said he intended a short walk but got distracted when he took a wrong turn and lost the trail. "I tried to stay calm and focused," he said today, a day after being released from the hospital. "I tried not to get excited because if you do that, you die." More»

(AP) - The National Park Service is looking to stimulate summer vacations, with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announcing today that entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments—including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite—will be waived on three weekends this summer: June 20-21, July 18-19, and Aug. 15-16. “During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families," Salazar said. More»

Rangers warn that illicit, cartel-run plantations are on the rise

(NEWSER) - America's park rangers are battling a growing number of marijuana plantations taking root in national parks, NPR reports. Marijuana farms have been found in at least six national parks on the West Coast, where rangers say growers camp in the woods all summer, tending hidden plantations that can't be spotted from the air, and laying down irrigation hoses up to a mile long. More»

Shane Bauer had proposed to Sarah Shourd in Iran prison

(NEWSER) - It's a love story that stood the test of an Iranian prison: Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer, best known for taking a wrong turn while hiking, have gotten married in California, reports the BBC . Friend and fellow captive Josh Fattal served as best man, and the couple is said to be honeymooning. "Now that this day has come, all I can do is close my eyes and fill with gratitude, for our freedom, for the love of so many generous people around the world, and for the very soil under my feet," wrote Shourd on the Free the Hikers website. More»