National park discourages motorcyclists from visiting this summer
National park discourages motorcyclists from visiting this summer
As part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, Death Valley National Park issued a warning to motorcyclists about visiting the park during the summer months, telling them to 'think twice before traveling during the hottest months of the year' because of the serious risks.
'Motorcycle riders are injured or killed due to the extreme conditions every year in Death Valley,' park superintendent Mike Reynolds said. 'Your safety is our priority, and we want you to return home safely so you can ride for the long haul.
'We encourage riders to visit between October and April, when temperatures are significantly cooler and safer for motorcycling.'
Temperatures can reach up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and once the heat index exceeds 99 degrees Fahrenheit, ambient air no longer offers any cooling relief, even while riding at speeds.
Making the intense conditions worse for motorcyclists is the protective gear they wear, making heat-related illnesses more likely.
For the motorcyclists who still want to risk a ride in the summer, the park offers these safety tips:
*Review active park alerts to learn about weather or closures.
*Map your route in advance; there is no cell phone signal in most of the park.
*Ride during cooler times of the day, such as before 10 am.
*Take frequent breaks in air conditioning or shaded areas.
* Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
* Slow down on curves.
* Ride in center of lane and single file to have more space to maneuver on roads with limited shoulders.
The National Park Service also offers a Motorcycle Safety page, as well as a Beat the Heat Safety page.
Photos courtesy of NPS/Kurt Moses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Experienced climber dies after 3,000-foot plummet from North America's highest peak
A Seattle man died after falling 3,000 feet from a climbing route at Denali National Park in Alaska, the National Park Service said Wednesday. Alex Chiu, 41, was ascending the West Buttress route of Mount McKinley on Monday, June 2, one of the park's most frequently climbed routes, while not attached to a rope, the agency said in a statement. He was ski mountaineering, which involves ascending and descending the route with skis. He was joined by two others in his expedition to conquer North America's highest peak. Two others witnessed his fall onto the rocky face covered in jagged ice, and lowered themselves over the edge as far as they could, but they could not see or hear him after the fall, officials said. Alaska Man Survives Being Pinned Face-down By 700-Pound Boulder In Creek After Help From His Wife The mountaineers descended the route to ask for assistance at Camp 1, which is located around 7,800 feet up the mountain. Read On The Fox News App Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search teams were unable to quickly reach the area where he had fallen on Monday. On Wednesday, clear weather allowed two rangers to depart Talkeetna, a village south of the mountain, in a helicopter search for Chiu. When his body was found, it was transferred to the state medical examiner, the agency said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office for Chiu's official cause of death. Chiu was an aerospace engineer at the Federal Aviation Administration and, before that, a software engineer at Boeing, according to his LinkedIn profile. On his social media accounts, he described himself as a storyteller, traveler, scuba diver, rock climber, alpinist and marathon runner. He wrote on his Instagram account about how living in Seattle allowed him to take his ice-climbing tools to the mountains every weekend. He shared that following the daily grind of his 9-to-5, he would pack up his gear and head to the mountains. "I had become so good at what I did that I started teaching others how to do it, and that was even more fun to teach others how to experience the joy you have in these wild places," he wrote in an Instagram post. "When I am in the mountains, I realize I was at my best. I was smart, witty, passionate, and bold." Fatal Fall In Washington's North Cascades Kills 3, Leaves 1 Survivor The pandemic put the brakes on his alpine climbs, but he dreamed of heading back to the climb. "So tomorrow I am getting on an airplane to Alaska," he wrote in an Instagram post on May 19, "in an attempt to climb the third-highest peak in the world because I don't want to know what happens to a dream deferred." The busiest season on the mountain lasts from mid-May to mid-June; there were about 500 climbers on it Wednesday, the agency said. Chiu is one of several people who have died while climbing Mount McKinley or other areas of Denali National Park. In April 2024, 52-year-old Robbi Mecus, of Keene Valley, New York, fell to his death while climbing an estimated 1,000 feet off Mount Johnson in the national park. The NPS said that a similar accident happened in 2010, in a similar location. That incident involved an unroped French mountaineer, who fell to his death on the Peters Glacier. His body was never article source: Experienced climber dies after 3,000-foot plummet from North America's highest peak
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Natchez Trace Parkway to close in Choctaw and Webster counties
CHOCTAW, Miss. (WJTV) – The National Park Service (NPS) will close a section of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. The closure, which beings at 2:00 p.m. on June 9, will take place on the parkway from Highway 413 to U.S. Highway 82 in Choctaw and Webster counties. The last night to camp at Jeff Busby campground is Sunday, June 8. 'Sinners' puts 'truth on screen' for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians According to the NPS, the road will be closed to all traffic, including vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians, as construction crews work to repair failing areas of the parkway. A signed detour will be in place between Mississippi Highway 413 and U.S. Highway 82 to navigate around the closure. Travelers can expect about 15 minutes added to their drive. Additionally, NPS officials said the Jeff Busby campground and day use area will remain closed while construction is underway. All campers and day users must vacate the Jeff Busby site by noon on Monday, June 9. The closure is anticipated to last through summer. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Storm tracker: 2 tropical depressions could form in Pacific in coming days
There are two systems brewing off the southern coast of Mexico that could strengthen into tropical depressions as soon as this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said Friday morning. According to the hurricane center, showers and thunderstorms have "increased a little on the eastern side of a broad trough of low pressure" located a few hundred miles south of southern Mexico. The NHC says environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development and a "short-lived tropical depression is likely to form over the weekend" while the system moves west-northwestward just off the coast of Mexico. "Interests in southern and southwestern Mexico should monitor the progress of this system," hurricane center forecasters said Friday, giving the system a 70% chance of formation through the next seven days. Additionally, the NHC said a "broad area of low pressure" has formed along the western side of the elongated trough south of Mexico. The hurricane center said "continued gradual development" of the system is expected and a tropical depression is "likely to form over the weekend or early next week." Hurricane center forecasters give this system an 80% chance of formation through the next seven days. While the 2025 Pacific hurricane season began on May 15, the Atlantic season officially began on June 1 and will last through the end of November. Active hurricane weather typically peaks between mid-August and mid-October. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its prediction for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday, May 22, predicting an above-average season, with 13 to 19 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes. This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Prepare now for hurricanes: Here's what you should do to stay safe before a storm arrives Develop an evacuation plan: If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. Assemble disaster supplies: Whether you're evacuating or sheltering-in-place, you're going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy aftermath, NOAA said. Get an insurance checkup and document your possessions: Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and/or belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance doesn't cover flooding, so you'll need a separate policy for it. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Create a family communication plan: NOAA said to take the time now to write down your hurricane plan, and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. Strengthen your home: Now is the time to improve your home's ability to withstand hurricane impacts. Trim trees; install storm shutters, accordion shutters, and/or impact glass; seal outside wall openings. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storm tracker: 2 tropical depressions could form in Pacific
