Late last week the NPS spent $16 million to acquire 86 acres of “school trust lands” that were privately held within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. It was yet another move by Uncle Sam to capture grandfathered parcels that lay within Grand Teton. Yet to be acquired are 1,280 acres. At the time of statehood in 1890, the federal government granted Wyoming sections of land throughout the state to be held in trust to provide revenue for its public schools. That meant there were 1,366 acres of school trust lands within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park when the park was enlarged to its present-day size in 1950. In 2010 the Feds and Wyoming came to terms on a slow but sure acquiescence of state holdings over to Grand Teton. The goal is to prevent what the NPCA has called… “inappropriate development” within these land-locked islands. All of the land will eventually be absorbed according to the 2010 plans; a 640-acre parcel will be sold off next, in 2014. Via National Parks Traveler.

FOR SALE: BODE MILLER’S YACHT

“You can’t buy a view like this in California for under $10 million,” Miller told the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association when they interviewed him recently while he was rehabbing his torn up knee aboard his 100-foot yacht in San Diego. No, Miller didn’t say if that’s the sale price. But as the saying goes, if you have to ask…What is known is that Miller apparently makes serious bank. The New York Times says he’s also co-owner of a racehorse. And while the horse may stay, Miller’s new wife, professional volleyball player and model Morgan Beck, would apparently prefer a house that doesn’t float. “I’m going to list it because Morgan, my new wife — she loves the boat, too, I think, but for a family we prefer to have a regular house and be landlocked and have a boat more to just kind of cruise around rather than live on all the time.” Word to Bode: You also can’t sail to many World Cup venues. Via Grind.TV.

B.C. SKIERS WARNED (AGAIN) OF THE DANGERS OF BACKCOUNTRY SKIING

The RCMP and search and rescue authorities across the province continue to warn skiers, snowboarders, and hikers about the dangers of venturing into uncharted and out of bounds territory. Apparently they’ve been a little busier this early winter than normal and want snow junkies to know that backcountry means a cell phone isn’t the same thing as a bivy, a beacon, a Spot, a shovel, a probe, and oh, right, a brain. They say they’ve rescued people all over the province this month, from a guy at Kicking Horse who got lost during a trek, to two out-of-boundary skiers from Europe at Revelstoke who spent a night in the wild when they got lost in sidecountry. And just in the Vancouver area in December skiers have been needing a rescue on Grouse, Mt. Seymour, and Cypress Mountain. At the latter the mountain’s operators are trying to retrieve the entire $10,000 amount that the rescue incurred. Via Beacon News.

DOZEN LOST SKIERS RESCUED NEAR KILLINGTON
British Columbia isn’t the only place where officials are warning the clueless about going O.B. — Vermont is waving the red flag, too, after a dozen skiers needed rescue over the holidays. All were clustered around Killington, which, given its popularity, is far more likely to attract those with more enthusiasm than skills. Five from Massachusetts got lost after skiing off the Glades trail on December 28, a solo skier needed help outside the Killington boundary on the 29th, and a father and his 11-year-old son skied away from Pico, became disoriented, built a snow cave, and were finally spotted by search and rescue well after dark. Via Mountain Times.