[at-l] Mt Ranier burps

[ATnavi@aol.com (ATnavi@aol.com)]

Just a little burp, but still...

Some excerpts from AP article today: "Wash. Trails Closed Near Volcano"

Some of Mount Rainier's most popular hiking trails remained closed Thursday 
as geologists studied an area where melting glacier water sent millions of 
pounds of rock and mud sliding down the volcano.

The sodden debris began to break loose Tuesday evening, prompting campers to 
pack up at the base of the 14,410-foot volcano, which sits 40 miles south of 
Tacoma. The flow raised the level of the Nisqually River. 

A series of debris flows was triggered by unusually hot weather that caused 
the Kautz Glacier to pour water from its left side into a neighboring 
glacier's valley, saturating loose glacial dirt and rock. 

Rangers closed trails along the flow's path after U.S. Geological Survey 
scientists spotted the fresh flows Wednesday. The trail system along Van 
Trump Creek - one of the most popular hikes in the park - will remain closed 
if hot weather keeps melt water flowing from the glaciers. 
***
We don't have to worry about this sort of activity on the East Coast, but 
those of you heading west to hike...Rainier's been hiccupping on the 
seismograph a good bit over the past few years. The Geological Survey in 
Washington keeps tabs on it...reports on it in their quarterly newsletter. 
I'm not sure if they have a web resource.

Cheers, Navigator