Video: Clouds Over the Grand Canyon

This video comes our way courtesy of the National Parks Service. It is a short timelapse shot of the Grand Canyon that was just posted yesterday. The clip condenses 30 minutes of realtime down to just a single minute of video that shows the amazing cloud cover that enveloped the Canyon. As you can see, the clouds formed below the rim, creating an eerie sight for anyone who came to catch a glimpse of the magnificent landscapes there.

Video: GoPro Camera Accidentally Captures Great Underwater Images of Sea Life

We've seen a lot of great video captured by GoPro cameras over the years, some of it on purpose and a lot of it accidentally. You can put this clip squarely in the latter category, although the results are pretty great. The person who captured the footage was flying a radio controlled airplane over Cape Range National Park in Australia. A few minutes into the flight, he became disoriented by the sun, and lost his little aircraft. Desperately trying to find the plane, the pilot sends it spiraling into the ocean, where it soon sputters to a halt. Meanwhile, the GoPro Hero Black 3 mounted on the aircraft continues to shoot video footage, capturing images of numerous fish, sharks, a sea turtle and more. It ends up being quite a great video, although the RC airplane probably didn't survive.

The first three minutes of this clip features the aircraft flying around over the park. Some of the footage is quite nice, but if you want to skip ahead to the undersea imagery, jump to the three-minute mark.

Video: Autumn in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Autumn may just be the most spectacular time of year to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The weather is fantastic and the trees are ablaze with all of the amazing colors of the season. This video captures that setting in all of its glory. It was shot as part of the More Than Just Parks project, in which filmmakers Will and Jim Pattiz are attempting to create short films of all of America's national parks. As with the other films that are a part of this project, this one is visually stunning, and will call you to visit the Smoky's yourself. Enjoy!

MTJP | Smoky Mountains from More Than Just Parks on Vimeo.

Video: The Ridge

Shot in Denali National Park this past spring, this video gives us a dramatic look at a long, and treacherous, mountain ridge. The slow, meandering pace of the clip gives the mountains an almost sinister quality, as if it is daring viewers to just try to traverse its difficult route. But the images are also beautiful and inspiring, reminding us that the dangerous places of our planet are also worth the effort to explore. Sit back, and soak this one in. It says a lot, without saying anything at all.

THE RIDGE from Forge Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

Badwater Ultramarathon Returning to Death Valley

One of the big stories from the ultrarunning world earlier this year was the news that the Badwater Ultramarathon had been barred from taking place in its traditional environment – Death Valley National Park. In an effort to increase safety throughout the park, a comprehensive review of all events taking place within Death Vally was conducted, which included a number of running and cycling competitions. While that review was taking place, the Badwater was forced to use an alternate route for the 2014 event, and for a time it looked like that route could become permanent. Last week however, it was announced that the race will return to its traditional route in 2015, with only a few minor changes to operations.

In August, a report on the findings for the safety review in Death Valley indicated that sporting events taking place in the month of July – when the Badwater traditionally is run – could be permanently banned. That's when the temperatures in the park are at their hottest, and conditions are most dangerous for those participating. At the time the report was released, the future of the ultramarathon continuing in Death Valley looked grim, and it seemed it wouldn't even be able to start in the small town from which is garnered its name.

But now it seems the Park Service has granted the Badwater a reprieve, and the event will take place more or less as usual. The 2015 edition of the race will be held July 28-30, with a route that begins in Badwater Basin, 86 meters (282 feet) below sea level, and ends at the Mt. Whitney Portals located at 2530 metes (8300 ft). Along the way, it covers some 217 km (135 miles) through one of the harshest, driest environments on the planet.

Race officials indicated that the Badwater would have a three-wave start, with runners setting off in the evening. They indicated that participants wouldn't notice any other significant changes to the event, although behind the scenes there has been more bureaucracy and expense taken on by the AdventureCORPS team that puts on the race. Other than that however, it is business as usual for the ultra-event.

It's good to see the Badwater return to its traditional home and route. The event was never in danger of going away, but for decades it has been run along the route from the basin to Mt. Whitney, and it is nice to see it able to continue along that path. I commend the National Park Service for taking safety seriously, but the AdventureCORPS team has been running this race for a long time, and they have proven time and again that they know what they are doing. Safety remains a chief concern of all involved, and will continue to do so as long as the Badwater continues to operate.

Video: America's Great Spaces in Timelapse

At just over five minutes in length, this video gives us an incredible timelapse tour of some of the best outdoor spaces in the entire U.S. The photography is brilliant, and the landscapes are breathtaking. This is a clip you want to enjoy without distractions, as it is a healthy reminder of why we love nature so much. Enjoy.

Video: A Stunning Journey Across Olympic National Park

Looking for an escape to an amazing outdoor setting today? If you're like me, and can't actually get outside at the moment, then the next best thing just might be this video. It was made by filmmakers Jim and Will Pattiz, two brothers who have a passion for America's national parks. In this case, they traveled to Olympic National Park to capture some of the amazing settings that can be found there. After a month of filming, they have compiled a four-and-a-half minute clip that is breathtakingly beautiful. If all goes well, the brothers hope to make similar films of the other 58 parks that are part of the U.S. national park system. Watch this amazing video, then go find out more about their project at MoreThanJustParks.com.

MTJP | OLYMPIC from More Than Just Parks on Vimeo.

Video: A Line in the Sand

This video comes our way from Our Canyon Lands, a nonprofit that is working to preserve and protect the public lands of the American West, particularly those around Canyonlands National Park in Utah, which is one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in all of North America. The stylized animation that make up this clip help to deliver the message that public lands are being threatened by outside interests, and unless something is done, we could use lose some amazing wilderness areas. While the imagery is definitely dramatic, and a bit over the top, it still hammers home the point. We must do something to ensure that these lands exist for future generations to enjoy too. We must draw a line in the sand.

A Line in the Sand from Our Canyon Lands on Vimeo.

Video: Morning on the Moorlands

Shot inside Kemeri National Park in Latvia, this video captures the transition of the season from summer to fall on the stunning moorlands that make up that part of the world. It is a tranquil look at a setting that is incredibly beautiful, and likely unknown to most people who live outside the region. This is three-minutes of pure splendor.

Morning in Moorland from Eaglewood Films on Vimeo.

Video: Sculpted in Time Teaser Trailer

This video is a teaser for a new series of short films coming our way from Sherpas Cinema. The four mini documentaries, set to release over the next few weeks, were all shot in and around Banff National Park in Canada, and will spotlight a unique individual who has been influenced by the mountains there. The clip below gives us just enough of a glimpse of what is to come to get us excited. The scenery alone will make these documentaries well worth our time. Beautiful stuff to say the least.

Thanks to my friend Kate for sharing!

Badwater Ultramarathon Banned From Death Valley

Update: It has been pointed out to me that this ban is leveled at events that take place in Death Valley during July, and isn't for every event that takes place in the park. The text below has been updated to reflect this.

The Badwater Ultramarathon is one of the toughest races on the planet, thanks in no small part due to the fact that much of its 135 miles (217 km) length crosses through the desert in Death Valley National Park. For years, the race started in the town of Badwater and ended at the Mt. Whitney Portals, drawing some of the best endurance runners from around the world to compete. But now, the National Park Service has banned the event from taking place inside the park altogether, changing the very fabric of this iconic event.

The news of the ban came a few weeks back, creating disappointment within the ultra-running community, even if it wasn't necessarily a complete surprise. Earlier in the year, the Park Service instituted a temporary ban on events taking place within national parks in order to evaluate them for safety. That forced the 2014 Badwater Ultra to create a new route that didn't put race organizers and runners in conflict with the NPS. When this year's event took place back in July however, there was still hope that the ban would eventually be lifted. This new ruling – signed by Death Valley National Park Superintendent Kathy Billings – makes it permanent.

The primary reason for the ban is concerns about safety issues. Death Valley is one of the hottest locations on the planet, with temperatures in the summer routinely exceeding 110ºF/43.3ºC. Prolonged exposure to that kind of heat can put any visitor to the park in danger, let alone athletes attempting to cover more than 100 miles during the hottest time of the year. There also appeared to be some concerns that the Badwater would take part at night, when visibility was low and there were fewer park service staff members on duty to deal with potential issues. Responding to calls for assistance could be greatly delayed, raising the questions about overall safety even further.

It should be noted that this ban isn't just leveled agains the Badwater Ultra. Death Valley has hosted between 10 and 14 sporting events each year, and any of them scheduled to take place in July, when the heat is at its worst, will not be allowed to take place. Of those, the Badwater is probably the most well known, but others could be affected by this ruling too.

This year, the race started in Lone Pine, and followed the edge of Death Valley towards the regular route up Mt. Whitney. The new route added some further challenges with more climbs, but the spirit of the race remained the same. It is possible that this route will now become the one that is used moving forward. The race will likely continue to keep its name, even though it will no longer begin in Badwater as well.