When a park official contacted Mr. Mount, he denied that he was planning a large-scale trip. Yet, he continued to advertise the hike and to organize cabin stays and shuttle rides for dozens of people, according to court documents. Mr. Mount did not immediately return messages seeking comment. It was unclear from federal court records whether he had a lawyer. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Mr. Mount said he had arranged the trip because “with Covid and everything, people were just itching to get out.”

Source: New York Times May 08, 2021 15:18 UTC