Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 4/14/16

Northwest:

--Mt. Rainier is hiring for climbing rangers. To learn more, click here.

--There are two Adopt-a-Crag events taking place in Washington this weekend. There is a Gold Bar Boulder Clean-Up as well as the Dallas Kloke Memorial Work Party at Mt. Erie.

--Bellingham ecologist and bear expert Chris Morgan appears in and narrates a new film short called “Wanted: Grizzly Bears?” It’s being released as federal agencies consider restoring a self-sustaining grizzly bear population to the U.S. side of the North Cascades, where they are nearing extinction. To read more, click here.

--Joint Base Lewis-McChord is putting a controversial helicopter training proposal back in the hangar while it looks for high-altitude sites in the state where its aviation crews can train without disrupting hikers and campers. Its initial proposal drew strong criticism from outdoors advocates who especially opposed the Army’s selection of a site in a wilderness area near Leavenworth. To read more, click here.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/military/article70627732.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article69533367.html#storylink=cpy

Sierra:

--The New York Times published a very informative, eye-opening article about the Sierra Nevada snowpack and California’s drought today. The article informs us that moving forward, climate change is going to mean more rain and less snow for the Sierra Nevada and that will equate to big problems for the California water supply. To read more, click here.

--Well, the guy below is lucky to be alive. This incident, that took place in Squaw Valley, is definitely the "crash of the week:"

Desert Southwest:

--A rock climber who was found dead after a possible medical emergency at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has been identified. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1W1IokQ) Friday that the Clark County Coroner's Office identified the climber as 59-year-old Thomas Allard of Las Vegas. To read more, click here.

--Southeastern Utah is one of the most revered climbing destinations in the US, if not the world. But can you imagine if the splitter cracks in Indian Creek, the stunning towers of Valley of the Gods, and the high adventures of Texas and Arch Canyons were surrounded by oil rigs or were off limits to climbers? The Access Fund needs your help to protect climbing in southeastern Utah. Right now, lawmakers are considering two initiatives that may impact access! To read more, click here.

--The Southern Nevada Climber's Coalition received some great press this week. Check it out, here.

--The beauty of Red Rock Canyon may be timeless, but a new poster commemorating the conservation area is straight out of the 1930s. The Bureau of Land Management unveiled the limited edition, vintage-style poster in a ceremony at the Red Rock vistor center Friday morning. To read more, click here.

Congratulations to AAI Guide Andrew Yasso and his lovely new wife, Kyle!

--AAI Guide Andrew Yasso got married on Sunday. The ceremony was officiated by AAI Guide Doug Foust and was terribly fun. Congratulations, Andrew!

--Washington County Search and Rescue crews from St. George, UT, went to great lengths to save a dog named Toby that fell 350 feet down a cliff during a family outing at Gooseberry Mesa Thursday afternoon.The team received a call from the St. George Communications Center reporting a dog injured from falling 350 feet down a steep cliff, asking if the search and rescue team could respond, Washington County Search and Rescue Deputy Darrell Cashin said. To read more, click here.

Colorado:

--The 24-year-old rock climber who fell 70 feet on Saturday in Eldorado Canyon is recovering at Denver Health Medical Center. His family said he underwent surgery on his ankle and will have to undergo additional surgeries. By all accounts, Jamie Shaw is lucky to be alive. The 70-foot fall he endured happened in a dangerous part of Eldorado Canyon State Park. According to rescuers, Shaw hit a rock face, causing significant injury to his lower right leg. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Jim Curran, British Climber and Author of "K2, The Story of The Savage Mountain," died on April 5 from a cancer-related illness. His nearly 50-year climbing career was as versatile as it was long – he was a celebrated videographer, climber, author, artist and teacher. To read more, click here.

--A helicopter rescued an experienced Japanese climber from an Alaska mountain where spring storms had created significant avalanche risks. Masatoshi Kuriaki, a 42-year-old climber from Fukuoka, Japan, was rescued Sunday at the 8,600-foot level of 14,573-foot Mount Hunter, Denali National Park said in a news release. To read more, click here.

--Michael Banks will forever remember the day he asked his girlfriend to marry him. But not for the right reasons. The 27-year-old from Fresno scaled the southern side of the 581-foot high Morro Rock, off California’s Central Coast, early Thursday, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports. Banks used the spectacular backdrop to propose to the love of his life via his iPhone’s FaceTime app. She said yes. But he took a steeper trail back down the eastern side of the cliff and became stranded on a sheer ledge. A witness heard him yelling for help at 8:30 a.m. and dialed 911. To read more, click here.

--A man stranded on a glacier in Alaska was rescued on Tuesday, his father says. Chris Hanna, and another skier, Jennifer Neyman, were rescued Tuesday afternoon by helicopter from Bear Glacier, said his father, Gene Hanna. To read more, click here.

--According to Bloomberg, Eastern Mountain Sports' parent company, Vestis Retail Group, is preparing for bankruptcy filings, and could file as soon as next week. Vestis also owns the Sports Chalet and Bob's Stores chains. The news no doubt casts speculation that EMS will have to follow their parent organization into Chapter 11. To read more, click here.

--So somebody out there thinks that wolverines are a good option for avalanche rescue... To read more, click here.