Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 7/7/16

Northwest:

--The body of 28-year-old climber, Brian Robak, was found by authorities, on Saturday, after he had attempted to climb Mount Washington, a nearly 8,000-foot peak in Oregon’s Cascade Range. According to a report by the Statesman Journal, Deschutes County Sheriff officials said that it had appeared that the young climber had fallen a “significant distance” while descending the mountain’s east side. To read more, click here.

--A 55-year-old Lynnwood man is recovering after injuring himself while climbing Mount Adams over the weekend. To read more, click here.

--When state Fish and Wildlife agents recently found a black bear passed out on the lawn of Baker Lake Resort, there were some clues scattered nearby — dozens of empty cans of Rainier Beer. The bear apparently got into campers’ coolers and used his claws and teeth to puncture the cans. And not just any cans. “He drank the Rainier and wouldn’t drink the Busch beer,” said Lisa Broxson, bookkeeper at the campground and cabins resort east of Mount Baker. To read more, click here.

--There are a couple of different trail maintenance opportunities coming up with the Access Fund and with the Exit 38 climbing area. The first is July 16 and the second is August 13.

--Debris flow this spring on the Mt. Baker Boulder Glacier reminded many Whatcom County residents of the active volcano sitting in their backyard. Recent interest prompted a new blog post by Whatcom emergency management stating, though scientifically interesting, the flow does not pose a threat to any Whatcom County communities. To read more, click here.

--One evening earlier this month, 12 runners set out from Bellingham Bay for the top of snow-capped Mount Baker in the distance. To get there and back — a round trip of 108 miles during a hot, sunny weekend — they ran, hiked and climbed to the 10,781-foot summit of Mount Baker over two nights and two days. Eleven of them completed the arduous journey, a trek known as the Mount Baker Ultra Run. To read more, click here.

--In spring and summer, one of Snohomish County's most beautiful places also becomes one of its most dangerous. The Big Four Ice Caves trail in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest offers a panoramic view of the best the North Cascades Range has to offer. The caves also are where tons of snow, ice and rock break loose every year, a natural wonder that could bury dozens of people. July 6 will mark a year since the partial collapse at the caves claimed the life of a California woman and her brother. Two others have been killed by falling ice since 1998, including 11-year-old Grace Tam, who was standing 20 feet from the caves. To read more, click here.

--Two British Columbia men have been charged in connection with a moose-riding video that went viral last year. In the video posted to YouTube, a motorboat is seen following the animal as it tries to swim through a lake. To read more, click here. To see the video, click below:

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article85168737.html#storylink=cpy

Sierra:

--Brad Gobright and Scott Bennett recently completed a Yosemite triple crown. The pair completed three big wall routes in a day. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--An extraordinarily large landslide has been discovered near Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska. Aerial photos show a snow-capped mountain with a huge chunk taken out of it—and a debris field that extends for nearly seven miles. To read more, click here.

--Aggressive grizzlies have prompted officials in Denali National Park and Preserve to close trails and parking lots. The Savage Alpine Trail, the Savage River Loop Trail and both Savage River parking lots were closed indefinitely as park wildlife technicians tried to teach a bear in the area to avoid approaching humans. The park has also stopped issuing backcountry permits for the Savage River area. The small grizzly early in the week charged vehicles near the Primrose area and chased visitors near Savage River along the Denali Park Road. To read more, click here.