Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 8/11/16

Northwest:

--Chilliwack Search and Rescue say "several very fortunately timed events" resulted in the successful nine-hour rescue early Sunday morning of an injured climber who fell about 60-feet onto a ledge while descending the summit of Mount Rexford. To read more, click here.

--Here's a follow-up on the article we published last week about the Canadian guide who was seriously injured by rockfall in the Bugaboos. The article includes a link to a go-fund-me site where you can help him out in his time of need.

--The Access Fund and the Washington Climbers Coalition are doing a trail maintenance project at Dirty Harry's trail at Exit 38 this weekend. To learn more, click here. 

--The 5Point Film Festival is coming to Bellingham from August 25-27. In addition to all the films, there will be lots of other events going on around the Festival. Authors Brendon Leonard (Sixty Meters to Anywhere), Ian Nicholson (Washington Pass Supertopo) and Dave Costello (Flying Off Everest) will all be making presentations at the event. AAI will be providing a self-rescue seminar at 1pm on the 27th. And there's a whole lot more! To see everything that's going on, check out the 5Point webpage!

--It appears that Vail Resorts Inc. is set to buy Canadian ski company Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. in a massive $1.39-billion deal according to USA Today. The deal is expected to close this fall, when Vail Resorts is set to acquire 100 percent of Whistler Blackcomb. Shareholders of the company will receive C$17.50 per share in cash and 0.0975 shares of Vail Resorts common stock, for a total value of $27.38 per share. To read more, click here.

--And finally, the following video that was uploaded six years ago is making the rounds today. In the video a woman waves at a bear at the Olympic Game Farm in Washington State. The bear, being friendly, waves back. To read about this encounter, click here. To see the video, click below:

 


--There's a new climbing gym in Burlington, WA. To see photos and read more, click here.

Sierra:

Miranda Oakly recently beat the women's solo speed record on the Nose, with a time of 21 hours and 50 minutes. In addition to breaking the speed record, she is also the first female to break the 24-hour threshold. To read more, click here.

--The Horseshoe Fire started on Tuesday towards the top of the Horseshoe Meadow Road, east of the developed recreation campgrounds, near Last Chance Meadow. It is estimated to be 25 acres and 0% contained.The fire has grown rapidly, driven by terrain, wind, and dry conditions. The fire is burning at 8,000 feet in elevation in timber and sage. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--Federal officials have begun an effort to corral about 40 wild burros living in the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park area in scenic Red Rock Canyon west of Las Vegas. U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon said Monday it could take up to month to lure the burros into pens with water and baited hay. To read more, click here.

-- Zion National Park officials say visitation has already grown by 11 percent this year and is on track to surpass 4 million visits. The St. George Spectrum reports that Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh says it’s tough to keep up with the crowds during peak times like holiday weekends. To read more, click here.

Colorado:

--27 year-old Peter Burwell and his company Burwell Enterprises are under contract to purchase Echo Mountain Ski Resort in the front-range for $3.8 million. This is the closest ski resort to the Denver Metro Area. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Canada's Kananaskis Country Public Safety responded to an accident in Heart Creek near Canmore on Aug. 5 in the early afternoon. The 42-year-old male climber fell over 60-feet from an anchor and landed on the ground. Reports suggest the climber sat back to be lowered but was not on belay. To read more, click here.

--A 19-year-old man was hurt in a fall while climbing Granite Peak in Park County on Monday. At about 11 a.m., the Park County Sheriff’s Office received a call for help near the summit of the mountain, which is the tallest in Montana. To read more, click here. Following is a video of a short-haul made on the peak during the rescue:

--Eight-year-old Katie Jarvis passed out after getting her helmet strap caught on a hand grip at Fun Factory in Rochford, Essex. The girl then hung - by her neck - until she was rescued. To read more, click here.

--As the National Park Service confronts what Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has called a “culture” of sexual harassment, the agency allowed barely clad swimsuit models to take photos with iconic park backdrops. These shoots — used for the first time last year in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and reprised by National Geographic in May’s issue on Yellowstone National Park — have angered park watchdogs, employees and advocates, who say the images undermine the effort to fight sexual misconduct. To read more, click here.

--The National Park Service has created a unique program with Sherpa guides from Nepal. They are currently engaging in an exchange program, bringing the Sherpa to parks like Denali, Yosemite and Grand Teton to help enhance their training. To read more, click here.

--Jeff Glasbrenner spent his childhood on the sidelines of sports, but he’s in the spotlight now — the Golden-based climber is the first American amputee to summit Mount Everest. Glasbrenner was only in elementary school when he lost one leg in a farming accident. He was helping his dad cut hay on their farm when his pants leg got caught in the back part of the tractor that was spinning quickly. “It took my leg off like a pencil sharpener,” he told the Boulder Daily Camera. To read more, click here.

--As the National Park Service celebrates its centennial this August, the agency is turning its focus to making sure both visitors and staff are more diverse. The National Park Service had record high attendance last year — 307 million visitors, to be precise — but fewer than 20 percent of those attendees were minorities.