Climbing News from Here and Abroad - 9/7/17

Northwest:

--News Channel 21 is reporting that, "A Portland woman climbing at Smith Rock State Park on Sunday fell about 20 feet and was injured, prompting a rescue operation, Deschutes County sheriff's deputies said." To read more, click here.

--The Guardian is reporting that, "A fire burning over 30,000 acres in the Columbia river gorge just outside Portland was started by a teenager setting off fireworks on a forest trail last Saturday, police say. Oregon state police spokesman Bill Fugate said that the suspect under investigation by police was a 15-year old-male from Vancouver, Washington. Fugate said: 'In this case we’re pretty confident that the fire was started by a firework.'" To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Here is an awesome piece from Outside on Yosemite Search and Rescue...

--The New York Times published an opinion piece on the name change taking place with the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. The author equates the name changes to the recent spate of Confederate monuments that have been removed. To read the article, click here.

--There are several women who are actively incarcerated in California that have chosen to work on firefighting teams combating wildfires for as little as $2 a day. Check out this great article from the New York Times Magazine on this subject.

Desert Southwest:

--Here's an update on wildfires in the Sierra.

Colorado:

--Fox 31 is reporting that, "Custer County Search and Rescue confirmed a climber fell to death on Sunday while climbing 14,081-foot Challenger Point." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The Gear Junkie is reporting that, "Joe ‘Stringbean’ McConaughy, a well-known speed hiker, set a new record on the Appalachian Trail today. He hiked the 2,190-mile route in an unofficial fastest known time (FKT) of 45 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes." To read more, click here.

--Quartz is reporting that political tensions in the Himalaya are making it hard for yaks to mate. Who knew? To read more, click here.

--Adam Ondra may have just climbed the hardest graded route in the world. To read about it, click here.

--Glacier National Park is being crushed by wildfires. To read more, click here.