Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/4/18

Northwest:

--The Everett Herald is reporting that, "a team tasked with studying recreation fees is recommending that lawmakers decide on a broader source of money for state lands and get rid of user passes, such as the Discover Pass." The Discover Pass is used for state parks and can be used for some associated state agency parking lots like the Department of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife, but not all. One of the things being considered is a mandatory license plate fee. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--A skier died in a medical incident at Heavenly Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe over the weekend. To read more, click here.

--An ice climber suffered an injury in Lee Vining Canyon on Monday. It appears that the 64-year-old climber fell approximately 40-feet off Chouinard Falls. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--A pair of filmmakers were in the right place at the right time when there was a full-cloud inversion in the Grand Canyon. The following time-lapse film is the result of their work on a perfect day. The canyon looks like a sharp shore and the clouds look like waves ebbing and flowing. It's awesome and well-worth a watch...




Notes from All Over:

--Daily Interlake is reporting on two snowboard fatalities in Montana. "Two snowboarders died in separate incidents in Flathead County on Saturday, one near Blacktail Mountain and the other at Whitefish Mountain Resort." The Whitefish fatality was the result of a tree well. To learn how to avoid this danger, click here. To read more, click here.

--Montana's Bozeman Daily Chronicle is reporting that, "an avalanche injured a skier on the west side of the Bridger Mountains late Friday afternoon. According to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, at about 4 p.m., a 39-year-old Bozeman man skied off the ridge from Bridger Bowl into Truman Gulch and triggered an avalanche." To read more, click here.

--A snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche this week in Montana. And a snowmobiler survived an avalanche in Idaho. 

--An unresponsive skier was found at the Whitetail Resort in Pennsylvania. The skier was later pronounced dead. There is no information as to what lead to this, whether medical or trauma. To read more, click here.

--Solo climbers are no longer allowed on the South Col route of Mt. Everest. To read more, click here.

--A Polish team is attempting to be the first to climb K2 in the winter. It is likely that they will encounter temperatures of up to minus 80-degrees Fahrenheit...while climbing what is arguably the most dangerous mountain in the world. To read more, click here.

--The Adventure-Journal is reporting on an amazing individual. "Craig Fowler is a 45-year-old professional doer of big, big things. He recently completed the hiking and bikepacking triple crowns. Yes, he walked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. Yes, then he biked the Tour Divide, the Colorado Trail Race, and the Arizona Trail Race. Yes, that’s 7,574 miles on foot and over 4,000 miles in the saddle. No, there’s no evidence suggesting Fowler is a robot. But there’s also no evidence refuting that." To read more, click here.

--The Jackson Hole News and Guide is reporting that, "legislation that would amend the Wyoming Wilderness Act to allow more heli-skiing in the highly protected Snake River Range was crafted without the say of local officials. U.S. Rep Liz Cheney’s attempt to legislate Teton County wilderness issues from Washington, D.C., in the absence of county government input breaks from the long history of consultation and deference to local voices, longtime conservationist and former Jackson resident Phil Hocker said." To read more, click here.

--The Adventure-Journal is asking an important question in our climate addled times. What happens to a ski town when it doesn't snow? Find out, here.