Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 3/15/18

Northwest:

--A snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche near Park Butte, close to Mt. Baker on Saturday. This marks the 7th avalanche fatality in the Pacific Northwest this season. To read more, click here.

--A snowshoer that went missing on Monday on Mt. Rainier was found dead on Tuesday. To read more, click here.

--The Fremont Brewery in Seattle is sponsoring avalanche awareness course scholarships to 24 women next season. These scholarships will be funded by the Snowpack Ale. So if you're a beer drinker, this is a good investment in women's avalanche education. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--An elderly woman died after a ski accident at Big Bear Mountain over the weekend. To read more, click here.

--A five-year-old skier lost consciousness while hanging off the side of a chairlift at Bear Mountain Ski Resort. The girl was rescued and will recover fully. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The Denver Post is reporting that, "U.S. scientists studying the effects of uranium mining around the Grand Canyon say they are lacking information on whether the radioactive element is hurting plants, animals and a water source for more than 30 million people. And they would not get to fully gather it if President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget proposal is approved." To read more, click here.

--The annual Red Rock Rendezvous is slated to take place in Las Vegas from March 16-19, 2018. This is one of the biggest climbing festivals in the country...and one of the most fun. The American Alpine Institute works with Mountain Gear to put on the festival every year and many AAI guides will be on hand for both instruction, as well as for hanging out at the evening parties. You might also consider booking a guide before or after the program, or even participating in an additional climbing class. To read more, click here.

Colorado:

--A skier died after hitting a tree in Breckenridge over the weekend. To read more, click here.

--Hesperus Ski Area has suspended operations due to lack of snow. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Marc-Andre Leclerc and Ryan Johnson were killed while trying to climb a new line on the Mendenhall Towers in Alaska. The pair were reported missing on Friday. Over the next several days teams searched for the pair before they finally found them. There is no information available yet about what happened. To read more, click here.

--Gripped is reporting that, "Four ice climbers survived an avalanche early Saturday afternoon on the route Kitty Hawk on David Thompson Highway in Alberta. Mounties in Rocky Mountain House were notified of an emergency locator beacon signal coming from an area near the classic WI5 ice route on Mount Elliot on Highway 11 about 50 km southwest of Nordegg and 250 km northwest of Calgary." To read more, click here.

--Deanne Buck just became the second woman to become president of the American Alpine Club. To read more, click here.

--There have been far too many avalanche and tree-well fatalities this year. Gripped addressed this trend in an article last week.

--NPR is reporting that, "Tony Tooke, the head of the U.S. Forest Service, resigned on last week following accusations of sexual harassment." To read more, click here.

--On a related note, the Forest Service is on the hot seat for issues of sexual harassment. This article, by a woman who spent 32-years with the service, takes a deep look at the agency and its culture.

--Imagine a ski that uses smart technology to give you feedback like a coach. It's coming!