Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad -

Northwest:

--The Sea to Sky gondola in Squamish collapsed at about 4am on Saturday. There is suspicion that it was a deliberate act of sabotage. To read more, click here.

--In other Squamish news, an individual was plucked off the ledges above the Apron by a helicopter with a suspected broken ankle.

--Last week, there was a massive glacial outburst on Mt. Rainier below the Tahoma Glacier. The climate crisis has increased the number of these incidents over the last few years. To read more, click here.

--It doesn't look like the Jumbo Glacier Ski Resort in British Columbia's Purcell mountains is going to happen. To read more, click here.

--SNEWS is reporting that, "Cascade Designs in early July cut 22 jobs from various teams and levels out of its staff of about 500 as part of the brand's reorganization, CEO James Cotter confirmed." To read more, click here.

--There is a huge new route on Vancouver Island. Bull Elk is a 25-pitch 5.10 on Elkhorn Peak. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--A couple of hikers got struck by lightning in New Mexico last week. They both survived. To read more, click here.

--The Nevada Independent is reporting that, "A company that has long-sought to redevelop a gypsum mine and build homes near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area filed for bankruptcy in July, according to court records. It is the latest development in an ongoing — and often politically heated — dispute over Gypsum Resources LLC’s plan to develop a master-planned community near the conservation area. The company, owned by developer Jim Rhodes, operates a gypsum mine on Blue Diamond Hill next to Red Rock. The land is currently zoned for rural housing, but Gypsum Resources has long pushed the county to increase the density so it could covert the mine and nearby land into a master-planned community for residential and commercial use. Climbers, hikers and environmental groups have pushed back on the proposal, turning it into a political issue during the 2018 gubernatorial race, as well as in a Clark County commission race." To read more, click here.

Utah and Colorado:

--The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that, "A Colorado teenager is recovering after he was bitten by a black bear while camping near Moab on Friday morning. The 13-year-old was asleep in a sleeping bag about 5:45 a.m. when the bear bit his right cheek and ear, said Darren DeBloois, of the Division of Wildlife Resources." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Jackson Hole

News and Guide is reporting that, "As midsummer draws hordes of backpackers to the Wind River Range, a string of four helicopter rescues made for an unusually busy week in Sublette County. Of the 15 operations Tip Top Search and Rescue has performed so far in 2019, nearly a third came in a sudden burst over the past week, straining the volunteer organization. Officials attribute the inundation to overall high visitor numbers, especially as a late-arriving summer may be funneling vacationers into the same short snow-free window of opportunity." To read more, click here.

--The New York Times has published an excellent piece on the Trump Administration's desire to undermine the National Environmental Protection Act to fast track logging in potentially protected areas. To read about this, click here.

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--So this young woman posted a photo on instagram of her going hiking. Then her sister called her out to show that she was actually in their backyard. This is really too bad. Why fake going hiking? Why not just go? It's a pretty low bar. When you see this stuff, you just have to admit, Instagram is just kinda dumb. To read about this, click here.

--Outside is reporting that, "there are 11 designated national scenic trails stretching across nearly 18,000 miles in the U.S. But there are more than 4,000 miles of privately owned “gaps” in the system that leave routes vulnerable to a change in ownership or a landowner’s whims. Typically, the government or nonprofit trail associations work to fill such gaps by purchasing land from willing sellers. But Jim Kern, founder of a new advocacy group called Hiking Trails for America, says the only way to protect every mile of those trails forever is through the use of eminent domain. " To read more, click here.