Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad -- 9/5/19

Northwest:

--KRCR7 is reporting that, "KTVL reports that a climber has died after being seriously injured during a fall on Mount Shasta this weekend. On Saturday, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a female stating her climbing partner fell while climbing on Mount Shasta and was unconscious at or near the 11,000 feet level of the mountain." To read more, click here.

--KOMO News is reporting that, "a hiker from Germany died after he was hit by a falling tree on the Pacific Crest Trail. The Skamania County Sheriff's office said Thursday it received a cell phone call at about 4 p.m. Tuesday from a group of hikers on the PCT, northwest of Trout Lake, Washington." To read more, click here.

--The Seattle Times is reporting that, "State officials have canceled a series of public meetings about possible changes to the state’s wolf-management policy, citing fear of violence. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife had planned 14 public meetings from Spokane to Montesano to kick off  a yearslong process of creating a new wolf-management policy, once wolves are no longer protected under the state and federal endangered species acts." To read more, click here.

--KGW8 is reporting that, "Two years after a fire consumed trails and forests in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, the popular Eagle Creek Trail is in the final phases of reopening to the public." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--From the Bishop Area Climbers Coalition: "Attention Owens River Gorge Gorge aficionados! The Gorge will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC from September 9-17. LADWP will be releasing substantially higher-than-normal flows down the Gorge for maintenance during this time. Please respect this closure in order to keep yourself safe and to help us ensure the future of climber access in the Gorge. (Also, it's too hot there anyway :P ) We will soon update our website's dedicated ORG page (https://bishopclimbers.org/owensrivergorge) with this info, including the official LADWP press release and links to monitor the flood levels."

Colorado and Utah:

--Summit Daily is reporting that, "A Boulder man was airlifted from Rocky Mountain National Park after sustaining serious injuries in a fall while climbing Hallett Peak on Friday. Park rangers responded in the early morning on Aug. 30 to a 63-year-old man who had taken a 15 to 20 foot roped fall from the Englishman’s Route. The man was approximately four pitches up when he fell and sustained serious injuries." To read more, click here.

Forest bathing is not about bathing in a creek, but bathing in nature...

--Forest bathing...? The Daily Beast says, "it'ss a Japanese practice that has become popular around the world, and the Rocky Mountains in particular are experiencing a surge in interest." It's not swimming or skinny dipping, "'taking in the forest atmosphere,' emphasizes the importance of slowing down to connect with nature. It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in modern Japanese medicine." To read more, click here.

--So Castleton Tower in Moab, hums...

Notes from All Over:

--WKYT is reporting that in Kentucky, "The Wolf County Search and Rescue Team completed three rescues Saturday during the busy holiday weekend." Some of these rescues were hikers and others were climbers. To read more, click here.

--Outdoor Sportswire is reporting that, "a new, multi-resort ski pass, called the Indy Pass, is now on sale for the 2019-2020 season that will provide two lift tickets – 68 total days – at each of 34 independently owned resorts for just $199. Indy Pass resorts provide an uncrowded and welcoming experience for individuals and families seeking great snow and varied terrain. In addition, vacation getaways at these quaint ski areas cost a small fraction of what major resorts charge for comparable stays." To read more, click here.

--In related news, Teton Gravity Research is reporting that, "the Ikon Pass has just announced a partnership with Zermatt Matterhorn Ski Resort, its first European destination. Full Ikon passholders will get seven days at the resort with no blackout dates, and Ikon Base passholders will get five, also with no blackouts. This addition brings Ikon's total resort count up to 41, spread over five continents." To read more, click here.

--Politico is reporting that, "Dominion Energy wants to run a massive pipeline across America’s treasured Appalachian National Scenic Trail and some of the least developed wildlands remaining in the East. This isn’t just a bad idea, it’s an unprecedented one. Dominion, the Virginia-based power giant that serves customers in 18 states, wants to do something that has never been done in the half century since the iconic hiking path was enshrined in law: force a pipeline across the Appalachian Trail on federal land managed by the Forest Service." To read more, click here.

--GearJunkie and many others are reporting that, “'E-bikes are allowed where traditional bicycles are allowed.'” In a policy memo released today, the National Park Service (NPS) succinctly formalizes an increasingly popular stance across many U.S. states governing the use of e-bikes on public lands." To read more, click here.

--Montana Public Radio is reporting that, "Yellowstone National Park staff are working to reroute backpackers southeast of Yellowstone Lake after the Brimstone Fire grew to an estimated 80 acres Wednesday evening." To read more, click here.

--This is random. A ex-Royal Marine left a rowing machine near the summit of Mont Blanc. To read more, click here.