Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/16/20

Climate Crisis:

--The National Environmental Policy Act is under attack from the Trump Administration. According to the New York Times: "Many of the changes to the law — the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act, a landmark measure that touches nearly every significant construction project in the country — have been long sought by the oil and gas industry, whose members applauded the move and called it long overdue." Such changes will have an effect on both the climate, as well as public lands where we recreate, everywhere. To read more, click here.

--CNN is reporting that, "Grasses, shrubs and mosses are growing and expanding around Mount Everest and across the Himalayan region as the area continues to experience the consequences of global warming, researchers have found."  To read more, click here.

--REI is working to decrease the amount of single use plastic in the outdoor industry. They intend to charge industry partners who send polybags for recycling fees. To read more, click here.

--Many low altitude ski resorts will be closing in the coming decade due to climate change.

Northwest:

--A 19-year-old ski racer had a close call with a tree well at Oregon's Mt. Bachelor this week. To read more, click here.

--7KTVB is reporting that, "Officials say an eastern Oregon man died in an avalanche Saturday while he was snowmobiling in the Elkhorn Mountains." To read more, click here.

--In response to overcrowding, Crystal Mountain Ski Resort is no longer selling day passes at their ticket window on weekends. Instead, skiers will have to buy them ahead of time online. This will decrease the chances that you will drive up and find a full parking lot. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--News 4 is reporting that, "A Reno native and local hotshot firefighter captain died after a skiing accident at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe in December, according to his wife. 37-year-old Damian Rivadeneyra passed away at Renown hospital on Dec. 28, 2019 after complications from hitting a tree while skiing the day before." To read more, click here.

--Rock and Ice is reporting that, "Lover’s Leap, outside Tahoe, California, has been deteriorating under a dramatic increase in climber traffic. This popular granite climbing area saw its first ascent in 1950 and is now home to over 180 climbing routes, including Travelers Buttress—one of the 50 classic climbs in America. The area draws droves of climbers from the San Francisco, Sacramento, and South Lake Tahoe climbing communities who appreciate the many traditional, multi-pitch routes in a beautiful forested setting. However, climber impacts have reached a tipping point." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

Mt. Wilson in Red Rock Canyon

Thieves recently hit a climber car in the parking lot for the right hand side of this feature.

--We continue to hear reports about active thieves in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Be sure to hide your stuff in your car to ensure that it doesn't get stolen.

Colorado and Utah:

--A female ice climber was hit and injured by falling ice at Utah's Bridal Veil Falls (WI 4-5+ variation dependent) To read more, click here.

--An avalanche hit a car this week in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

--The first pitch of the ultra-classic Moab climb, Jah Man (5.10c, II+) collapsed at the beginning of the month. To read more, click here.

-Out There Colorado is reporting that, "Hibernation season is in full swing, but some bears are still very much awake in Colorado. According to the Aspen Police Department, garbage cans need to be secured, even in the winter months, where bear activity is still being reported. The department recently shared a video of two black bears wandering around a snowy residence just earlier this month – an unusual time for bears sightings in the high elevation town that rests at nearly 8,000 feet." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Gripped is reporting that, "An avalanche on Mount Hector on the Icefields Parkways buried Canmore skier and family physician, Laura Koraskoski, for nearly an hour on Jan. 11. Her husband, Adam Campbell, and another skier were able to reach her and coordinate a rescue." To read more, click here.

--Sad news from Minnesota's Pioneer Press: "Hastings Middle School students and staff are struggling to cope with the sudden loss of a seventh-grader killed in a skiing accident this past weekend at Welch Village Ski Area in Welch." To read more, click here.

--The National Parks are under attack by the current administration. Their goal? To allow a dismantling of America's crown jewels for extractive industries. A former head of the NPS argues that it's time to disconnect the parks from the Department of the Interior to protect them from this kind of manipulation. To read more, click here.

--There is now an indoor ski area in a mall in New Jersey. It's essentially a bunny hill in a warehouse. What could possibly go wrong...?

--The News Tribune is reporting that, "men who were caught walking on the cone of Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park have been sentenced to time behind bars, according to park rangers. The trespassing duo — 20-year-old Eric Schefflin of Lakewood, Colorado, and 25-year-old Ryan Goetz of Woodstock, New York — pleaded guilty to charges of thermal trespassing following the Sept. 10, 2019, incident at the iconic thermal spring in the park that spans Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park rangers said in a news release on Thursday." To read more, click here.

--The Access Fund is reporting that it "is thrilled to announce that the Hell’s Kitchen bouldering area outside Chattanooga, Tennessee is now permanently protected as part of Cumberland Trail State Park." To read more, click here.