Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 2/6/20

Climate Crisis:

--At the Outdoor Retailer Show last week, it was announced that the "Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has announced the Climate Action Corps, an unprecedented, collaborative model for alignment, action and accountability to achieve industry-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions in accordance with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines." To read more, click here.

Northwest:

--An 11-year-old died after striking a tree at an Idaho ski resort last week. To read more, click here.

--KOBI 5 is reporting on an accident in Southern Oregon. "Firefighters rescued a woman Saturday after she injured herself while rock climbing near Emigrant Lake. Elena Bianchi, 35, spoke with NBC5 News and said she was attempting to put in her first bolt when she slipped and fell nearly ten feet. Due to the fall, she ended up breaking her tailbone after landing on a rock. For a moment, she remembered thinking she might not be able to walk." To read more, click here.

--King 5 News is reporting that, "Ancient human remains believed to be between 500 to 1,000 years old were discovered near a popular trail in Clallam County. The bones were first discovered on the Olympic Discovery Trail, just east of Port Angeles, on Jan. 15 and again on Jan. 18." To read more, click here.

I know. We put up a Bigfoot spoof last week. But this is funny.

--Liftblog is reporting that, "'At approximately 9:45 a.m. this morning (Feb 2), Seventh Heaven chairlift stopped operating,” read a statement from the mountain, which is operated by Vail Resorts.  'Ski patrol evacuated 26 guests, with no reported injuries.  The evacuation was safely completed at approximately 12:15 p.m.,' the statement continued.  'Stevens Pass extends its apologies to the guests who were inconvenienced by this event.  The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority.'" To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Outside wonders, "As red-rock meccas like Moab, Zion, and Arches become overrun with visitors, our writer wonders if Utah's celebrated Mighty Five ad campaign worked too well—and who gets to decide when a destination is 'at capacity.'" To read more, click here.

--NPR is reporting that, "the Colorado Department of Transportation has partnered with three ski resorts, including Loveland Ski Area, to run round-trip buses on weekends. Because buses are more efficient than cars at moving large numbers of people on a tight, winding two-lane highway, state officials hope they'll take enough cars off the road to alleviate some congestion." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--A series of avalanches in Turkey killed at least 33-people including rescuers on Tuesday. To read more, click here.

--A 41-year-old climber was injured in a climbing fall near New York's Chapel Pond. To read more, click here.

--A hiker near LA got himself into some trouble when he moved into climbing terrain and had to be rescued. To read more, click here.

--Ancient tracks on a volcano near Mt. Vesuvius reveal that hominid cousins to humans made an ascent of an erupting volcano nearly 350,000 years ago. To read more, click here.

--Here is a great round-up of public lands issues to pay attention to in 2020, both the good and the bad...

--The number of people participating in outdoor activity decreased in 2019. Almost half of all Americans did not participate in outdoor activities at all last year. To read more, click here.

--Outdoor industry biases may have something to do with the falling numbers. For example, the outdoor industry has done a really poor job developing clothing for plus-sized people...

--Last year, Colin O'Brady claimed to have made the first solo unsupported crossing of Antarctica. In an era of social media stardom, it's easy to miss the problems with these claims. The truth is far more disappointing. To read about this crossing, click here.

--The International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) is looking for snow scientists and avalanche educators that would like to present. To read more, click here.

--So this 2015 video just came across my feed. This dude soloed a WI 5 route in Valdez, pulling a sea kayak for some reason. It's not really news, but...I thought some of you might be interested in this: