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

Northwest:

Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge

--Oregon Live is reporting on an extreme move made recently by the Clackamas County Sheriff. "For decades, people flocking to Mount Hood could rest easy knowing a crew from one of the country’s most elite mountain rescue units would scramble to respond if adventure turned to disaster as it sometimes does on Oregon’s iconic peak. But in a stunning shift, Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts plans to end his agency’s use of outside search-and-rescue groups like Portland Mountain Rescue and replace them with one of his own." To read more, click here.

--A new multi-pitch mixed line has just gone up in Squamish. To read more, click here.

--National Parks Traveler is reporting that, "There will be no quick return to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington through the Nisqually Entrance, which has been blocked by a landslide since last weekend. Washington Department of Transportation officials say it could be mid-March before two-way traffic is allowed on State Route 706 that leads to the entrance." To read more, click here.

--Somebody stole a National Forest Service sign worth nearly $2000 from a trailhead near Enumclaw.

--The Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish has reopened. Six months ago, a cable on the gondola was cut by a vandal. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Chris Koppl and Vitaliy Musiyenko just made the first winter ascent of “Hairline” (V 5.10d C2+) on Mt. Whitney. To read about this awesome feat, click here.

Yosemite's El Capitan at Sunset

--Scoring pre-reserved campsites in Yosemite is no joke.

Desert Southwest:

--The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that, "Outdoor enthusiasts who want a safer outdoor option to travel to and from Red Rock Canyon could have a path to do just that. A $14.7 million, 5.5-mile trail from Sky Vista Drive in Summerlin to the visitor center at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is planned, pending approval Tuesday by the Clark County Commission." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Deseret News is reporting that, "A 33-year-old Washington, D.C., woman fell to her death while rappelling in a slot canyon near Hanksville, according to police. Fiona Heckscher was rappelling in Angel Point Cove Canyon about 9 a.m. Tuesday when she fell, according to a release from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office." To read more, click here.

--CNN is reporting that, "A skier in Colorado died after his coat became wrapped around his head and neck on the chair lift, according to the company that operates the chair lift. The 46-year-old man from New Jersey died in a 'serious incident' on February 13, Vail Mountain said in the statement." To read more, click here.

--The Aspen Daily News is reporting that, "A 36-year-old man was rescued Sunday after sustaining a head injury while skiing near Mount Yeckel, northeast of Aspen, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Monday." To read more, click here.

--A 78-year-old Nordic skier died on Friday. Details surrounding this fatality have not been released. To read more, click here.

--The Journal is reporting that, "The 70-year-old Dallas man who hit a tree and died Saturday while skiing at Purgatory Resort was identified Sunday as Joel Eastman." To read more, click here.

--The Denver Post is reporting that, "An 83-year-old man died from injuries suffered in a skiing accident Monday at Aspen Snowmass in which officials believe he skied off the deck of a half-pipe." To read more, click here.

--The American Mountaineering Museum in Golden has an exhibit currently that celebrates Charles Crenchaw, the first African American to reach the summit of Denali. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Snews is reporting that, "a little less than a month after outdoor companies with Chinese supply chains got some relief from a preliminary trade deal, they’re now reeling from work stoppages caused by the coronavirus outbreak.  Large outdoor apparel companies VF Corp. and Columbia Sportswear are losing sales at retail stores that have been temporarily closed in China, where travel has been sharply curtailed to help stem the spread of the virus. But they aren’t saying much about the potential effect on their supply chains, which include manufacturing operations in China. Meanwhile, smaller companies told SNEWS their production remains halted even after the conclusion of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, which was extended because of the outbreak." To read more, click here.

--Curious about how many skiers and snowboarders die in a resort each year? Unofficial Networks has the numbers.

--The New York Times is reporting on the rise in grizzly bear deaths in Montana. "The death rate of grizzlies in this region has been rising, attributed not only to trains, but to poaching, cars and the removal of troublesome bears. In 2018, a record number — 51 — were killed in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, millions of acres in and around Glacier Park. And last year, 51 bears were killed. In 2017, just 29 bears were killed or euthanized." To read more, click here.

--The New York Times and many others are reporting that, "The Boy Scouts of America, an iconic presence in the nation’s experience for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection early Tuesday, succumbing to financial pressures that included a surge in legal costs over its handling of sexual abuse allegations. Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts have long maintained internal files at their headquarters in Texas detailing decades of allegations involving nearly 8,000 “perpetrators,” according to an expert hired by the organization. Lawyers have said in recent months that former scouts have come forward to identify hundreds of other abusers not included in those files." To read more, click here.

--The Hill is reporting that, "it has been just over three years since President Trump took the oath of office, and the lack of permanent leaders in this administration remains alarming and unprecedented. No administration in recent history has had as many vacancies this far into a term. And it is not just Cabinet-level positions that remain vacant or filled with “acting” roles. For three years, the National Park Service has been without a Senate-confirmed director, an agency whose 20,000 employees oversee 419 of America’s most treasured places — national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails." To read more, click here.

--Unofficial Networks is reporting that, "The French ski resort Luchon-Superbagneres resort in the Pyrennees is facing backlash after using helicopters to transfer snow from the upper mountain to beginner areas near the base Friday and Saturday. Euro News reports in all 55 tons of snow were relocated over 60 trips." To read more, click here.

--Rock and Ice is reporting that, "The Climbing Grief Fund (CGF) and the American Alpine Club (AAC) are pleased to announce that the Climbing Grief Grant is now open to the community. The Climbing Grief Grant offers financial support for individuals directly impacted by grief, loss and/or trauma related to climbing, ski mountaineering or alpinism." To read more, click here.