Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 10/8/20

Election:

--The election is coming soon, and this may be the most important one of our lifetimes. Certainly, the future of our public lands and our climate are both on the ballot. Protect Our Winters has created an excellent tool to help you #MakeADamnPlan to vote. Check it out.

Northwest:

Mt. Rainier Mid-Summer

--Mt. Rainier National Park is reporting that, "Superintendent Chip Jenkins announced today that the public comment period has opened for a proposed expansion of the lahar detection system at Mount Rainier National Park. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Cascades Volcano Observatory has proposed changes to the existing volcano monitoring system inside Mount Rainier National Park as part of a broader effort to implement an expanded lahar detection system. Public input will be accepted during the scoping period from October 5-30, and will assist the National Park Service (NPS) in identifying concerns, potential alternatives, and suggested mitigations. To submit comments at any point during the open comment period, please visit the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. A virtual public meeting to provide a project overview and answer questions is scheduled for 4:30-5:30 pm on Wednesday, October 21, 2020." To read more, click here.

--There was a moment when it seemed like the Canadian outdoor equipment coop MEC would survive a buyout by the American Investment Fund. No more. It's happening. Read about it at Gripped.

Sierra:

--The Tahoe Daily Tribune is reporting that, "Free parking, as precious to some skiers as virgin mountain powder, has returned to one Lake Tahoe resort but not before its corporate owner waged an expensive year-long legal battle with two season-pass holders. An 80-year-old attorney and another man whose first job out of college was parking cars at the mountain now owned by Vail Resorts filed separate lawsuits when Northstar California replaced traditional free parking with $20 daily fees ($40 weekends) — after they’d purchased their passes." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The emergency phone in Hidden Valley Campground at Joshua Tree is broken. It should be noted that the only places where there is good cell reception are near the Park Entrances near Twentynine Palms and the town of Joshua Tree.

Colorado and Utah:

--ABC 4 is reporting that, "Search and Rescue teams from Utah County worked through the night to save a man stuck above Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. The Utah County Sheriff’s office says the 37-year-old climber became stuck above the upper falls late Saturday and could not get down the mountain." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--A climber was rescued from North Carolina's Stone Mountain due to exhaustion this week. From the Wilkes-Journal Patriot: "Emergency personnel rescued a rock climber unable to continue at a point about 200-300 feet from the top of Stone Mountain after starting at the bottom near the Hutchinson homestead on Oct. 1. 'The climber had no injuries. He was just exhausted and unable to get himself down or up any further,' said Chief Cole Wyatt of the Wilkes Rescue Squad." To read more, click here.

--It's always sad when they have to euthanize a bear. From Anchorage Daily News: "Denali National Park and Preserve officials say they decided last week to kill a grizzly bear after it got into food stored in cabins, sheds and lodges in the Kantishna-Wonder Lake section of the park." To read more, click here.

--Should outdoor brands endorse politicians. REI and Patagonia disagree. From Snews.

--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "The Consumer Product Safety Commission today issued a voluntary recall, performed by Petzl, of its Low-Stretch Kernmantle Ropes. According to the notice, the ropes 'can have a deep cut or tape securing the ropes together,' potentially leading to a break and fall or injury hazard." To read more, click here.

--The Adventure Journal is reporting that, "the magazines Bike, Powder, Snowboarder, and Surfer are being shut down by owner American Media, which also owns Men’s Journal. This includes both print and digital products for Bike, Powder, and Surfer, and print for Snowboarder. Powder will print its remaining 2020 issues, with the photo annual dropping in mid-November and the gear guide being released later. We have been told but not confirmed that Snowboarder will also print its remaining issues." To read more, click here.

--The controversy over neck gaiters continues...or not. In a new study, they found that a single layer neck gaiter stopped 77% of the respiratory droplets, that a mask blocked 81% and that a double-layered neck gaiter blocked 96%. To read more, click here.