Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 12/10/2020

Northwest:

--CNN is reporting that, "A climber who had stopped to rest during an expedition on Mount Hood was rescued after falling into a snow-covered volcanic crevice. Caroline Sundbaum, 32, of Portland, Oregon, was climbing the mountain at around 11,200 feet on Friday when another climber saw her sit down to rest on her pack and then disappear, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release." It should be noted that these fumaroles are far more dangerous than a crevasse, as they often contain poisonous gas. To read more, click here.

--Native pictographs near Bend have been vandalized. To read more, click here.

--The Bellingham Herald is reporting that, "two people were injured after a chairlift detached from its line at a Washington ski resort, according to a news release from the resort. At 11 a.m. on Dec. 5, a chair carrying two people broke from the lift line on Chair 1 at 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort in Chewelah, the release said." To read more, click here.

--Mountaineers Creek Road in Leavenworth has been gated for the season. This is the road that accesses the Stuart Lake Trailhead. It's still possible to go up the road, but it will now need to be done on skis, snowshoes or on foot.

Sierra:

Desert Southwest:

--Another day, another monolith. This one is near Joshua Tree National Park. To read about it, click here.

--The Desert Sun is reporting that, "A wildlife corridor extending through Joshua Tree National Park received another piece of protection this week, as the Mojave Desert Land Trust teamed up with a spiritual center to conserve 227 acres for animal movement." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--A climber was injured at Garden of the Gods in Colorado this week. Limited information can be found, here.

--The Arkansas River Watershed Collective is doing some work near Monarch Ridge that could have an impact on Colorado backcountry skiers. "While our fuels mitigation and forest health treatments along Monarch Ridge have created additional lines along Perfect Trees, there are also new hazards from logging operations including stumps, slash and stacked logging decks. Be aware that tree removal may increase the avalanche risk. Be safe and use caution if you ski here this winter." To read more, click here.

--The Wilderness Society is reporting that, "on November 30th, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and The Wilderness Society filed an official petition to rename Mt. Evans, in Colorado’s Front Range, as Mt. Blue Sky. The new name would honor the culture and traditions of both tribes; the Arapaho are known as the Blue Sky People, and the Cheyenne practice an annual life-renewal ceremony called Blue Sky. Mt. Evans is a beloved landmark and “fourteener” that overlooks the Denver skyline, but it carries the weight of a gruesome and still-relevant atrocity that occurred about 183 miles to the southeast: the Sand Creek Massacre." To read more, click here.

--The Aspen Times is reporting that, "an affidavit requiring visitors to acknowledge they have come to the area with a negative COVID-19 test and understand the local public health orders is being prepared for mass distribution in Pitkin County so that lodges and businesses are prepared for its implementation on Dec. 14." To read more, click here.

--A group of artists is claiming that they're responsible for the Utah monolith and all the other monoliths that appeared following that. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--BMC and many others are reporting that, "Doug Scott – one of the most legendary and respected mountaineers of the twentieth century -- has died aged 79. Scott, from Nottingham, began climbing at nearby Black Rocks in Derbyshire in 1953. From that point on he became a regular climber and within five years he was making his first alpine seasons. However, it is with the high mountains of the world that Scott will always be associated and he made 45 expeditions to the mountains of Asia." Scott died after a battle with cancer. To read more, click here.

--Rock and Ice and many others are also reporting on the death of the innovative Scottish climber, Hamish MacInnes, at the age of 90. In addition to the many ascents Hamish made, he was also an inventor and created the Terrordactyl ice axe, one of the first technical climbing tools. To rear about Hamish's life, click here.

--The Revelstoke Mountaineer is reporting that, "backcountry skiers were witnessed entering the winter prohibited area Macdonald West Shoulder on Dec. 3. The following day Parks Canada temporarily closed NRC Gully trailhead parking and the adjacent area in West Rogers, including Macdonald West Shoulder #4 and NRC Gully. The area marked in red is permanently closed while the striped area is the new temporary closure of Rogers West in Rogers Pass. The winter permit system in Glacier National Park separates skiers from artillery fire and the resulting avalanches, which is a part of the avalanche control protecting the highway and railway traffic from natural avalanches." To read more, click here.

--Climbing has been officially included in the 2024 Olympics. Thankfully, this time speed climbing will be in a separate category from boulder and lead climbing. There will be four events eligible for medals in the climbing category. To read more, click here.

--Camping in California is pretty much closed right now.

As usual there are mistakes in the mainstream media's understanding of even the most 

basic mountain issues. The Daily Show reported on the new height of Mt. Everest, 

but put up a photo of Ama Dablam. This is a common media mistake.

--The BBC is reporting on the new official height of Mt. Everest. "Until now the countries differed over whether to add the snow cap on top. The new height is 8,848.86m (29,032 ft). China's previous official measurement of 8,844.43m had put the mountain nearly four metres lower than Nepal's." To read more, click here.