Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 12/31/2020

Northwest:

--Snow Brains is reporting that, "Two snow bikers have been found dead following an avalanche in Pemberton, BC, about 40-miles north of Whistler." To read more, click here.

--This one's a little out of our normal purview, but we thought we'd include it today. From My Clallam County: "A man in his 60s was struck by a falling tree Tuesday as he rode his bicycle inside Olympic National Park. His injuries, described by a paramedic as traumatic, were severe enough that rescuers decided the best course of action was to call in a Life Flight helicopter rather than try to move him." While the fact that he was on a bike was unusual, getting hit and seriously injured by a falling tree is not. We recommend taking a close look at trees around campsites, especially during wind storms.

Sierra:

--The Tahoe Daily Tribune is reporting that, "Two people were caught in backcountry snow slides over the weekend according to the Sierra Avalanche Center, one a skier and the other a snowmobiler and both escaped serious injuries." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--A 22-year-old was died after he collided with a tree at a New Mexico ski resort on Saturday. To read more, click here.

--KOB4 is reporting that, "A video taken Sunday at the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque shows a park ranger tasing a Native American man for being off the trail. Darrell House, a Native American and Marine veteran, was walking his dog at the national monument on Albuquerque’s West Side. While at the sacred site, House said he often prays and meditates, which sometimes means leaving the trail by a few feet." We did not post this video here as it is deeply disturbing. To read more, click here.

--There are many smash and grabs at cragging areas. This one happened at the Red Springs Parking Lot at Red Rock Canyon. Part of risk management in 2020 should be to take your valuables out of your car before parking, or at least hide them well in the car.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Summit Daily is reporting that, "A solo backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche Saturday, Dec. 26, on Berthoud Pass in nearby Grand County. Grand County Search and Rescue responded to a call of an overdue backcountry skier at about 3 p.m. Saturday. The skier was in the area of Chimney Chute in the First Creek Drainage of Berthoud Pass, according to a report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center." To read more, click here.

--Vice President Mike Pence is likely taking ski lessons at Beaver Creek Resort on a vacation in Vail. To read more, click here.

--The new strain of COVID-19, the strain that has been working through the UK, has been discovered in Colorado. It is believed that this strain is more easily transmitted. As of this writing, no new restrictions have been placed on the state. To read more, click here.

--Out There Colorado is reporting that, "Authorities on Tuesday were investigating the vandalism of Aspen's natural gas system which left thousands of residents and visitors without gas in the middle of the busy holiday season. The FBI and state law enforcement officials were working with police to investigate the disruption, which began Saturday." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--We don't usually report fatalities or rescues outside North America. But this was too to big an incident not to cover. Gripped and many others are reporting on several avalanche deaths in Iran on Friday: "After three days of search-and-rescue efforts, two bodies were found on Sunday, bringing the number of dead to 12. Iranian rescue workers then ended their search for survivors. Rescue teams rescued at least 14 missing people." To read more, click here.

--Following a significant storm cycle with a lot of rain on snow, an avalanche destroyed a building at New York's Belleayre Ski Center. No one was injured in the slide. To read more, click here.

--President Trump commuted the sentence of Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman last week. According to the Deseret News, "Lyman, R-Blanding, was serving as a San Juan County commissioner in 2014 when he led a protest of about 50 ATV riders in a southeastern Utah canyon home to Native American cliff dwellings that officials closed to motorized traffic. The ride occurred amid a movement in the West pushing back against federal control of large swaths of land and came in the wake of an armed confrontation Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy had with Bureau of Land Management over grazing fees." Lyman was ordered to spend 10-days in jail and pay significant fines. To read more, click here.

--Backpacker is reporting that, "Jennifer Pharr Davis's adventures as a long-distance hiker have carried her thousands of miles across the US and six continents. Her latest achievement is taking her into government. Pharr Davis, a former fastest known time holder for the Appalachian Trail, is the newest member of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, an advisory committee aimed at promoting active lifestyles in the United States." To read more, click here.

--The comedian, Chelsea Handler, did a ski lap on her 45th birthday, in her underwear, holding a margarita and a joint. To see a clip, click here.

--And finally, we're not really sure we understand what's happening between the North Face and Gucci...