Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 2/25/2021

Northwest:

--Mt. Rainier National Park has switched its systems to online permitting. In other words, if you want to hike or climb in the Park, you'll have  to obtain an online permit first. To read more, click here.

--The Newhalem crags (including Ryan's Wall) on Highway 20 in Washington, are currently closed due to peregrine nesting.

Skiing the Baker Backcountry

--Gripped is reporting that, "resort and backcountry skiing is booming, and despite the difficult road ahead to approval, a proposal to build a year-round ski and mountain biking area in B.C. got the green light for the next stage of the application process." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--KTLA 5 is reporting that, "The widow and a friend of a skier killed in an avalanche at a Lake Tahoe ski resort last year have filed separate lawsuits accusing the resort of negligently rushing to open the slopes in unsafe conditions for a holiday weekend that’s typically one of the season’s busiest." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Durango Herald is reporting that, "A petition has been circulating in recent days calling for Purgatory Resort to allow uphill travel on its slopes. Uphill skiing, also known as skinning, is when people climb mountain slopes with skis fitted for backcountry travel. Once at the top, skiers can adjust their gear and glide downhill." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The New York Post is reporting that, "A skier was killed after getting caught in an avalanche in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, park officials said. Matthew Brien, 33, of Jackson, had been leading a group in the upper part of the Broken Thumb Couloir when the avalanche occurred around noon Monday." To read more, click here.

--TV 6 Fox is reporting on an ice climbing accident in Michigan: "An ice climber in Munising had to be rescued Friday after falling roughly 20 feet during a climb. According to the Alger County Sheriff’s Office, at 3:43 p.m. Feb. 19, Alger County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that an ice climber had fallen and had significant injuries.  The sheriff’s office says the victim was climbing the ice formation known as “Sweet Mother Moses (WI 3+)” which is located approximately 1/2 mile east of Sand Point in Munising." To read more, click here.

--The National Park Service has quietly launched an app that provides a tremendous amount of information for the park visitor in each park. To read about it, click here.

--Holy smokes! Snews is reporting that, "there’s seismic news in the media, outdoor, endurance, and tech industries today. Pocket Outdoor Media (parent company to SNEWS, Backpacker, and nearly 30 other active living brands) announced news that will catapult the Boulder-based company into a powerful position in these industries: It has purchased Outside Magazine, Outside TV, Gaia GPS, Peloton Magazine, and athleteReg." To read more, click here.

--ABC News is reporting on an unusual bear attack.  An Alaska woman had the scare of a lifetime when using an outhouse in the backcountry and she was attacked by a bear, from below. 'I got out there and sat down on the toilet and immediately something bit my butt right as I sat down,' Shannon Stevens told The Associated Press on Thursday. 'I jumped up and I screamed when it happened.'" To read more, click here.

--E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin -- the team that brought us the Academy Award Winning Free Solo -- have multiple new projects lined up. From a documentary about the Tai cave rescue to the a series about outdoor adventure athletes, the pair are getting very busy. To read more, click here.

--It's important to respect others on the ski slope, and if you accidentally cut someone off, apologize. And if you get cut-off and you're not injured, no harm done. If someone is out-of-control, it's fine to say something, but it should never turn into a fight. But that's what happened at Vermont's Mt. Snow when a skier and a snowboarder got into it. One person is thrown to the ground. It's BS. A video of the incident is making the rounds.

--Two large new ice routes have been established in the Valdez area of Alaska. To read about them, click here.