Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 3/18/21

Northwest:

--A skier died after an incident at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Idaho. Articles about the accident don't provide much detail.

--Women owned, outdoor clothing brand, Nuu-Muu is hosting a virtual fundraiser on March 31st for the Brave Space Project and their documentary: Expedition Reclamation. Expedition Reclamation is a short documentary seeking to redefine “outdoorsy” and reclaim belonging in the outdoors for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color by highlighting their joyful, resilient, & transformative relationships to outdoor recreation. This will take place on Wednesday, March 31st from 5:00-6:00pm PST. And you can register at: https://www.bravespaceproject.org

Sierra:

--A 58-year-old female climber was injured in a fall while ice climbing in Lee Vining this week. There is limited additional information.

--The Reno Gazette Journal is reporting that, "Heavenly Mountain, Northstar California and Kirkwood Mountain resorts have announced they will extend their seasons by one additional week. New closing dates for the resorts are April 11 for Kirkwood and April 18 for Northstar and Heavenly." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Durango Herald is reporting that, "A man who skied out of bounds in Telluride Sunday afternoon was rescued in the Bear Creek area, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office. He was with a ski instructor and guided group when he became separated and was stranded above a cliff and unable to climb out, the Sheriff’s Office reported on Facebook." To read more, click here.

--The Daily Beast is reporting that, "Fans and enthusiasts of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are at war with environmentalists in Utah. And the National Park Service is in the middle of all of it. This battle has been going on across the state for more than a decade, and it’s flared up in plenty of places in Utah, especially the hotspot ATV hub of Moab. But in 2018 the battle took a new turn when the National Park Service (NPS) decided to open up several existing trails in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for the use of off-highway vehicles (OHV), a category of off-road-capable vehicles that includes 4x4s, Jeeps, Side by Sides, and ATVs." To read more, click here.

--KOAA News is reporting that, "a new measure starts this week to better protect the iconic Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs. “Really it’s an effort to help preserve our environment,” said Garden of the Gods, Park Manager John Stark. Technical climbers are no longer allowed to use any type of chalk or chalk substitute while scaling the red rock formations." To read more, click here.

--A judge is forcing a leader at the Colorado Avalanche Center to testify in a criminal case. From the Colorado Sun: "Attorney General Phil Weiser did not want avalanche center director Ethan Greene to testify in the case against backcountry snowboarders Evan Hannibal and Tyler DeWitt, who are facing charges of reckless endangerment and $168,000 in restitution stemming from a March 2020 avalanche above Interstate 70. The avalanche, captured on their helmet cam video, did not injure anyone, but it did destroy an avalanche mitigation device and bury a service road. Weiser feared that forcing Greene to testify in the prosecution of backcountry travelers would hinder the ability of the avalanche forecasting organization to gather information from backcountry users." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Reuters (and every other news outlet) is reporting that, "U.S. Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed on Monday as Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency and securing a central role in President Joe Biden’s sweeping plans to fight climate change." As Haaland will oversee the National Parks, she will have a massive impact on the outdoor recreation community. To read more, click here.

--As women only make up a small percentage of wildfire crews, REI and the National Parks Foundation are working together to fund all women fire crews. To read more, click here.

--For the Win is reporting that, "A ski instructor intent on luring a brown bear away from a group of skiers began skiing downhill, prompting the bear to charge after him in a full sprint, much like another bear did at the same Romanian ski resort in January." To read more, click here. To watch the video, click below:

--So there's a kid out there who has climbed 5.14+ and run a sub four-minute mile. And now he wants to be the first person to run a sub 4-minute mile and climb 5.15 and V15. To read more, click here.

--So Nepal says it's illegal for climbers to share pictures of other climbers on Mt. Everest. Good luck with that...