Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 8/19/21

Northwest:

--The Bellingham Herald is reporting that, "Backcountry hikers have easier access to several trails in the Mount Baker wilderness and sightseers will be able to watch alpenglow across the North Cascades at sunset, now that the road to Artist Point is open. State Department of Transportation crews finished repairs on a crumbling section of road above Heather Meadows and opened the last 1.8 miles of Mount Baker Highway that leads to the popular scenic vista on Tuesday, Aug. 17." To read more, click here.

--There are some fire closures on the Mountain Loop Highway, and an AAI Guide was turned around attempting to get to Vesper Peak. No official info has been produced on this.

A smoky northwest day.

--Mt. Baker-Snoqulmie National Forest has stated that, "As of 8/16/21 FS road #49, will be closed due to wildfire at Penders Canyon, approximately mile 2. No access to North Fork Sauk, Lost Creek Ridge, Bald Eagle, Sloan Peak or Harold Engles trailheads."

--There's a significant wildfire under BC's Yak Peak.

Colorado and Utah:

--KSL.com is reporting that, "Hikers may soon need to win a lottery to use one of Utah's most iconic trails. Cass Bromley, chief of resource management at Zion National Park told the Springdale Town Council that the park is looking into using a reservation system at Angels Landing." To read more, click here.

--I might have posted this before...but there's a dating app for climbers.

Notes from All Over:

--Gripped is reporting that, "32-year-old man is dead following a climbing accident on Mount Hungabee in Yoho National Park on Aug. 15.  Details on the incident remain limited. The climber was originally from Quebec, but was recently living in Banff." To read more, click here.

--There's limited information right now, but it appears a climber's body was recently recovered in the Wind River Range. Early reports indicate that it was probably Thor Hallingbye, 41, on Gannett Peak.

--Climbing is reporting that, "the revered Canadian alpinist Barry Blanchard has suffered a serious head injury while on vacation in Saskatchewan, Canada. On August 8, Blanchard, 62, slipped on some stairs, hitting a concrete floor and sustaining skull fractures and brain bleeding. His guiding employer, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, has set up a GoFundMe page to aid what is expected to be a long recovery process." To read more, click here.