Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 12/2/2021

Northwest:

--On Saturday, the first avalanche fatality of the season took place in northeastern British Columbia. Three snowmobilers were caught. Two were partially buried. The third was fully buried. Unfortunately, they were not able to revive that buried individual. To read about the accident, click here.

Smith Rock State Park in Oregon

--News Channel 21 is reporting that, "a Redmond woman was injured when she struck her head while climbing at Smith Rock State Park on Sunday morning, prompting a rescue effort, authorities said. Shortly after 11 a.m., a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue volunteer climbing in the area of the Dihedrals informed a Special Services deputy he had come upon an injured climber needing assistance on a route known as “Darkness at Noon,” according to Deputy Donny Patterson, assistant SAR coordinator." To read more, click here.

--There's a lot of complexity to the current desire to "protect" Mt. Waddington. The legendary Mt. Waddington Guidebook author, Don Serl, has some thoughts. To read them, click here.

Sierra:

--The Hill is reporting that, "officials are reminding visitors that it is illegal to feed or approach the wildlife at Yosemite National Park after a girl was attacked by a buck that other visitors were feeding." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that, "Outdoor enthusiasts fear a federal proposal intended to improve Calico Basin will have the opposite effect and hamper access to the popular and free recreation area in the mountains just west of Las Vegas. The Bureau of Land Management is seeking to adopt a new long-term plan to accommodate current and expected future demand at the basin while protecting the more than 5,000 acre site’s natural and cultural resources." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Cedar City News is reporting that, "Two people were rescued and one person was pronounced dead in Zion National Park over the weekend. Over the weekend, the Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team responded to an emergency call at the exit of Heaps Canyon, according to a press release issued by the park. Rescuers found two people who were canyoneering stranded on a rock perch about 280 feet above Upper Emerald Pools. They also found one man suspended from a rope about 260 feet above the pool (20 feet below the perch). The man who was suspended, 31-year-old Andrew Arvig of Chesapeake, Virginia, was lowered to the ground and later pronounced deceased by a doctor, the news release states. The search and rescue team assisted the other two people with rappelling safely to the ground." It appears that the deceased died of suspension trauma. To read more, click here.

--Snowbrains is reporting that, "a pair of climbers were attempting Mt. Superior’s South Ridge when one of them fell and sustained severe head and back injuries, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue. A Life Flight helicopter was dispatched to hoist the patient off Mt. Superior and take them to a nearby trauma center." To read more, click here.

--Fox 31 is reporting that, "a 72-year-old skier who died following a collision with a snowboarder on the Windmill run at Eldora Mountain Tuesday has been identified as Ron LeMaster." To read more, click here.

--KPCW is reporting that, "ski patrollers crowding near the Canyons Village ski parking lot and holding signs on opening day said they’re not going on strike, but they do want better pay. About 30 off-duty patrollers stayed through the morning to represent the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association. They held signs and talked to passers-by at the roundabout and Highway 224 intersection about their ongoing negotiations for better wages. Meanwhile, their on-duty colleagues worked normal shifts on the mountain above." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--A climber was injured in a serious fall in West Virginia near the Meadow River. There's limited information on what lead to the accident, but he did fall at least sixty feet. To read more, click here.

--The New York Times is asking questions about the Piolet d'Or. "Since 2008, at least seven Piolet d’Or winners, including the Swiss climber Ueli Steck, have gone on to die in the mountains." The question is whether this elite award rewards risky behavior. To read the article, click here.

--Climbing is reporting that, "the long awaited lead climbing-compatible autobelay will hit the European market in 2022. The U.S. market to follow. When used properly, autobelays allow you to project and train on your own, which is great when you’re short on time and/or partners. But, since they are traditionally anchored at the top of walls, climbers have always been limited to vertical or slab terrain, and top-roping only. Now, however, ProGrade has flipped it, anchoring the system at the bottom of the wall, allowing you to lead climb on steep terrain all on your own." To read more, click here.