Thursday, December 30, 2021

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 12/30/21

Northwest:

--Kamloops Now is reporting that, "The search for a Kelowna man who went missing while snowboarding at Big White on Sunday has come to a tragic end. Police confirmed that the 42-year-old's body was found late this morning by search and rescue crews and the Big White Ski Patrol." To read more, click here.

--The Lewiston Tribune has published a piece on the shrinking glaciers in the Pacific Northwest: "It’s been a strange year in Washington. A hearty snowpack blanketed the Cascades, but then March and April were the fourth-driest on record in Washington, according to the state Ecology Department. May brought some moisture, but then a record heat wave, which experts considered virtually impossible if not for climate change, seared the state in late June. The weather station near the Paradise Visitor Center on Mount Rainier, which is at 5,400 feet elevation, reached 91 degrees on June 29. Over five days, the heat sliced the snowpack in half, shedding more than 2½ feet of depth." To read more, click here.

--A new WI 6+ has been climbed in Squamish.

--Speaking of which, some Washington Ice Conditions may be found, here.

Sierra:

--NBC News is reporting that, "Search and rescue teams in California are looking for a skier who disappeared on Christmas Day, with officials saying rescue efforts have been hampered by record snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The man, Rory Angelotta, 43, a ski shop manager from Truckee, was reported missing Saturday when he didn't show up for a Christmas dinner. To read more, click here.

--A party of two were caught in an avalanche at about 9000-feet on Thursday near Mammoth Rock. One person pulled his airbag and remained on the surface. He was able to dig out his partner in less than five-minutes. To read an account of the accident, click here.

--On Sunday, many roads and ski resorts were closed in the Eastern Sierra due to a combination of massive amounts of new snow and wind. To read about it, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Snowbrains is reporting that, "a backcountry skier was caught, fully buried, and killed in an avalanche near Cameron Pass, CO in the Front Range on December 24, 2021." This was the 4th avalanche fatality in the USA this season." To read more, click here.

--There's a new carpool app for skiers in Colorado coming from major metropolitan centers. To read about it, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--LiftBlog is reporting that many ski areas are currently unable to staff night skiing. Be sure to check ahead before heading to your favorite resort in the evening.


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