Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/20/22

Northwest:

--The Everett Herald is reporting that, "Stevens Pass skiers and snowboarders, frustrated by limited operations on the mountain this winter, might have a case against the ski conglomerate that owns the resort, consumer protection advocates say. Customers paid Vail Resorts roughly $500 to $1,000 each for season passes to the Washington resort and other ski areas owned by the company. But when the season began last month at Stevens Pass, patrons were shocked to find long lift lines, scarce parking and about half of the trails, lift and terrain still closed." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--The Sierra Sun is reporting that, "Firefighters, hotshots, EMTs and First Responders will be able to enjoy a free day of skiing and riding at Homewood on Jan. 30, 2022. 'Many of us in the Tahoe region and throughout California were touched by the effects of wildfire last year. Though we can never repay our firefighters and first responders for the hard work and sacrifices they made while battling the blazes, but as a token of our appreciation we’re giving away 200 lift tickets,' Homewood said in a press release." To read more, click here.

--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "Massive snowfall in California could replenish depleted reservoirs and help mitigate wildfires. But it could also throw a wrench in the works for Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers. In December 2021, 212 inches of snow (or 17.5 feet) buried the Lake Tahoe, California area. An average snow season for the area — which lasts about 6 months — yields 272 inches." To read more, click here.

--The Sierra Wave is reporting that, "the Inyo National Forest welcomes Winfred (Fred) Wong as the Mammoth Lakes District Ranger. Fred comes from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as the Assistant Field Manager at the BLM California Ukiah Field Office. He has more than 20 years of federal service with both BLM and the Forest Service." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

"Joshua Tree saw 85 incidents of graffiti reported in 2017, and 2018 and 2019 saw even fewer incidents. But in 2020, the number rose to 140 incidents. Three-quarters of the way through 2021, there had already been 216 incidents reported. Most of the graffiti in Joshua Tree National Park is created with acrylic paint, spray paint and stickers, but staff members have also observed chalk, charcoal and etched graffiti. A large amount of the graffiti has occurred near roads and campgrounds, and of the 601 graffiti incidents reported since 2017, 413 have been removed." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Unofficial Networks is reporting that, "The membership of the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) voted yes on approving a new contract with Vail Resorts on January 14th, avoiding a strike and reaching the goals they set out to achieve. The new contract gives the ski patrollers a $19/hr average wage and tenure recognition. The contract also gives the group wage parity with Colorado Residents, meaning that a rise in the state’s minimum wage will bump the wage of patrollers at Park City, despite being in Utah." To read more, click here.

--Vail Daily is reporting that, "As the change.org petition to 'Hold Vail Resorts accountable' for alleged ski area mismanagement this season reached 40,000 signatures Sunday, an update from page manager Jeremy Rubingh was posted with a new call to action. Rubingh, on Sunday, put out a request for Epic Pass users to email seasonpass@vailresorts.com on Tuesday with a request to disengage the auto-renew option on their Epic Pass. 'Please join us on January 18th by sending a message stating that you’d like to cancel your pass ‘auto-renew,'' Rubingh wrote in the Sunday update. 'Even if you don’t have the auto-renew activated, you can send an email to seasonpass@vailresorts.com explaining why you will not be renewing your pass.'" To read more, click here.

--Snowbrains is reporting that, "Early morning ski touring from the town of Alta just got a little trickier. For the first time ever, Alta began requiring paid parking reservations in its lots on weekends and holidays this winter, from 8 am to 1 pm. Then as of December 18th, 2021, daily parking in Alta’s parking lots between midnight and 8 am became prohibited, except in the designated early morning parking area where paid parking is allowed after 6 am. Since demand is expected to regularly exceed the capacity of this early morning parking area—and because Alta Ski Area owns and maintains all of the parking lots in the town of Alta—paid reservations will be required." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The Wall is a new film that chronicles four women and their journey to climb in the Olympics. It can be seen, here. Following is a trailer:

--Buckrail is reporting that, "the Teton County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the skiing collision that occurred at Grand Targhee Resort on Jan. 3, 2022,  and recent developments have opened up another side of the story, according to Sheriff Matt Carr." To read more, click here.