Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 4/14/22

Northwest:

--The CBC is reporting on an avalanche last week: "A 34-year-old Whistler, B.C., man was killed last Tuesday in an avalanche within the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort boundary. According to Vail Resorts, the company that owns Whistler Blackcomb, the "ski incident" happened on Whistler Mountain in the West Ridge area and was attended by ski patrol members. 'We can confirm there was a Size 1 in-bounds avalanche involved — an investigation is underway,' said a Vail spokesperson in an email." To read more, click here.

--No news yet on when North Cascades Highway will open, but they are actively working on it. Last year, it opened on May 5th. Here's the most recent report.

Notes from All Over:

--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "On March 31, the U.S. Forest Service issued a final directive to clarify the use and management of electric mountain bikes on National Forest System lands. This new ruling could mean the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) reclassifying certain National Forest System (NFS) trails and roads as motorized instead of carving out an exception that would grant electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) access. This is a significant and problematic difference, according to some experts. The directive provides more explicit e-bike guidance but also floats the possibility of granting e-bike access to traditionally motor-free trails on a case-by-case basis. Regional authorities, environmental analysis, and public input will all be necessary to determine whether expanded eMTB access is desirable at the local level." To read more, click here.

--Shop, Eat, Surf is reporting that, "Vail Resorts announced four investments to provide accessible and affordable housing for its employees at Park City Mountain in Utah, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Vail Mountain in Colorado, and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont as part of the company’s strategic focus on investing in the employee experience. Collectively, the four investments will provide new affordable housing to more than 875 Vail Resorts employees, marking a more than 10 percent increase in affordable employee housing offered by the company across its resorts." To read more, click here.

--Andres Marin and Clint Helander made the first serious ascent in Alaska's Revelation Mountains this year. From Climbing: "The Shaft of the Abyss (VI AI 5R M5 A0 90° snow; 4,000 feet) follows an obvious, direct line up the East Face of Golgotha (8,937 feet), a line which Helander had schemed and dreamed about since he first saw the mountain in 2008." To read more, click here.