Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 4/28/22

Note:

I'm going to be in the field for the next few weeks. So you likely won't see a news round-up until the last week of May. -- Jason

Northwest:

--Cement blockades are being placed on Glacier Creek Road at mile 3.8 on Friday, April 28th. If you are beyond the blockades, you could get stuck.

--The Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Area is going through some changes. From Liftblog: "One of Washington’s most-visited resorts today announced Summit 2030, a multi-year capital improvement push to start this summer. Reimagining The Summit is just the latest initiative by Boyne Resorts to bring its ten ski resorts into the modern era. The vision for Snoqualmie includes eight new lifts across all four base areas, enhanced summer operations, expanded snowmaking, new lodges and more. The resort has a lot of work ahead just on lift renewal with 19 chairlifts averaging 35 years old." To read more, click here.

--KOMO is reporting that, "A woman who accidentally dropped her cellphone into the hole of a pit toilet and fell in while trying to retrieve it had to be rescued by firefighters in Washington state. Brinnon Fire Department Chief Tim Manly said the woman, who was at the top of Mount Walker northwest of Seattle, had been using her phone when it fell into the toilet on Tuesday, The Kitsap Sun reported." To read more, click here.

--Phys.org is reporting that, "By 2070, the glaciers on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State will have largely disappeared, according to a new study. The loss will alter the region's ecosystems and shrink a critical source of summer water for local communities." To read more, click here.

--Snowbrains is reporting that, "Jack Kuenzle of Roxbury, CT, on Sunday set a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) for ascending Mount Hood, OR, by any means and also for Mount Hood round trip by any means. The endurance athlete smashed the previous ascent record of 1h23m set by Alex King, who ran, by seven minutes, completing his climb in 1h16m. From base to summit was a lung-busting 5,380-feet over just under seven miles." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Gripped is reporting that, "rench climber Soline Kentzel, 21, and Sébastien Berthe, 28, have freed Golden Gate, a 36-pitch 5.13a on El Capitan’s southwest face. The route was first climbed in 2000 by Alex and Thomas Huber. Kentzel and Berthe swapped leads on the lower pitches up to 5.11 and both led the 5.12 and 5.13 pitches, including the Monster Offwidth. They reached the 5.12 down-climb on pitch 14 on day three then were forced to rest to wait out bad weather. The made their way through the upper cruxes and reached the A5 Traverse crux pitch on day nine. They reached the summit that afternoon." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--KTNV is reporting that, "If you go out exploring the beautiful peaks and valleys of Red Rock Canyon, you probably don't expect to see those views marred by graffiti. Despite ongoing prevention efforts by Friends of Red Rock Canyon and other organizations, vandalism continues. Cliff faces and boulders in the national conservation area are being defaced." To read more, click here.

--KTAR News is reporting that, "An Arizona man pleaded guilty to conducting backcountry guide operations without permits at Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service said Tuesday. William Woods of Flagstaff faces two years of supervised probation and is banned from Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for the next two years, according to an NPS press release. An investigation found that Woods organized a commercial guided backpacking trip on the Colorado Plateau without a permit in November 2020, the release said." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Graffiti is a problem everywhere. Here's a piece about graffiti on the rocks near St. George and in Zion.

--Vail Resorts has announced that you'll have to pay for parking at Park City next season. To read about it, click here.

--Rocky Mountain National Park will be raising prices car entry and camping with in the Park. To read about it, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The Hill is reporting that, "The bodies of a New Hampshire couple who went missing for days this week were discovered at a hiking trail, and their deaths have been ruled homicides. Stephen Reid, 67, and Djeswende Reid, 66, of Concord, N.H., went missing on April 18 after they went for a walk on the Broken Ground Trail, according to the New Hampshire attorney general’s office." To read more, click here.

--A new film featuring Alex Honnold is coming out from Disney Plus:

--The Boulder Daily Camera interviewed Kai Lightner about his Climbing for Change Organization. To read the article, click here.

--Snowbrains is reporting that after 33-years, Grand Targhee, WY is closing its cat skiing operation. To read about it, click here.

--Uphill travel is now allowed at all hours at Stowe Mountain, VT. To read more, click here.

--Outside is reporting that, "The outdoor industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to using so-called “forever chemicals” in their products, a new study shows. The report, published by the Natural Resources Defense Council and two partner groups, analyzes 30 companies across multiple industries on their use of PFAS—dangerous chemicals that pollute drinking water and build up in the environment over time. Out of seven outdoor apparel brands studied, six of them—VF Corp., L.L.Bean, Columbia, REI, Wolverine Worldwide, and Academy Sports + Outdoors—got failing grades of D or F." To read more, click here.