Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/26/23

Northwest:

--Castanet is reporting that, "RCMP have confirmed two have been killed following an avalanche in the Mount McCrae area near Revelstoke Monday afternoon. A third person suffered injuries In a statement, police say a small group of people had been heli-skiing in the area known as 'Chocolate Bunnies' southeast of Revelstoke at the time of the avalanche." To read more, click here.

--A climbing wall is being constructed on the old concrete silos in the town of Concrete. From Go Skagit: "The climbing wall that is planned for the back of the old silos that welcome visitors to the town of Concrete has had its first climbing holds installed. The holds, which climbers will use to scale the silos, are gray and rock-like in order to match the aesthetic of the silos and give climbers a more natural experience, said Jeremy Akers, who is funding the climbing wall." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--A climber in Arizona who got her knee stuck in a crack was freed through the use of dish soap. To read more about this rescue, click here.

A Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park

--The National Parks Traveler is reporting that, "Joshua Tree National Park and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians have signed an agreement that allows for continued cooperation and a path toward shared stewardship of park resources. 'The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians and Joshua Tree National Park have a long, extensive history of working together to protect sacred sites and interpret the history of the first people in this area,” said Superintendent David Smith. “This agreement is just the next step in a journey where we continue to collaborate to protect the park's resources and honor the history of the people who helped shape this cultural landscape.'"To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--KSL.com is reporting that, "Visitation at Utah's "Mighty 5" national parks took a slight tumble in 2022. A little more than 10.5 million people visited the five national parks last year, down about 7% from the record-setting 2021 numbers, according to a KSL.com analysis of National Park Service visitation. While the numbers are well ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted 2020 levels, the 2022 figures ended up 2% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--SGB Media is reporting that, "It looks like big snow equals big business, at least for ski resort owner and operator Vail Resorts, Inc. The company reported preliminary season-to-date total skier visits were up 12.5 percent through January 8, compared to the 2021/22 season-to-date period." To read more, click here.

--SnowBrains is reporting that, "For the first time in 74 years, winter 23/24 will be the first winter without a brand new Warren Miller movie. The news comes on the anniversary of the great man’s passing on January 24th, 2018. The news was announced by director/director of photography Chris Patterson on Instagram. Patterson has been filming Warren Miller movies for thirty years. According to Patterson, the heartbreaking decision has been made by Outside Inc due to financial challenges. While no new movies will be filmed, future movies will be created from already existing footage." To read more, click here.

--Gripped is reporting that, "While some places in Canada known to have fat ice had a slow start, classics from coast to coast are now in and getting climbed. In Banff National Park, two new routes were just climbed above Lake Minnewanka near the town of Banff. Both require skating along the frozen lake and add to the growing number of routes next to the famous body of water that ends in the Ghost River Valley." To read more, click here.