Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 3/23/23

Northwest:

--560 KPQ is reporting that, "The Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin its seasonal clearing of the North Cascades Highway on Monday, March 27. The 44-mile stretch of State Route 20 closes annually during the winter months from the Ross Dam Trailhead to Early Winters due to heavy snow and persistent avalanche risks." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Yosemite has reopened!

--The Inertia is reporting that, "every week seems to come with a new winter storm to track in the Sierra Nevada region and we’re now stepping into territory where every week brings some kind of new record. The trend in the past decade has seen a handful of strong starts to the season that tapers off significantly as spring approaches, so when January 1 rolled around this year we were in a wait-and-see pattern. For reference, California had recorded 64 percent of its average April 1 snowpack as 2023 began, which accounted for 174 percent of the average snowpack for the first week of January." To read more, click here.

--This video is making its rounds of a patroller seriously losing his cool. Generally, our assumption is that the patroller is in the right, but this is a bad look for Palisades Tahoe.

Desert Southwest:

--From The Hill: "President Biden on Tuesday will designate two new national monuments at Nevada’s Avi Kwa Ame and Texas’s Castner Range and will also take a step toward the designation of a national marine sanctuary. The Avi Kwa Ame monument in Southern Nevada will include the peak also known as Spirit Mountain, which is part of the creation story of several tribal nations. The area is a desert landscape that contains a Joshua tree forest and fauna including the desert bighorn sheep, desert tortoise and Gila monster." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Sacramento Bee is reporting that, "An avalanche engulfed three people near Marble, killing one, Colorado officials report. The Friday, March 17, avalanche caught two skiers and a splitboarder touring the backcountry near Rapid Creek, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said." To read more, click here.

--Summit Daily is reporting that, "Spring break has kept the Summit County Rescue Group busy this year. Over just the last 11 days, members responded to an overnight rescue of a backcountry skier, a snowmobile accident in Heeney, an airlift for an injured skier at Mayflower Gulch and several calls to Quandary Peak." To read more, click here.

--Fox News is reporting that, "A 56-year-old man died at Arches National Park in Utah on Sunday, the second hiker reported to have died on a trail at the park within a month, officials said. Park rangers had responded to a "report of CPR in progress" at Devils Garden Trail, the National Park Service said Monday. Officials with the Grand County Sheriff’s Department, Grand County EMS, and Classic Air Medical also responded to the trail." To read more, click here.

--Gwyneth Paltrow is currently defending herself against an accusation that she ran into a retired optometrist on a Utah ski slope. The optometrist's lawyers state that, "Paltrow crashed into Sanderson with such force that he broke four ribs and left him with a concussion. They claimed the concussion left him unable to adequately convey the seriousness of the crash, saying a ski instructor confronted him and berated him after the incident while Paltrow "bolted" away from the scene." To read more, check out an article at KOMO News.

--KPCW is reporting that, "On Monday the head of Deer Valley Resort had an update for the community about possibly joining forces with the new Mayflower ski resort, which plans to open in late 2024.

During a panel discussion about the state of the local ski industry Monday night at the Park City Library, Deer Valley President and COO Todd Bennett offered unprompted remarks about negotiations between the resort and Mayflower developer Extell." This new resort will not allow snowboarding. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--CBS Boston is reporting that, "A skier who was buried in snow for about 6 1/2 minutes after getting caught in an avalanche in New Hampshire's White Mountains this week was dug out by a companion and survived uninjured, authorities said." To read more, click here.

--THV11 is reporting that, "on March 7, a man was sentenced for illegally guiding hikers at Buffalo National River (in Arkansas). According to reports, Jeffrey Johnson was sentenced to two years probation, $600 in fines, $80 in processing fees, and was ordered to pay $2, 686.27 in restitution. Mr. Johnson was also banned from the Buffalo National River for two years" To read more, click here.

--WUSF Public Media is reporting that, "the National Park Service is now requiring permits that could cost hundreds of dollars for filming in national parks – including the 11 parks across Florida and more than 400 others across the country – if there is an intent to make money off the recordings. That’s an increasingly common scenario among emerging content creators, including YouTubers, Instagrammers and Tik Tokers, who worry the government is turning out the lights on their growing industry." To read more, click here.