Thursday, August 31, 2023

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 8/31/23

Northwest:

--Gripped is reporting that, "North Sister is a popular mountain in central Oregon that’s considered one of the hardest to climb of the Cascade volcanoes. It’s not as tall as the nearby South Sister, but it’s climbed less due to the difficulties. The standard south ridge has exposed fourth and fifth class scrambling and steep snow traverses, making it a potentially dangerous objective. Within a month this summer, two climbers died after falling down North Sister during their ascents." To read more, click here.

--There were rescues on Mt. Baker and on Mt. Stuart over the last week.

--Skaha Bluffs (a climbing area near Penticton, BC) has a unique program where folks are paid to watch the parking lot in order to deter theft. They are looking for donations to continue this program as the Skaha fall season starts. To read more, click here.
























--SnowBrains is reporting that, "The trend of businesses going cashless has increased steadily over the years. Just looking at the ski industry, names like Vail Resorts, Snowbird, Killington, Big Sky, and many more have all gone cashless. Vail Resorts, one of the biggest conglomerates in the industry, was an early adopter of this policy when it arose as part of their safety precautions for COVID-19. It appears there are no plans to change the policy anytime soon. Now Mt Hood Meadows recently announced it will be going cashless ahead of the 2023/24 season." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Liftblog is reporting that, "three new chairlifts may be coming to Alterra’s outpost in Southern California. Under a plan unveiled today, Big Bear Mountain Resort would link neighboring Bear Mountain and Snow Summit via a series of new lifts and trails to form a cohesive mountain. The project would be remarkable given the two mountains haven’t seen a single new lift in 25 years. The two came under common ownership in 2002 and Alterra added nearby Snow Valley to the resort earlier this year. In addition to the interconnect, Big Bear also plans to add a new beginner terrain pod at Bear Mountain, expand snowmaking, construct mountain bike trails, build a zip tour and install an alpine coaster." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--Unnofficial Networks is reporting that, "Lee Canyon: Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, located less than an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, has sustained major damage from the remains of Hurricane Hilary. In photos shared by the ski area and by Mt Charleston Mountain Man on X we see the extent of thes infrastructure damage to Lee Canyon. 'In light of the limited initial assessment, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the end of our summer mountain operations,' the ski area announced this afternoon. 'We understand the anticipation and excitement surrounding this season, and we will be reaching out to our mountain biking day pass and season pass holders with information as soon as possible due to this unforeseen closure. Trails, chairlifts, and essential facilities that encompass our summer offerings have borne the brunt of this unexpected occurrence,' the statement continued." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--ABC 4 Utah is reporting that, "Officials are warning hikers at Mount Timpanogos to keep an eye – and a leash – on their dogs after three were killed within three weeks while hiking. On Sunday, the Timpanogos Emergency Response Team said a third dog was killed in as many weeks over the weekend by mountain goats. The dog was reportedly off-leash and harassed a mother goat while she was with her babies. The mother mountain goat retaliated, feeling her children were threatened by the dog, and pushed the dog off a cliff." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--8KPAX is reporting from Montana that, "a climber was hoisted to safety in the Swan Mountains. Lake County Search and Rescue was recently called out to help Swan Valley Search and Rescue for a 'distressed climber stuck on the south cliff below the Swan Range glaciers,' according to a social media post." To read more, click here.

--The Idaho Statesman is reporting that, "a climber spent a 'harrowing' night trapped in a canyon after he fell and injured his arm so severely he couldn’t climb back out to safety, Wyoming officials said. The 'challenging' rescue took 24 hours in total, the Wyoming Army National Guard said in an Aug. 29 news release." To read more, click here.


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