Thursday, December 21, 2023

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 12/21/2023

Northwest:

--Backpacker is reporting that, "the United States Forest Service (USFS) formalized a comprehensive plan for the Pacific Northwest Trail last week, marking the end of a multi-year process to define the trail’s future. Under the plan, officials now have guidelines through which they can manage and develop the trail, as well as rally congressional support to help establish the still largely underdeveloped trail." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--From the Sierra County Sheriff's Office: "On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a Calpine resident who was bitten by a bear the previous night. The resident reported that on the preceding night, he had let his dog outside to go to the bathroom. The dog immediately took off, prompting him to go outside. While outside, a bear emerged from his neighbor’s yard and charged at him. Regrettably, the bear did not stop, and the Calpine resident sustained bites on his hand, wrist, and leg." To read more, click here.

--Gripped is reporting that, "if you’re planning to climb in Yosemite in 2024 during the busiest parts of the year, then you’ll need to book a reservation to enter Yosemite National Park. The National Parks Service (NPS) announced a reservation system is being introduced to counter the long wait times. 'Yosemite has been grappling with congestion − even gridlock − for decades,' says NPS. 'We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summer of managed access. We are currently developing the Visitor Access Management Plan in order to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s natural and cultural resources.'" To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

A climber on Caustic (5.11b) in Red Rock Canyon.
Photo: Caden Martin

--The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting on the strong numbers for outdoor recreation coming out of Las Vegas: "From rock climbing and hiking to skiing and ATV riding, outdoor recreation in Nevada contributed roughly $6.1 billion to the state’s economy in 2022, a 25.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That’s beyond any bump outdoor activity saw during the pandemic as Strip resorts shuttered and people moved outside for recreation." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Ski Magazine is reporting that, "Many ski areas have issued a statement that acknowledges that their booming businesses operate on stolen lands—then everyone gets on with their day. Colorado’s Winter Park Resort is taking that acknowledgment one step further. This year, the Front Range ski area, which operates on the ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute tribes, has launched a permanent art installation and a new snow stake designed by Indigenous artists. In addition, the resort is adding Arapaho language translations to their trail signs this season and installing historical markers that share the history of the land prior to 1940, the year the ski area opened." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--NBC Montana is reporting that, "The Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue rescued a ice climber on Saturday in Hyalite Canyon that had fallen about 40 feet and sustained a back injury." To read more, click here.

--A goat triggered an inbounds avalanche at Big Sky. According to Unofficial Networks, "this goat was carried the full length of the avalanche, over a distance of 1,000 feet and through rocky terrain. Remarkably, it emerged from this perilous journey unscathed.

--The hard reality of ski bumming in the mid-2020s.

--The North Face and VF Brands have succumbed to a cyber attack, which is making it difficult for them to fulfill orders. To read more, click here.

--HuffPost is reporting that, "The U.S. Forest Service, an agency with a long history of prioritizing timber production, has taken a first step toward protecting the nation’s most ancient forests from logging. The agency on Tuesday announced a proposal to amend management plans for all 128 national forests and grasslands across the country to better conserve carbon-rich 'old-growth' forests, typically defined as those at least 150 years old and largely undisturbed by human activity." To read more, click here.

--Ski is reporting that, "While the Utah and California mountains get pummeled by winter storms, East Coast ski resorts continue to endure warm temperatures, rain, and a downright sad lack of snow. It’s gotten so bad in part of Vermont that Mad River Glen has ceased lift operations this week." To read more, click here.

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