Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 2/1/24

Northwest:

--SnowBrains is reporting that, "The helicopter crash from Monday, January 22, 2024, in British Columbia has claimed a fourth victim, as one of the four injured succumbed to his injuries. The fourth victim was identified as 35-year-old Lewis Ainsworth from New Zealand. Ainsworth was an experienced heli-ski guide and President of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association and accredited by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations. Ainsworth is survived by his partner, his 10-year-old daughter, and his parents. In a statement, Ainsworth’s family said they were heartbroken by his death. The family thanked those who had been involved in the search and rescue operation and Ainsworth’s medical care over the past week." To read more, click here.

--SnowBrains is reporting that, "On Sunday, January 28, two inbounds avalanches were triggered at Washington state ski resorts. One at Mission Ridge and the other at Stevens Pass." More info can be found, here.

Sierra:

--A knife-wielding man was shot and killed by a police officer after a car chase at Palisades Tahoe last week. To read more, click here.

--A missing woman wasn't actually missing. She had been directed to download on a gondola at Heavenly, only for them to turn off the service. She spent 15-hours in the gondola, while she was reported missing to the Sheriff's department. To read about it, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--Fox 11 is reporting that, "Authorities discovered human skeletal remains near a hiking trail in Joshua Tree on Jan. 25. Park staff said they were led to the remains when park researchers found an unattended backpack along the trail near the Black Rock Area of the park." To read more, click here.

--Here's a disconcerting report coming out of Arizona: "Reports of deceased animals and strange wildlife behavior has Saguaro National Park concerned that rabies may be a possible cause. The park urges visitors who have physical contact with an animal to notify park staff and seek medical attention immediately.   Park staff recently discovered several deceased foxes and have received reports of abnormal animal behavior in foxes and racoons, as well as one reported incident of a bobcat biting a visitor. No carcasses have yet been recovered for testing to determine the cause of illness in these animals." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Aspen Times is reporting that, "At 11:26 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, according to an Aspen Skiing Company press release, a 22-year-old female skier collided with a tree on the Exhibition run at Aspen Highlands." To read more, click here.

--Townlift is reporting that, "On Sunday, Jan. 28, three skiers approached Gobbler’s South Summit from the north. After reaching the summit and skiing down, one skier was caught, carried and partially buried by a 2-4 foot deep, hard slab avalanche that spanned 500 feet wide and 2,000 feet long. The skier involved in the avalanche is reported to be in okay condition following the incident." To read more, click here.

--KUTV is reporting that, "A satellite distress call from a canyoneering group in a remote slot canyon in Garfield County resulted in the Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau hoisting out two people. The call was made on Friday afternoon (1/19/24) to local emergency dispatch. After determining the importance of response time and difficulty, rather than deploying the Garfield County Sheriff's Office ropes rescue team, they called DPS for a hoist." To read more, click here.

--SnowBrains is reporting that, "back in August of last year, Deer Valley Resort announced a monumental expansion that will add 3,700 acres of terrain and 16 new lifts to its world-renowned, ski-only destination located in the Wasatch Mountains in Park City, Utah. This was part of acquiring and integrating the up-and-coming Mayflower Resort into its current operations. The complete project will unfold over the next three seasons, with a significant portion of the new lifts and trails set to open as early as the 2025/26 winter season." To read more, click here.

--Would a "fast pass" to lifts for those who use a bus to access ski resorts in Utah decrease vehicle traffic? One letter to the editor in the Salt Lake Tribune argues for this common sense move. To read the editorial, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Gripped is reporting that, "32-year-old man died after a backcountry skiing accident on the north face of Mount Temple near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. According to the RCMP, the man was from Saskatchewan and in a group of three." To read more, click here.

--Footwear News is reporting that, "REI is the latest company to announce significant workforce reductions this year. CEO Eric Artz notified employees in a Jan. 25 letter that the outdoor retailer would lay off 357 people across its organization, including 200 corporate employees at its Sumner, Wash. headquarters and 121 in its distribution centers." To read more, click here.

--USA Climbing is opening a training center in Salt Lake City. Local climbing gyms where competitions and training for the organization has historically taken place, are not pleased. To be clear, the article actually says that they are "pissed." To read more, click here.

--Gripped is reporting that ice climbers appear to be falling more throughout North America, and that this is leading to more rescues. Read about it, here.

--The Daily is reporting that, "Outdoor products company Yeti announced Wednesday that it has acquired emerging pack brand Mystery Ranch. Terms of the deal were not disclosed." To read more, click here.

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