Yosemite Valley
Desert Southwest:
--A portion of Intersection Rock in Joshua Tree National Park has been closed for several weeks due to rockfall. Read more.
Colorado and Utah:
--Summit Daily is reporting that, "A skier suffered injuries in an avalanche Saturday, April 12, in the K Chute of a popular backcountry spot in Summit County known as the Sky Chutes, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center." To read more, click here.
--Summit Daily is reporting that, "A skier involved in an incident on the East Wall at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area was in critical condition as of Monday, April 14, according to information provided by the ski area and CommonSpirit Health. Ski patrol responded after a 46-year-old man was involved in a “serious incident” that occurred on the East Wall, Friday, April 11, A-Basin communications manager Shayna Silverman confirmed in a statement. The man was transported by Flight for Life helicopter to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood after the ski incident, Silverman said." To read more, click here.
--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "Four of Utah’s largest and most visited national parks and monuments operate from the same office in Moab. This facility is now squarely in the crosshairs of President Trump’s government efficiency cuts. On March 3, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that it was terminating this office’s lease. This 35,000-square-foot facility in Utah houses engineers, resource crews, search and rescue, archeological surveyors, and more. Without it, many employees would be displaced, and equipment, vehicles, and archaeological artifacts would have nowhere to be stored." To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--Teton Gravity Research is reporting that, "A tragic fall on closed terrain at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine, claimed the life of Kendall Willard, a 63-year-old snowboarder from nearby Kingfield, on Saturday, April 5. According to Carrabassett Valley Police Chief Mark Lopez, Willard dropped a glove while riding the lift that morning. After unloading, he entered a closed trail on foot, having removed his snowboard, in an attempt to retrieve it. The trail—closed due to hazardous conditions—proved treacherous. Willard lost his footing and slid an estimated 800 feet down an icy slope, coming to rest in a group of trees." To read more, click here.
--IFL Science is reporting that, "According to a statement from the US Attorney's Office, District of Wyoming, 44-year-old Angela Flaherty of Seattle, Washington, pled guilty to leaving the designated boardwalk and viewing area around the Old Faithful geyser, one of Yellowstone’s most beloved thermal features. Flaherty was caught on camera by another visitor straying around 3 meters (10 feet) into the geyser’s cone. Not only was this a public land violation, landing Flaherty a seven-day stint in jail, but it was also not a sensible idea. When Old Faithful erupts, it expels thousands of liters of boiling water, alongside scalding steam. We’ll stay right back, thank you very much." To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--Teton Gravity Research is reporting that, "A tragic fall on closed terrain at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine, claimed the life of Kendall Willard, a 63-year-old snowboarder from nearby Kingfield, on Saturday, April 5. According to Carrabassett Valley Police Chief Mark Lopez, Willard dropped a glove while riding the lift that morning. After unloading, he entered a closed trail on foot, having removed his snowboard, in an attempt to retrieve it. The trail—closed due to hazardous conditions—proved treacherous. Willard lost his footing and slid an estimated 800 feet down an icy slope, coming to rest in a group of trees." To read more, click here.
--IFL Science is reporting that, "According to a statement from the US Attorney's Office, District of Wyoming, 44-year-old Angela Flaherty of Seattle, Washington, pled guilty to leaving the designated boardwalk and viewing area around the Old Faithful geyser, one of Yellowstone’s most beloved thermal features. Flaherty was caught on camera by another visitor straying around 3 meters (10 feet) into the geyser’s cone. Not only was this a public land violation, landing Flaherty a seven-day stint in jail, but it was also not a sensible idea. When Old Faithful erupts, it expels thousands of liters of boiling water, alongside scalding steam. We’ll stay right back, thank you very much." To read more, click here.
--Yahoo Sports is reporting that, "In news that will delight fans of competition climbing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that there will be three separate climbing events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games: Speed, Lead and Boulder." To read more, click here.
--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "in an extraordinary announcement posted to REI’s social media accounts on Wednesday, April 9, REI’s new president spoke directly to the retailer’s millions of customers. Mary Beth Laughton, a longtime board member who officially took the reins of the company on March 31, said REI had “made a mistake” by signing a January letter in support of Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Department of the Interior." To read more, click here.