PUBLIC LANDS AT RISK IN NEW SENATE BILL!

RED ALERT - MAJOR PORTION OF US PUBLIC LANDS AT RISK: ACT NOW!!!

--From the Outdoor Alliance: "Last week, the Senate released text of a major spending package, which included a proposal to sell off about 3 million acres of public land. Today, Outdoor Alliance released a map showing that nearly 300 million acres of public lands could be open for these proposed sales, an area that includes nearly 100,000 miles of trails, 8,232 climbing areas, and 3,405 river miles across the West."

--A map of the lands considered for sale can be found here. Note that the sale would include iconic places in Washington like Washington Pass, including the Liberty Bell Group, the forest on Mt. Baker Highway, and the forest around Baker lake. Massive swaths of land in Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah...including many valleys with ski resorts.

--What you can do:

• Write your senators and congress people using one of these tools: Outdoor Alliance Tool. Access Fund Tool.
• Note that even if you expect your senators to vote against this, they track calls and emails. The more input they get, the more focused they are on a given topic. It's important to do this.

Public Lands for Sale in Senate Bill.

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 6/19/2025

RED ALERT - MAJOR PORTION OF US PUBLIC LANDS AT RISK: ACT NOW!!!

--From the Outdoor Alliance: "Last week, the Senate released text of a major spending package, which included a proposal to sell off about 3 million acres of public land. Today, Outdoor Alliance released a map showing that nearly 300 million acres of public lands could be open for these proposed sales, an area that includes nearly 100,000 miles of trails, 8,232 climbing areas, and 3,405 river miles across the West."

--A map of the lands considered for sale can be found here. Note that the sale would include iconic places in Washington like Washington Pass, including the Liberty Bell Group, the forest on Mt. Baker Highway, and the forest around Baker lake. Massive swaths of land in Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah...including many valleys with ski resorts.

--What you can do:

• Write your senators and congress people using one of these tools: Outdoor Alliance Tool. Access Fund Tool.
• Note that even if you expect your senators to vote against this, they track calls and emails. The more input they get, the more focused they are on a given topic. It's important to do this.

Public Lands for Sale in Senate Bill.

Northwest:

--Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest sent out a notice stating that, "Beginning June 21, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest will transition to primarily cashless collections for day and annual passes utilizing credit or debit cards at ranger stations, visitor centers, and trailheads and day use sites on the Forest. The Forest will be implementing a scan and pay option using a QR code at all trailheads and recreation sites across the forest where a day use fee is required. To use scan and pay, visitors should download the recreation.gov app on their phone for use offline at sites on the forest where cellular connectivity may be poor or non-existent. Scan and pay will work offline if visitors have already installed the app. Visitors may use scan and pay or the Northwest Forest Day Pass, Northwest Forest Pass Annual Pass, or America the Beautiful Pass at all sites requiring a fee." To read more, click here.

--The Seattle Times is reporting that it could be a tough wildfire season. There are already several fires. Read about it, here.

Desert Southwest:

--Climbing is reporting that, "a week before the release of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that would trigger the imminent transfer of 2,522 acres of Oak Flat to an international mining company, a federal judge has temporarily halted the land exchange." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--SnowBrains is reporting that, "On Saturday, June 14, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Boulder County Communications Center received reports of a skier suffering serious injuries following a fall near the Skywalker Couloir on South Arapahoe Peak, west of Nederland, Colorado." To read more, click here.

--Backpacker is reporting that, "search teams hoisted two hikers off the summit of a Colorado fourteener after a lightning strike badly injured one of them on Thursday, in what rescuers believe may be the highest-altitude helicopter evacuation in state history." To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Alaska Public Media is reporting that, "A Washington skier died on Denali Tuesday evening, after rangers say he triggered an avalanche that caught and carried him more than 1,500 feet down the mountain. Denali National Park and Preserve officials said in a statement that Nicholas Vizzini, 29, was the skier killed in the slide. He is the second person to die on the mountain in just over a week." To read more, click here.

AAI Teams on Denali.

--AAI's Team Six made the summit of Denali on June 15th. AAI's Team Seven is prepping for an attempt. Read about it here.

--Gripped is reporting that, "American alpinist Balin Miller has soloed the Slovak Direct, a difficult alpine line that climbs to the right of the Cassin Ridge on Denali. There have been less than 20 ascents of the test-piece climb and this is the first solo on record. The grade of the 2,700-metre route has been documented in the American Alpine Journal as VI, 5.9X, M6+, WI6, A2." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Yahoo Finance is reporting that, "VF Corp-owned The North Face said that names and email addresses were among the data accessed in the cyberattack. The company assured that no payment card information was compromised as card details such as numbers, CVVs, and expiry dates are processed by a third party and are not stored on The North Face's website." To read more, click here.

--The Colorado Sun is reporting that, "after one of the most successful ski launches ever, Peak Ski Co. has collapsed amid acrimony and claims of mismanagement by the high-profile founders of the Montana-based ski-maker. 'It’s such a sad story. It did not need to go down this way,' says Aspen big-mountain skiing legend Chris Davenport, who joined Peak Ski Co. in 2022 as a senior director of skiing and product innovation." To read more, click here.

Upcoming Programs:

Denali - West Buttress
Ecuador Skills Expedition
Kilimanjaro
Rock Climbing in Red Rock Canyon
Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership
Alpinism I: Introduction to Mountaineering
Mt. Baker Skills and Climb
Rescue Programs
Discounts and Special Offers
Mountain Center Events

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 6/5/2025

Northwest:

--There were three rescues back-to-back on Mt. Baker last week. Read about them here.

--A climber was rescued after breaking his ankle on Leavenworth's Outer Space (5.9, III) on Friday. Read more here.

Sierra:

--Unoffical Networks is reporting that, "Yesterday, Mammoth announced its closing date for the 2024-25 season. Mammoth will remain open daily until June 15th, with the lifts operating hours being 7:30 am-1 pm." To read more, click here.

El Capitan in Yosemite Valley

--Gripped is reporting that, "bear spray is banned in California’s national parks, unlike many U.S. parks where it’s recommended for safety. This decision has sparked debate among hikers and conservationists, particularly as black bear populations flourish in places like Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks. While the absence of grizzly bears may justify the ban, it leaves visitors uncertain about protecting themselves during black bear encounters." To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--Powder is reporting that, "Late last week, a team of rescuers extracted an injured skier from the Colorado backcountry who had fallen 200 feet while skiing on Torreys Peak, according to a social media post published by Alpine Rescue Team, a unit that responds to outdoor emergencies throughout the state. The skier fell from near the top of the Emperor Couloir on the north side of the 14,267-foot peak, injuring their lower leg and coming to rest above a cliff band, Alpine Rescue Team wrote." To read more, click here.

--Surf Eat Shop x Outdoors is reporting that, "Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch is stepping down and former CEO and Executive Chairperson Rob Katz will succeed her. 'As Vail Resorts continues to execute its strategic priorities and transformational initiatives, the board believes now is the right time for this leadership transition,' said Bruce Sewell, lead independent director of the board, in a statement." To read more, click here.

--And in more Vail news, SnowBrains is reporting that, "Former Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Kirsten Lynch will receive over $2.2 million in severance and other benefits as part of her departure agreement with the company, according to recently filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission." To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--A number of AAI Teams are currently on Denali. Check out how they're doing, here!

Notes from All Over:

--New Hampshire Fish and Game is reporting that, "at 2:35 p.m. on June 1, 2025, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of an injured rock climber at the Rumney Rocks Climbing Area on the White Mountain National Forest in Rumney. The climber, Alanna Tempest, 30, of New York, NY, had suffered a lower-leg injury that prevented her from being able to hike down the access trails safely to reach the parking areas. First responders from the Rumney Fire Department, Plymouth Fire Rescue, Wentworth Fire Department, Campton-Thornton Fire Rescue and Conservation Officers with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department arrived in Rumney to assist in moving Tempest safely to the parking area." To read more, click here.

--Three people fell off waterfalls last week.

--The Himalyan Times is reporting that, "a Ukrainian-American climber, who reportedly made the fastest ascent of Mt Everest after flying from New York to Nepal, has been detained for illegally carrying a large sum of undeclared foreign currency. Andrew Ushakov, a client of Elite Exped, owned by controversial climber Nirmal 'Nims' Purja was arrested by the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) after being found with a huge amount of undeclared US dollars." To read more, click here.

Upcoming Programs:

Denali - West Buttress
Ecuador Skills Expedition
Kilimanjaro
Rock Climbing in Red Rock Canyon
Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership
Alpinism I: Introduction to Mountaineering
Mt. Baker Skills and Climb
Rescue Programs
Discounts and Special Offers
Mountain Center Events