--CBS News is reporting that, "A 26-year-old man from Washington state who was reported missing in Oregon while climbing one of the most treacherous mountains in the U.S. has been found safe, authorities said. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said rescuers located Brendan Davis, who got separated from his friend in "very foggy" weather Thursday afternoon after they summitted Mount Hood from the Timberline Lodge, through his voice." To read more, click here.
Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge.
--KATU 2 is reporting that, "Mt. Hood Meadows is facing a lawsuit brought against them by a Portland resident. Theodore S. Plowden-Wardlaw is suing the ski resort for $6.225 million. Mr. Wardlaw claims on Saturday, February 4, 2023, he was coaching skiing when a snowmobile struck him 'at a high rate of speed.' The lawsuit states that the operator of the snowmobile, an employee of Mt. Hood Meadows, 'did not check on Mr. Wardlaw directly, but the operator and other witnesses promptly notified Ski Patrol that there had been a collision and that a skier had been injured.'" To read more, click here.
--A backcountry skier was injured in a significant fall near Stevens Pass this week. Read more.
--KDRV is reporting on a ski accident in Oregon: "A 76-year-old man tragically died on Friday morning after a skiing accident at Mt. Ashland Ski Area. The skier collided with a tree on Windsor Chairline, a trail categorized as "Most Difficult," and sustained fatal injuries. Despite wearing a helmet, the injuries proved to be fatal." To read more, click here.
--A long sought after climb finally went down in the Cascades. The direct west face of Sloan Peak was climbed. Borrowed Time (WI 5, M7) is a line that many alpinists have been looking at for years. Go read the route report. This was an awesome ascent.
--Backpacker is reporting that, "Early this week, Vancouver’s North Shore Rescue received a call about an injured hiker on nearby 4,350-foot Hollyburn Mountain. The hiker had hit an icy snowbank with their foot while glissading —or “bum-sliding,” as the group’s incident report termed it—down the peak. In what must have felt like deja vu, a second rescue team took to the slope the next day after another, nearly identical incident, prompting officials to issue warnings to hikers against taking a shortcut down snowy mountains." NOTE: When glissading, you should be under control, able to see, not wearing crampons, and not sliding on a glacier. To read more, click here.
--Shop Eat Surf Outdoor is reporting that, "the changes at the outdoor industry’s largest retail account continue as REI Co-op CEO Eric Artz announced Wednesday that he will retire in March. Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI board director, will join REI as president on February 3 before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31, according to a news release." To read more, click here. In another piece, they discuss what Laughton has in store for her at REI. Note that there's a paywall on this article.
Desert Southwest:
--There was a fatality on the Community Pillar route in Red Rock Canyon. Though it is not listed in the articles, the current belief is that the accident was related to the use of GriGris in a rappel scenario. It's not clear if the person rappelled on the wrong side of a blocked rope, or if this was some kind of simul-rappel accident. To read about the incident and another incident nearby, click here.
--Arizona's SnowBowl has weekday ski tickets with prices as low as $19. Read more.
Colorado and Utah:
--Outside is reporting that, "Visitors were greeted with long lift lines and minimal open terrain at Park City ski resort when the ski patrol union went on strike. One dissatisfied guest has filed a class action lawsuit against parent company Vail Resorts, Inc., for ruining his family’s trip." To read more, click here.
--The Denver Post is reporting that, "Completing a trail encircling Pikes Peak and expanding camping opportunities in the shadow of the landmark locals call “America’s Mountain” are expected to be the first priorities of a new partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other public land managers in the Pikes Peak region. Gov. Jared Polis announced the collaboration involving CPW, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, nearby municipalities, counties and other agencies last week in his annual State of the State message." To read more, click here.
--Climbing is reporting that, "A weekly sanctuary for aspiring women and nonbinary climbers at Utah State University (USU) vanished last week—not due to lack of interest or funding, but because it’s now outlawed in the state of Utah. Officials canceled the popular Women’s Climb Night program to comply with Utah’s new anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) legislation, which prohibits state-funded institutions from offering gender-specific programming." To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--A skier suffered a fatal fall at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Read more.
There is only one name for this mountain: Denali.
--The National Parks Traveler is reporting that, "legislation was introduced Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives to strip presidents of their authority under The Antiquities Act to designate national monuments. The measure, introduced by Reps. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, and Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, would rewrite the act to say only Congress has the authority to designate national monuments." To read more, click here.
--The National Parks Traveler is reporting that, "More than 1,000 seasonal positions for the National Park Service have been put on hold by the Trump administration, which is notifying those told they had jobs that the offers they received have been withdrawn. While the Office of Management and Budget early this week said seasonal positions wouldn't be affected by the hiring freeze implemented by the new administration, on Thursday "people all over the country who had been hired as seasonals for many, many parks got a notification over email that their job offer that they had was rescinded," Kristen Brengel, senior vice president at the National Parks Conservation Association, told the Traveler on Friday." To read more, click here.
Mt. Everest from Basecamp
--Gear Junkie is reporting that, "A group of commercial Everest climbers plan to complete their climb in a week by chemically boosting their acclimatization and performance using a new method: They will sip xenon gas just before the climb and then push straight for the summit." Using this extremely expensive therapy, participants hope to climb the mountain in three days. To read more, click here.
--National Parks Traveler is reporting that, "Jessica Bowron, a National Park Service veteran who has been serving as the agency's comptroller, has been named acting director of the agency. 'I am honored to exercise the delegated authority of the National Park Service director to ensure the continuity of the critical work you all do as we support President Trump and his administration," Bowron said in an email to the Park Service workforce. "I know you all have many questions about what is to come. Our senior leadership team is working closely with the [Interior] Department to understand how to implement the recently signed executive orders and additional directives. We will issue guidance as we learn more. In the meantime, I urge you to remain patient and refrain from speculation and planning for contingencies until we have official guidance.'" To read more, click here.
--A writer at The Inertia wants the ski industry to rethink the cost of skiing to the consumer. Read the article here.
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