Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 7/21/11

Northwest:

--King County Sheriff’s Office deputies and volunteer members of Seattle Mountain Rescue retrieved a 22-year-old woman from Rattlesnake Ledge after she fell about 30 feet the afternoon of June 29.  The Seattle woman had stopped to take a photograph, got too close to the cliff edge, lost her footing and fell, according to Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.  To read more, click here.

--The Bureau of Land Management in Idaho recently announced their intention to close up to 600 acres at Massacre Rocks near American Falls. The closure is intended to protect sensitive cultural resources within the Cedar Field Archaeological District and will affect several hundred bolt-protected basalt sport climbs. To learn more, click here.

Sierra:

--Search and rescue rangers in Yosemite National Park are scouring an area below a massive waterfall after witnesses reported seeing at least one hiker being swept over the falls. Park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said Tuesday that emergency services received "multiple calls" about one or more hikers going into the water and over Vernal Falls at around 1pm. To read more, click here.

--There are some complex issues surrounding the installation of a toilet in the Buttermilks bouldering area.  Some don't want it to be amongst the boulders because of the smell and the sightliness of the situation.  Others argue that the need for a toilet is great.  To read more, click here and here.

Alaska:

--Juneau locals Ryan Johnson and Gabe Hayden made the first free ascent of the South Buttress Direct on the Main Tower of the Mendenhall Towers on July 11th. This impressive peak can be found just outside Juneau. The duo's ascent climbed over 2000 feet, clocking in at 5.11a.  To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--A wildfire in the Spring Mountains west of the Las Vegas Valley has burned 44 acres but is contained, officials said Tuesday afternoon.  The fire, located about three miles northwest of the Las Vegas Beltway and Summerlin Parkway interchange, was deemed 100 percent contained — meaning firefighters have formed a line around it to prevent its spread. To read more, click here.

--To hear rescuers tell it, Joe Yearm is a lucky man. The Mesa, Arizona, man fell at least 20 feet while descending El Diente Peak Saturday, breaking his leg. He spent the night lying in the snow, then crawled as far as he could. To read more, click here.

--One person has been hurt in a plane crash in Joshua Tree National Park, officials tell KPSP Local 2 News.  Federal Aviation Administration Spokesperson Ian Gregor says the plane crashed at around 9 a.m., near Sunset Road and Joshua Trail, near Covington Flats.  To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--British climbers Dan Fitzgerald, James Wake and Matt Balmer recently climbed a new route onHuarancayo Sur (appx 17,000'), in Peru.  According to Balmer, the peak has only been climbed once before in 2006, making their route the second line to the summit. To read more, click here.

--REI has published a blog covering a number of "handy smartphone apps," for the outdoors man or woman. To read more, click here.

--The federal government is currently considering a bill to increase childhood outdoor literacy. The bill is being referred to as the "No Child Left Inside" bill.  To read more, click here.

--The Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT) and the Access Fund are pleased to announce that road repairs are now complete at the Bolton Quarry after an unprecedented flood washed out the road on April 26, 2011. A small loan through the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign (AFLCC) will assist with the cost and jumpstart CRAG-VT fundraising efforts to rebuild their financial reserves for ongoing land management and stewardship. To read more, click here.

--The final Master Plan for Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina, which includes the Rumbling Bald area, was released earlier this month, containing revisions to the 2010 draft that better reflect the popularity of climbing in the Park and may allow access to more climbing areas in the future. Take a look at the new Master Plan here. The Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC) played an important role in the development of the revisions, working with the Division of Parks and Recreation to make sure climbers’ needs were met.  To read more, click here.

--Rep. Scott Tipton (CO-R) is circulating a letter to fellow members of Congress to be sent to the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office later this week.  The letter requests an updated audit of the fee programs Fee Demo and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA).  To read more, click here.