Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 7/28/11

Northwest:

--A 30-year-old Southeast Portland climber who fell off Beacon Rock and died Sunday evening was a firefighter-paramedic who worked in Oregon, Skamania County sheriff’s officials said. Nathan Turner fell about 5:30pm, according to a bulletin from the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office. Rescuers first believed he’d only suffered a broken arm and leg. To read more, click here.

Mt. Shuksan

Archival Photo by Jason Martin

-- A climber spent a night on Mount Shuksan after becoming separated from his party on Saturday.  Whatcom County Search and Rescue personal reported that a climbing party was near Lake Ann on the south side of Mount Shuksan when one member decided to turn back. His companions found he didn’t make it back to their vehicle when they returned at about 8 o’clock Saturday night. To read more, click here.


--Jim Davidson, a climber who suffered a serious crevasse fall in 1992, tells his story in his new book, "The Ledge."  To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--After the deaths on Vernal Falls last week, USA Today is asking whether deaths in the parks are random or reckless.  To read the story, click here.

--It appears that West Nile Virus has been found in the Eastern Sierra. Wear your mosquito repellent! To read more, click here.

--The Lion Fire, sparked by lightening two weeks ago, continues to burn and reached 5500 acres over the weekend.  Sequoia National Forest spokesmen said they are managing the fire as “an ecological burn to reduce 90 to 100-year-old fuels.”  The fire continues to churn smoke into the San Joaquin Valley, Kern County and the Eastern Sierra. To read more, click here.

--While Congress continues snarky rhetoric along party lines over the debt limit, the American people fear how congressional indecision may impact their lives. In the Eastern Sierra, federal agencies have not yet begun to plan for a government shut-down, but they do believe it’s a possibility. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

Tim DeChristopher

--Tim DeChristopher will face prison time for disrupting a federal oil and gas lease auction, a federal judge has ruled. DeChristopher, the 29-year-old climate activist turned environmental folk hero, was sentenced Tuesday to spend two years in prison. He also will face a $10,000 fine. The sentence — handed down as a somber crowd of supporters gathered outside the courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City — follows DeChristopher’s high-profile spoiling of a federal auction set to sell off lands near the Indian Creek climbing area in late 2008. To read more, click here.

--One of Southern Nevada’s traffic problem spots isn’t on a freeway, or even in the Las Vegas Valley. It’s out at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Traffic problems there aren’t a daily occurrence, but they happen frequently enough in the busy seasons that officials are bringing in national experts to try to solve the problems.  To read more, click here.

--Coachella Valley residents can weigh in on a proposed road improvement project in Joshua Tree National Park. A copy of the environmental assessment for the Pinto Basin Road project is available for viewing at the Palm Desert Public Library, and written comments will be accepted through August 13th. Park staff are expected to hold a public meeting in Yucca Valley today. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Two teenagers were attacked by a grizzly bear over the weekend in the Talkeetna Mountains north of Anchorage. The teens were participating in an outdoor leadership program and were on a thirty-day stint in the wilderness at the time of attack. To read more, click here and here.

Notes from All Over:

--Last Sunday, after a successful ascent of 14,099-foot Snowmass Mountain in Colorado's Elk Range, 25-year-old Sean A. Wylam was injured in a rockslide. He later died from his injuries, despite being airlifted to a hospital in Aspen. To read more, click here.

--Some time ago a Canadian climber decided that one of the best ways to raise money for charity was to complete 24-hour climbing marathons.  The result was an inspiring journey to help a little girl with cancer.  To read more, click here.


--It was a busy weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend.  Independently, both Blake Herrington and Josh Wharton made significant ascents on the Diamond on Long's Peak. To read more, click here.


--The Access Fund, the national advocacy organization that keeps climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment, is excited to announce the release of its new smart phone application.  The free application serves up breaking news in the climbing world—including the latest access news—in one convenient location for smart phone users. The application is available on both the iPhone® and Android® platforms and allows users to browse news feeds from their favorite climbing media outlets, including Alpinist Magazine, Climbing Magazine, Rock & Ice Magazine, Dead Point Magazine, Urban Climber Magazine, the American Alpine Club, and other sources so users are always plugged in to the freshest content in the climbing world. To read more, click here.