--Eighty-six year-old Lloyd Gust is what is known as a "trail angel." He is one of a small group of men and women that assist hikers in need on the Pacific Crest Trail. This year alone, Gust has been responsible for helping 208 thru-hikers working their way through the Oregon stretch of the trail. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--A visitor to the Lakes Basin near the town of Mammoth shot and killed a bear that was reportedly eating his snack food. Bears getting into coolers and picnic supplies in the Lakes Basin near Mammoth are a common occurrence each summer. Visitors often are frightened away from their dinner by the animal, which then proceeds to go after the tasty treats. Usually the person gets wise, makes a bunch of noise and scares the bear off. That was not the case this week. To read more, click here.
Yosemite National ParkNotes from All Over:
--The high altitude researcher and climber Charles Houston, died at his home in Vermont on September 27. He was 96. Houston was part of the Anglo-American team that made the first ascent of Nanda Devi (25,643) in 1936. Houston’s research and writing on high altitude were instrumental in helping climbers understand acclimatization and the dangers of high altitude pulmonary edema and high altitude cerebral edema. To read more, click here.
--The husband of U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney has died on a mountain climbing expedition in the Himalayas, aides to the congresswoman said Saturday. Clifton Maloney, a millionaire investment banker and avid climber, was resting in a high-altitude camp after a successful ascent to the summit of Cho Oyo, the world's sixth-highest mountain when he died. To read more, click here.
--The UIAA Safety Commission has published the first-ever safety standard for braking devices. It lays out performance parameters and testing procedures for belaying and abseiling devices. The purpose of the new standard is to give climbers and mountaineers confidence that these critical pieces of gear meet the UIAA’s strict safety criteria. To read more, click here.
--The 8th annual HERA Climb4Life Utah, held Sept. 17-20 in Salt Lake City, was incredibly successful. The even raised over $80,000 to support the HERA (Health, Empowerment, Research, Awareness) Women’s Cancer Foundation’s ovarian cancer research and awareness initiatives. To read more, click here.
Mount KilimanjaroPhoto by Shawn Olson
--Using his arms and his will, Chris Waddell finally has the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in his sights. The paraplegic climber with his eyes on history has climbed to 15,000 feet and spoke with CBS news via satellite phone in an exclusive interview. To read more and see a video, click here.
--It looks like Sam Raimi will be producing a film about the legendary bigfoot of the Himalaya known as the Yeti. "The Refuge" will be directed by "30 Days of Night" director, Corin Hardy. To read more, click here.
--New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department has spent nearly double what it had at this time last year to rescue lost in injured hikers off its mountains. The Concord Monitor reports that as of mid-September, the state had spent more than $133,000 on search and rescue missions, up from a bit less than $70,000 for all of last year. To read more, click here.
--Yes, we have posted the video before, but it's utterly terrifying. A skier wearing a helmet cam gets caught in an avalanche only to be dug out minutes later. The sound track to this video alone is enough to make one weep at the sight of avy terrain. Luckily, the skier does survive. The video was recently broadcast on MSNBC. To see it, click here. To learn more about avalanche education, click here.
--Got an Iphone? Me neither. But if you do, Apple has put together a cool webpage that shows all the apps for an outdoorsman or woman. To see it, click here.
