--The body of a 54-year-old man from Coquitlam, B.C., was found in the Mt. Baker wilderness Monday, Nov. 16, close to where he was last seen by his wife. The man was reported missing at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. He was found by search and rescue workers at about 5:40 p.m. the next evening. His name is being withheld until family members have been notified, said Deputy George Ratayczak of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. The man was found buried in about 18 inches of snow 60 to 80 yards outside of the backcountry gate of the Mt. Baker wilderness. He apparently had fallen off a cornice and was buried upside down, Ratayczak said. To read more, click here.
A Climber in IndexPhoto by Alasdair Turner
--Cascadeclimbers and the Boalps have among many others have run successful campaigns to raise money for the purchase of the Index climbing area. The Cascadeclimbers event over the weekend was quite successful. The American Alpine Institute will be running an Index event on December 11th. To learn more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
-- On the evening of Sunday, November 15, park staff of Pinnacles National Monument assisted two male climbers, from the San Jose area, off of a climbing route after they had become stranded due to nightfall. Both climbers were uninjured. The climbers were able to place a cell phone call to a friend, who contacted the park, around 6:00PM after they could no longer climb in darkness. They were near the top of "Condor [Condom] Condiment", a 500 foot route on the Condor Crag formation in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Monument. The climbers were in different locations on the route and could not complete the final 100 feet without additional light. Rangers contacted the party via their cell phone and determined their approximate location and condition before the climber's phone battery was exhausted. To read more, click here.
----Federal officials plan to spend $11.7 million for about 5,000 acres of private land in national monuments, forests and recreation areas in three Western states. The largest purchase announced Monday was for 4,573 acres in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. The 166,000-acre monument, about 380 miles southwest of Denver, has the country's highest known density of archaeological sites. This money also includes purchases in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. To read more, click here.
--Joshua Tree National park employees are at work this week closing off abandoned mine shafts. In the current phase of mine closures, National Park Service employees will close 11 holes at eight sites while contractors will close 29 holes at an additional 14 sites throughout the park. To read more, click here.
Himalaya:
--A renowned Slovenian mountaineer has been found dead in the Himalayas. Tomasz Humar, 40, last contacted his base on Monday to say that he had been injured while climbing a peak in Nepal. Viki Groselj, a fellow Slovenian mountaineer and friend of Mr Humar, told the Associated Press that he had broken his leg and become stranded. To read more click here and here.
Notes from All Over:
The Jungfrau--The trial of two Swiss mountain guides charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of six army recruits is underway in the eastern Swiss city of Chur. On July 12, 2007, the guides gave the go-ahead for the group of soldiers they were leading to ascend the Jungfrau mountain despite a high risk of avalanche. The defendants face up to three years in prison if found guilty by the military tribunal. To read more, click here.
--The second year of the American Alpine Club's Patagonia Sustainable Trails Project has kicked off with a trail-restoration educational course for 17 Argentinean rangers from eight national parks across Patagonia. The course, held October 24 to November 1, was organized by AAC member Rolando Garibotti, directed by Max Ludington, a National Park Service (NPS) seasonal trail crew leader based out of Jackson Hole, and coordinated by Claudio Chehebar, director of the regional office for all Argentinean Patagonia national parks. To read more, click here.
--Federal officials plan to spend $11.7 million for about 5,000 acres of private land in national monuments, forests and recreation areas in three Western states. The largest purchase announced Monday was for 4,573 acres in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. The 166,000-acre monument, about 380 miles southwest of Denver, has the country's highest known density of archaeological sites. To read more, click here.
--Tired of constant threats to close California’s state parks, a coalition of environmental and nonprofit groups has proposed a ballot initiative that would charge motorists an additional $18 to register their vehicles in exchange for free admission to the state parks. The registration fee would apply to all California vehicles, including motorcycles and recreational vehicles. Larger commercial vehicles, mobile homes and permanent trailers would be exempt. In exchange, Californians would no longer pay day-use or admission fees at any state park. To read more, click here.
--This week we did a round-up of all the literary awards offered this Fall. To see them, click here.
