Note on this Week's News:
--Unfortunately, this week's news is fraught with injuries and fatalities in the mountains. Please be careful out there. Pay attention all the time and never be complacent. If something appears to be amiss, bail and come back later. No mountain is worth an injury or worse...
--On July 28th, Bob and Cathleen Terczac were climbing on the Klawatti ice cap in the North Cascades National Park. Cathleen suffered a 35 foot fall into a moat and was seriously injured. Bob heroically and single-handedly pulled his injured wife out of the hole and set-up a camp in deteriorating weather. Tragically, Cathleen passed away 24 hours later. As the weather settled, Bob descended to the road. Just before reaching the safety of Cascade River Road, Bob fell into the freezing water of the river. After extracting himself from the icy water, a small team of climbers found him at the outhouse in the Eldorado parking lot. To read more about this tragic incident, click here.
--On July 30th, 23 year-old climber, Clive Pontusson took a 50 foot leaderfall on the Serpentine Arete of Dragontail Peak after a hold broke. Pontusson's partner, Noah Townsend, and two other climbers were able to arrange a helicopter rescue with the combined use of a rescue beacon and cell phones. Pontusson was listed in satisfactory condition on July 31st. To read more, click here. and here.
--A 54-year old woman hiking on Sauk Mountain near Rockport was fatally shot by a teenage hunter on Saturday. Pamela Almli stopped on a trail and bent over to put something in her pack when the 14 year-old hunter mistook her for a bear. To read more, click here.
--On Monday, a 27 year-old man slipped at the 9,100 foot level on the Coleman-Deming route on Mount Baker. One of the man's crampons caught and he broke his ankle. The man was successfully rescued by a helicopter. To read more, click here.
--A rescue took place on Mount Hood yesterday. A climber who suffered lower leg and ankle injuries used his cellphone to get into contact with the authorities. To read more, click here.
--Wolves in the Pacific Northwest are back! Reports continue to come in about a wolf pack in the Methow Valley that has been dubbed "the Look-Out Pack." Scientists believe that the wolves migrated down from Canada. To read more, click here.
--A 54-year old woman hiking on Sauk Mountain near Rockport was fatally shot by a teenage hunter on Saturday. Pamela Almli stopped on a trail and bent over to put something in her pack when the 14 year-old hunter mistook her for a bear. To read more, click here.
--On Monday, a 27 year-old man slipped at the 9,100 foot level on the Coleman-Deming route on Mount Baker. One of the man's crampons caught and he broke his ankle. The man was successfully rescued by a helicopter. To read more, click here.
--A rescue took place on Mount Hood yesterday. A climber who suffered lower leg and ankle injuries used his cellphone to get into contact with the authorities. To read more, click here.
--Wolves in the Pacific Northwest are back! Reports continue to come in about a wolf pack in the Methow Valley that has been dubbed "the Look-Out Pack." Scientists believe that the wolves migrated down from Canada. To read more, click here.
Sierra and Southwest:
--In the first serious injury of 2008 in Zion National Park, a canyoneer suffered a 100 foot fall. It appears that something went tragically wrong when Kaitlyn Bohlin rigged the final rappel in Pine Creek Canyon. Bohlin was evacuated to Las Vegas by helicopter. The extent of her injuries are not known. To read more, click here.
--Some parents make their kids audition for movies. Some make their kids play sports. Some make their kids take a variety of lessons. And some make their kids climb. This 5 year-old has summitted a number of peaks, including the likes of Mount Whitney and Mount Elbrus. Our guess is that that kid is going to hate climbing by the time she's seven!
--Sacbee.com published an interesting article on Sunday about the glacial recession in the the eastern Sierra. Those who have spent significant time in the Sierra essentially consider what is left of the glaciers there to be nothing more than permanent snowfields. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--On August 30, a massive avalanche washed over numerous climbers on K2. Teams from all over the world were moving up and down a section of the mountain called "The Bottleneck," when a serac tumbled down from above. Eleven climbers are presumed dead. To read more click here. To read a survivor's account, click here.
--New England Ropes has recalled two rope models due to dangerous irregularities. If you currently own a Maxim Apogee or a Maxim Pinnacle rope you should immediately stop using it and contact the manufacturer for a free replacement. To read more, click here.
--New England Ropes has recalled two rope models due to dangerous irregularities. If you currently own a Maxim Apogee or a Maxim Pinnacle rope you should immediately stop using it and contact the manufacturer for a free replacement. To read more, click here.
--A couple of weeks ago we reported on Frank Sanders, a guide who summitted Devil's Tower 365 times in 365 days. The Denver Post put together a very nice slideshow and audio recording about Frank and his beloved tower. To see the slideshow and listen to the recording, click here.
--Every year, adventure-seeking "through-hikers" set off from Georgia and trek 2,176 hard miles to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. NPR reports that to mark the mid-way point, many take part in the "half-gallon challenge." In other words, they down an entire half-gallon of ice cream. To listen to the report, click here.
