--On Wednesday, January 21, 31-year-old Brooke Colvin and her husband, Thad Stavn, were climbing near the Hog's Back rock formation near the 10,000-foot level on Mount Hood when they were hit by ice-fall. Colvin was struck by the debris and killed. To read more, click here.
--The Stevens Pass Ski Resort has proposed plans to add new ski lifts and to develop new summer lift-accessed mountain biking trails. Most projects like this require large scale environmental impact studies (EIS). But in this particular case, the, the Forest Service wants to examine the master plan for Stevens under an abbreviated environmental assessment of only the first phase of the project. Other steps in the expansion would be examined as phases of the project progresses. Environmental groups are protesting this as an ineffective way to look at the big picture. To read more, click here.
--A recent study in the Olympic Mountains indicates that the extinction of local wolf packs decades ago has had a far reaching impact on the health of the area. Wildlife biologists believe that the disappearance of the predator has caused problems not just with elk numbers, but with everything from degredation of vegetation to the loss of fish habitat. To read more, click here.
Chad Kellogg on moderate ice during the first ascent ofColonial Peak's Split Shot (IV, WI 4+)
Photo by Dan Aylward
--Over the weekend, Chad Kellogg and Dan Aylward made the first ascent of a new line on Colonial Peak. The have named their route, Split Shot (as in, a coffee beverage with one regular and one decaf espresso shot) and it clocks in at a reasonable IV, WI 4+. This peak is well-known for the difficult and committing Mark Twight route, Watusi Rodeo; but in recent years a number of other winter snow and ice lines have been explored on the face. To see a photo of the face, click here and use the zoom feature. The yellow line on the far right is Split Shot. To read more, click here.
--There are three bills before the Washington legislature that will have an effect on backcountry users below treeline. The first will require hunters under the age of fourteen to be accompanied by an adult. The second would require hunters under the age of sixteen to be accompanied by an adult. Obviously, most outdoor adventure enthusists would like to see the second bill passed. And the third would require all backcountry users to wear bright orange during the hunting season. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
The First Ascent of Eichorn's PinnaclePhoto by Lewis Clark
Courtesy of Mike Rettie
--Mike Rettie of Alameda, California found two interesting boxes in 1993. It turns out that they were full of photos and negatives from Sierra Club outings in the 1930s. The images are chocked full of Sierra first ascents. Rettie is still developing the negatives and is in the process of creating a website to honor the images. To view the site, click here.
--Winter air service to the Eastern Sierra has been going exceptionally well. There is currently a proposal on the table to expand the air service to include summer flights by 2010. This will make summer trips to the Sierras much easier to manage for climbers from all over the world. To read more, click here.
--After many years of studies and debates, the Forest Service announced today that officials have approved the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Ski Back Trail with a finding of No Significant Impact. The decision allows for construction of a Ski Back Trail from near the top terminal of Chair 7 to The Village. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--In a terrible turn of events over the weekend, an avalanche slammed into a large group of climbers in Turkey, dragging them more than 1,600 feet into a valley. Ten were killed in the accident. The team, which included 17 members of a skiing and mountaineering club, were taking part in an annual winter sports celebration on the 7,200-foot Mount Zigana. To read more, click here.
--The mortality rate of old-growth forests across the West has more than doubled in recent decades, and those forests are now losing more trees than they gain, according to a new study that identified the most probable cause as warming temperatures. The trend is happening at every elevation, in trees of different sizes and of various species, researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey and universities reported in the peer-reviewed journal Science. To read more, click here.
--On Saturday, NPR ran a story on ice climbing on Iowa grain silos. The man-made ice is fabricated through the use of a garden hose and a shower head. Those Mid-Westerners will do anything to get out and climb! And you got to admire that! To read more, click here.
--The infamous Huber brothers have done it again. Alex and Thomas Huber, along with Stephan Siegrist, just completed an Antarctic trip to Queen Maud Land. The trio successfully completed two massive new rock routes on the North Buttress of Holtanna and the West Buttress of Ulvetanna. To read more, click here and here.
