--A mile-long avalanche near the Wyoming-Idaho state line swept three snowmobilers to their deaths, authorities said Saturday. Lincoln County officials said the three victims were among four snowmobilers caught by the snow slide Friday near Alpine Mountain in the Snake River Range. Sgt. Shane Tindall said the fourth person walked out and used his cell phone to call for help. To read more, click here.
--A Montreal couple lost in the B.C. backcountry ate leaves, built shelters, and fearing an attack by nearby wolves, turned a ski pole into a weapon, all in a bid to stay alive, the brother of the man who survived told CBC News. Marie-Josée Fortin, 44, died before help arrived on Feb. 24. Her husband, Gilles Blackburn, 51, was treated for frostbite and exposure and released from hospital last Wednesday, just 24 hours after flagging down the helicopter that rescued him. To read more, click here.
--The sauna building at the Scottish Lakes High Camp burned down last week. For those who are unfamiliar with the Scottish Lakes, this is a unique resort located at 5,000 feet just east of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness that many skiers use to access the backcountry. To read about the resort, click here. To read about the fire, click here.
--An excellent letter to the editor was recently published in the Everett Herald about the planned closure of 13 state parks. The letter's author makes some excellent points in his defense of the parks. He indicates that nearly 6 million people a year visit Washington State state parks and that these areas slated for closure have statewide significance. To read more, click here.
--It appears that the illegal cutting of trees for firewood is becoming a significant problem in the Olympic National Forest. While people are able to buy inexpensive permits to cut the wood, most people are not doing this. Indeed, some are even cutting valuable living trees for wood. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--A missing Lake Tahoe skier was found dead Monday morning at the scene of a fresh avalanche, authorities said.The body of Christopher Trethaway, 39, was discovered near Cascade Lake, said Lt. Les Lovell of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.Trethaway had apparently gone skiing alone in the backcountry Sunday and failed to return. To read more, click here.
--As the real estate bubble of recent years continues to burst, people who own homes on Forest Service land may end up paying high prices affected by the bubble for the next decade. Recently, Forest Service staff held a meeting for the 335 people who own houses on Forest land in the Eastern Sierra. These owners have cabins in the Mammoth Area, June Lake Area, Big Pine Creek and others. The cabins are privately owned, but the land underneath the cabins is owned by the Forest Service. The cabin owners have to pay an annual permit fee for that land. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The American Mountain Guides Association recently announced that the Single Pitch Instructor program has obtained an endorsement from the Union Internationale des Assocations D’Alpinisme (UIAA) Training Standards Working Group. To read more, click here.--A well-known British entrepreneur was killed in a ski accident in the Alps this week. The tragedy was played out live on the social networking website, Twitter. Rob Williams died after he and business partner, Jason Tavaria, who together run a multi-million dollar music firm, became separated from their party during a blizzard at the Swiss resort of Verbier, while on a trip with Michelle Dewberry, the winner of BBC television reality show the Apprentice. Williams suffered a sixty-foot fall after he was separated from his partner. To read more, click here.
--Two adaptive climbers recently completed an ascent of Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride Colorado. Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and below the knee amputee Chad Jukes made the ascent with Ouray local Mike Gibbs. To read more, click here.
Off road vehicles have a significant impact on the environment.
Photo from Alba Action
--Twenty-three people were injured when the cable carrying one of the chairlifts in at a ski area in Sierra Nevada, Spain came loose from the top of one of the lift supports. Difficult snow conditions and high winds hampered the rescue effort. To read more, click here.
