--A male hiker was killed on Saturday after falling from Rattlesnake Ledge near North Bend. The popular hiking area is located in Iron Horse State Park. The man fell at roughly 12:15 p.m. and dropped between 100 and 200 feet. To read more, click here.
Horsethief ButtePhoto by Jerry Malitan
--A state investigation of a rock-climbing accident at Horsethief Butte that claimed the life of a Washougal man and his sister-in-law has determined that they fell due to errors in placing metal stoppers in cracks and attaching them to their webbing. To read more, click here.
--A Seattle based film company recently contacted the American Alpine Institue about shadowing our upcoming climb of Mount Rainier. Ursus Films has produced a variety of outdoor oriented films over the years. It appears that they will use the footage to create a documentary about climbers on the mountain. We still have space for one more person on our Kautz Glacier climb of the mountain.--Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Representative Doc Hastings, R-Wash., talked about the significance of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail on Thursday near Trailhead Park in Richland. The bill to preserve the trail means many historic sites in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana will be enhanced by the National Park Service and private groups. Cantwell says the idea is to link sites with interpretive materials, so visitors can get the full picture of the great floods that ravaged the area more than 12-thousand years ago. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--Tacked on to the credit card bill signed into law last week, a new law requires National Parks to follow state gun laws when it comes to carrying a firearm in the parks.Lost in the nationwide debate over the new gun law for National Parks is information on what the new law actually does. Rights to carry weapons in National Parks have been expanded but details have not yet been worked out. Officials with Yosemite and Death Valley are not entirely sure how this new law will play out in the local National Parks, but changes, at least legal changes, are coming. To read more, click here.
--Nancy Upham with the Forest Service reports that the Reds Meadow Road, with access to the Devils Postpile National Monument, is expected to open to the public on Friday, June 5th. Crews with the Forest Service and the Park Service, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and CALTRANS are working to open the road. To read more, click here.
Alaska:
A glacier landing on the Kahiltna with the Moonflower Buttress in the backgroundPhoto by Kevin Cannon
--Northwest hardman, Colin Haily, just completed an ascent of Mount Hunter's Moonflower Buttress. He wrote an excellent piece on his adventures on his blog. To read it, click here.
--New Zealanders Paul Knott and Guy McKinnon visited the John Hopkins Glacier in Southeast Alaska in April and May. The pair left after achieving success on two major new routes, including the first ascent of an 8,599 foot previously unclimbed peak. To read more, click here.
--A strong pair of American Climbers,Clint Helander and Seth Holden made the first ascent of the Ice Pyramid (9,250') in May. The two climbed the peak -- found in the Revalation Mountains -- in a four day push. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
Olympic Snowboarder Karine Ruby--Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget cuts could mean the closing of up to 220 state parks, among them the home of the world's tallest tree and other attractions that draw millions of visitors. Schwarzenegger this week recommended eliminating $70 million in parks spending through June 30, 2010. An additional $143.4 million would be saved in the following fiscal year by keeping the parks closed. The popular rock climbing area, Castle Rock State Park is on the list slated for closure. To read more, click here.
Logging Road Construction just outside of Sedro Woolley, WAPhoto by Glen Pasterski
--The Obama administration is calling for a one-year moratorium on road-building and development on about 50 million acres of remote national forests. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a directive Thursday reinstating for one year most of a Clinton-era ban against new road construction and development in national forests. The 2001 rule banned road building and logging in more than 58 million acres of remote national forests, mostly in the West. To read more, click here.
