--Northwest hardman, Blake Herrington, recently published a post on his blog which lists a series of new lines that have been put up in the Cascades over the last six or seven years. Many of the new lines are reportedly quite good. Some are not. To view the list, click here.
--The open campfire restriction in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest was removed this week.
--The Glacier Creek Road -- the road used to access the north side of Mount Baker -- has been closed to all public access between mile-marker 1 and mile-marker 4. Those who choose to ignore this closure could be subject to fines and even jail time according to the most recent information. The road will re-open on August 29th. To read more, click here.
--Encounters between at least four mountain-bike riders and a cougar on a trail north of Leavenworth this summer have left wildlife officials puzzling over the cat's aggressiveness and why it doesn't appear to be afraid of humans. To read more, click here.
Mount Saint HelensSierra:
--The search is on for a candidate for one of the most scenic jobs in American law: magistrate judge for the United States District Court in Yosemite National Park, home not only to towering sequoias but also to a tiny federal courthouse where park justice is doled out 52 weeks a year. “It’s the Garden of Eden,” said Larry M. Boyle, a magistrate judge from Idaho who filled in at the park for two weeks this summer. “But the law is the same as in San Francisco or Boise or Manhattan.” The job, which pays $160,000 a year, has been open since June, when Magistrate Judge William M. Wunderlich resigned because of health concerns. To read more, click here.
--Smokey skies continue to filter the hot sun in the Eastern Sierra as the La Brea fire burns near Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. Officials now say that the 88,000 acre fire was started in the camp of a hidden marijuana farm. Over 1700 fire fighters are now at work on the La Brea Fire, which is listed at 75% contained. The fire started Sunday and has already spread to 88,650 acres in size. To read more, click here.
Himalaya:
--Oscar Perez was injured on Latok II (23,375') on August 6th. The Spanish climber suffered a broken leg and a broken wrist after taking a fall at 20,300 feet. His partner Alvaro Novellon was able to retreat and initiate the rescue. After ten long days of trying to get Perez off the mountain, the rescue was called off. To read more, click here.
--He summited K2 in 2007. Last year time came for Nanga Parbat, in the first Iranian expedition led by a woman and also the first to have a corporate sponsor. This season, Kazem Faridian is not joining fellow mountaineers in Pakistan. He is held in Iran's most notorious jail, Evin prison, section 7. It appears that Faridian was arrested after filming street protests in Iran near the prison. The climber spent nearly 50 days in the prison before being released. To read more, click here and here.
Notes from All Over:
--A California woman died on August 10th after falling about 1,000 feet from the north side of the Angels Landing observation point in Zion National Park. National Park Service spokesman Ron Terry says Nancy Maltez, 55, of Glendora, California, was hiking with family early Sunday when she fell. To read more, click here.
--ABC News recently ran an inspirational story on a hiker who no longer has the use of his legs. "Four-Wheel Bob" still gets after it in his wheelchair. Indeed, he has even completed ascents of California Fourteeners. To watch the segment, click here.
--New research finds that those who feel a strong connection to the natural world have a more caring attitude toward others. Maintaining a connection, either through the presence of indoor plants or artwork depicting the natural environment, has been shown to decrease stress levels and stimulate healing. Newly published research suggests it may also make us better people. To read more, click here.
--Donna Munson, a 74 year old Ouray County, CO woman was recently found dead outside her home with signs of an apparent bear attack. Normally this would be seen as some crazy rogue bear attack, however in this case it seems the woman was feeding the bears for years, much to the dismay of local DOW officials. The officials have reported that over the past few years they have given multiple warnings to the woman ranging in form from written, phone, and even several in person visits by officials. To read more, click here.
--When Barack Obama was 11, his mother and grandmother took him and his half-sister Maya on the most American of family vacations - a road trip that included Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Last week, Obama passed on that gift as he took his wife, daughters Malia and Sasha - as well as Maya and her family - on a four-day trip to two of America's most breathtaking national parks. To read more, click here.
--In related news, the Obama administration says visits to national parks are up nearly 4 percent this year. The National Park Service said Monday that 127.7 million visits were made to national parks in the first six months of the year, an increase of about 4.5 million over the same period in 2008. In June alone, visits to national parks increased by more than 700,000 compared to June of last year. To read more, click here.
