Harvey Manning--Barry Hutchinson was home on the rainy afternoon of Jan. 7 when he heard a roar that grew louder and louder, until he thought Mount Baker was blowing its top. "It sounded like a 747 tethered to the bridge," he said, referring to the span over Racehorse Creek that is about a half-mile from his home near North Fork Road. The roar, which started about 3:15 p.m. and lasted for as long as 20 minutes, was neither volcanic activity nor airplane noise. Hutchinson heard what may have been the largest landslide in Washington state. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--A National Park Service investigation team is sifting through the blackened hillsides and ash left by Yosemite's 7,500-acre Big Meadow fire, probing what went wrong two weeks ago when a planned burn escaped control lines. The investigators will conduct a forensic review of the fire that ran out of control August 26. The blaze eventually required more than 1,300 personnel and $15 million to contain, making it the second most expensive firefighting effort this season on public lands nationwide. To read more, click here.
--On September 5th, a hiker slipped and hit his head in the Illilouette Canyon in Yosemite National Park. A SAR team was notified and successfully rescued the 43-year old injured hiker. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
Climbers descending Mont BlancPhoto by Tim Connelly
--In a related story, Erik Weihenmayer, a blind climber and Kelly Perkins, a heart transplant recipient, were coincidentally on the Grand Teton at the same time. To read about their chance encounter, click here.
An Africanized Honey Bee--On Friday, September 11th, an Arizona climber was scrambling up Camelback mountain near Phoenix when he disturbed a hive of Africanized "Killer" bees. The man became stranded on a cliff and was stung over 120 times. To read more, click here.
--For over 20 years a private landowner did not allow access to the beautiful sandstone crags above Steele, Alabama. Local climbers just declared a major victory after the Access Fund and the Southeastern Climber's Coalition purchased the crags for $55,000. To read more, click here.
--The Los Angeles Times editorialized for increased funding for parks this week. Among many valid point in the article was this excellent history lesson: "The preservation of this wilderness for public use and appreciation was among the most democratic accomplishments in U.S. history. In Europe, as the documentary points out, natural treasures were mostly held in private hands by the aristocracy; here, they belong to the people." To read the article, click here.
--While we don't support charging for rescues, occasionally one can see why some people should be fined. A rescue was dispatched after an emergency beacon was turned on in the Grand Canyon. A ranger arrived on scene to find three people asleep in their tents and in no need of assistance. One of the hikers, who was on her first hike into Grand Canyon, claimed to have become alarmed during the night when her group ran out of water and she subsequently heard “odd” respiratory noises emanating from the leader of the group as he slept. At this point, the hiker decided that the group was in trouble, activated her SPOT messenger device, then promptly went back to sleep without making any contact with her hiking companions. To read more, click here.
