--Mark Thomas did not want to leave his friend. But he didn't want to die, either. "If I'd stayed with him any longer," Thomas told The San Francisco Chronicle, "I would likely be up there with him." Thomas, 26, of Berkeley, had climbed to the top of Mount Shasta with Oakland resident Tom Bennett, 26, whose body was recovered by searchers Thursday morning, five days after Thomas left him in a snow cave just below the summit during a fierce storm. To read more, click here.
--The Idaho County Sheriff's Department has identified two snowmobilers from eastern Washington state who were killed in an avalanche near the Brundage Mountain ski area. Emergency crews recovered the bodies of the 44-year-olds, Matthew Cochran of Pullman, Wash., and Darren Felton of Colfax, Wash., nearly four hours after the slide was reported at 11:40 a.m. Tuesday. To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--In September, Roy Flores illegally shot and killed a bear that was getting into his picnic food near Lake Mary. He was subsequently charged with the unlawful taking of a bear without a tag, and for the unlawful discharge of a firearm in a prohibited area. There is no evidence that the bear posed a threat to Flores or his companion. A recent article indicates that the shooter has apologized to the people of Mammoth Lakes and will receive a suspended jail sentence. To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
--A crowd turned out for a town hall meeting on a prominent developer's proposal to build houses, shops and maybe even a school on a hill overlooking a popular conservation area outside Las Vegas. Most of the 200 people at the Blue Diamond community center last Wednesday showed opposition to Jim Rhodes' effort to build on a 2,400-acre site across from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Many say they're upset Rhodes is resurrecting development plans for Blue Diamond Hill five years after his earlier proposal to build 5,500 homes on the former gypsum mining site fizzled. To read more, click here.
--Federal officials said entry fees will go up May 1 at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside Las Vegas.For the first time, bicyclists and pedestrians will also have to pay.The federal Bureau of Land Management
Himalaya:
--An ambitious Pasadena teenager is aiming to become the youngest person ever to climb Mount Everest. Jordan Romero is like any 13-year-old boy, but at his young age, he's already broken a number of records. He's the youngest to climb some of the highest mountains in the world, and now he's going after the highest - Mount Everest. To read more, click here.
--Speed climber Chad Kellogg is in the process of preparing for a speed ascent of Mount Everest. Kellogg plans to make the ascent in under 30 hours. The speed climber is well known for records on Mount Rainier and Denali. To learn more, click here. You may read some disparaging comments about Chad below the original post on the Adventure Blog, but we're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. We believe that we should take a climber's word that he did what he said he did unless serious questions are raised. We believe that the questions concerning Chad are frivolous...
Edmund Hillary--The ashes of Edmund Percival Hillary, a mountaineer from New Zealand who was the first person to scale Mt. Everest, will be scattered at the top of the world. A Nepalese Sherpa guide named Apa announced that he planned to scatter part of Hillary's ashes at the summit of of the mountain when he climbs in April. Hillary's family members and friends all support Apa's decision. Hillary's son, Peter, told to the New Zealand Press Association on April 4 that he was extremely happy to hear the news. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The Ouray County Sheriff’s department confirmed on Friday morning that the body of 41-year-old Ridgway resident and well-known mountain guide Heidi Kloos was found buried under 10 feet of snow on Thursday afternoon after she was caught by an avalanche near Baldy Peak, just east of Ridgway. One of only a few female alpine guides certified by the American Mountain Guides Association, Kloos had guided extensively around the world, working for Durango-based Southwest Adventure Guides, Aspen Expeditions, Ophir-based Mountain Trip, and International Mountain Guides, among other guiding companies. To read more, click here.
--The body of a Whitefish skier was found in Glacier National Park Thursday. Authorities located the 37-year-old man’s body at the base of Mount Shields at the end of an avalanche slide Thursday afternoon. Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan said authorities were unsure how long the skier had been missing or when the avalanche occurred. To read more, click here.
-- A rock climber is recovering after falling down a 150-foot jagged ridge at North Carolina's Crowders Mountain State park last week. Chris Stowe of Crowders Mountain Volunteer Fire and Rescue says the 23-year-old's climbing partner called for help, and emergency crews scaled 800 feet of rocky terrain to rescue the climber.To read more, click here.
--A 1500 foot line was recently established on the south face of Tatewari, just outside Monterrey, Mexico. The 5.12+ route was put up by Italian climbers Alessandro Bau and Matteo Della Bordella. To read more about the ascent and the route, click here.
--Black Diamond has recently posted a blog on when to have your slings replaced. This is an eye opening piece that has lead to a real reassessment of how long a sling can really last. To read more about sling replacement on gear, click here.
--After nearly two months of being closed, Peru's Machu Picchu has reopened. The historic tourist site was closed after heavy rains damaged the rail line to the Inca ruins. To read more, click here.
--Alpinist.com has a great round-up of new winter routes in a variety of areas. The round-up includes both domestic and international news. To see the report, click here.
