American Alpine Institute News:
–Purchase an Avalanche program before 11/15/2025 and save $100. Learn more!
–There are still tickets available for the Climbing Film Tour at AAI’s headquarters in Bellingham tonight (11/13) at 7pm. Learn more and purchase tickets!
–AAI will be hosting an Avalanche Awareness workshop on Tuesday, November 18th at its headquarters in Bellingham. Learn more!
Northwest:
–The Inertia is reporting that, “The winter season hasn’t even technically begun yet in British Columbia, Canada, but backcountry skiers have already managed to trigger two avalanches in one day on Rogers Pass – a touring mecca for lovers of wild snow. Both incidents occurred on Saturday, November 8, just before the opening of the winter permit season.” To read more, click here.
Sierra:
–Outside is reporting that, “Two backpackers were saved in dramatic fashion from a steep, icy cliff face in the California Sierra Nevada mountains, just north of Yosemite National Park. Emergency teams rescued the duo—who were not carrying a satellite messenger or an emergency beacon—after one of the hikers found a single bar of cell reception and called for help.” To read more, click here.
–SnowBrains is reporting that, “Mammoth Mountain, California’s iconic Eastern Sierra resort, has pushed back its 2025–26 winter opening by one day—from Friday, November 14 to Saturday, November 15—to take full advantage of a snowstorm forecast to hit later this week.” To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
–Backpacker is reporting that, “Hikers can no longer access the monument at the Arizona Trail’s (AZT) southern terminus after the Department of Homeland Security blocked it off with razor wire, the nonprofit that helps manage the famed long trail said.” To read more, click here.
–Though this government shutdown is set to end, some things seemed quite normal in Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park. Read about it, here.
Colorado and Utah:
–Climbing is reporting that, “A year and a half ago, on June 17, 2024, four climbers in Yosemite captured the attention of El Cap enthusiasts everywhere when they flew a “Stop the Genocide” banner on the granite monolith about 1,500 feet above the ground. Yesterday, that same banner appeared 789 miles away in Clear Creek Canyon near Denver, Colorado.” To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
–SnowBrains is reporting that, “A group of four skiers was involved in a dangerous natural-trigger avalanche in Tuckerman Ravine on Thursday, November, 6, with a detailed observation from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center (MWAC) painting a sharp picture of how rapidly steep terrain can go from manageable to hazardous. According to the MWAC observation, the party of four met at the base of “Open Book” in the ravine and then split into two groups of two: Party A headed into the Chute, while Party B moved toward Chute North variation. Party A skinned into a sheltered zone climbers-right of the Chute run-out/slide path, then attempted a traverse beneath the rock wall into the zone between Chute and Chute South. To read more, click here.
–The World is reporting that, “Skiing has always been a dangerous sport, but a recent string of serious injuries and fatalities on the slopes has prompted the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to implement new safety rules for the upcoming professional season. Starting this season, cut resistant undergarments are now mandatory across all events. That will help protect against sharp skis in crashes, said Paul Van Slyke, a leading ski racing safety expert.” To read more, click here.
–Outside is reporting that, “on Friday, November 7, Trump issued an official pardon for Sunseri, the mountain runner found guilty of breaking federal law inside Grand Teton National Park. The news was published by Pacific Legal Foundation, the group that represented Sunseri.” To read more, click here.