Northwest:
–The Everett Herald is reporting that, “About five years ago, wildlife biologists with the Tulalip Tribes used GPS collars to start tracking 115 mountain goats translocated from the Olympic Peninsula to the North Cascades. Only three are still alive today.” To read more, click here.
–Gripped is reporting that someone hung a Volkswagon Bug off a cliff in Squamish. “The Papoose is best known as the home for a number of smaller multi-pitch climbs in Squamish. But now it’s also home to what looks like the exterior shell of a red Volkswagen Beetle with a giant ‘E’ stamped on its roof.” To read more, click here.
Sierra:
–It looks like Homewood Ski Resort in Tahoe is going to invest in snowmaking. According to Unofficial Networks: “This offseason, 50 new snowguns will be installed across the ski resort. These guns will be located on The Face, Lombard Street, and Homeward Bound trails. This fully automated system will make it easier to make snow, leading to earlier openings and later closings. A new snowmaking pumphouse is also being built and will add new pipes to the network.” Read more.
–It has become incredibly common for visitors to enter Yosemite through empty unstaffed gates. Read more.
–Only seven Tahoe area ski resorts are still open, and their closing days are coming extremely quickly. Read more.
Desert Southwest:
–3 News is reporting that, “An accident at Red Rock Canyon over the weekend now has a climber fighting for his life in the hospital. His friends created a GoFundMe to help pay for his medical expenses. On Saturday, Las Vegas Metro Search and Rescue were called to help a climber who had fallen. He hit his head and went through a seizure before he was airlifted to the University Medical Center.” To read more, click here.
–Someone found a pair of rock shoes on the top of Red Rock’s Frogland (5.8, III) on Tuesday. Learn more.
–The Independent is reporting that, “An Australian mining company has launched plans to dig for rare earth elements right next to California’s Joshua Tree National Park, alarming environmentalists who fear it will damage the local ecosystem. Just outside the boundary of the 32-year-old nature reserve, in the Pinto mountains south of State Route 62, Dateline Resources Ltd has staked out mining claims to around 32 square miles of rugged desert land where executives hope to uncover precious metals.” To read more, click here.
Colorado and Utah:
–KKTV 11 is reporting that, “Monday afternoon, firefighters with the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) conducted a high-angle rescue at North Cheyenne Cañon. CSFD said crews responded to the area around 2:17 p.m. for a climber who fell about 25 to 30 feet from a rocky area without a helmet.” To read more, click here.
–There was some serious craziness at Aspen after a snowboarder hit several people, then had his snowboard forcefully removed by a lift operator. After that, the guy threw the lift operator’s speaker over a rope and down a slope. To see a video of this craziness, click here.
Notes from All Over:
–Anchorage Daily News is reporting that, “a California resident who was caught in an avalanche while heli-skiing in the Chugach Mountains near Lake George on Friday died at an Anchorage hospital, Alaska State Troopers said.” To read more, click here.
–There is a lot of fear right now about what the Administration’s ultimate goals are with the Forest Service. From Gear Junkie: “The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is about to undergo a massive agency reorganization. On March 31, the USDA announced that the Forest Service was moving its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, changing its leadership organization model, closing nine regional offices, and consolidating the agency’s research leadership. The move is part of what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is calling a ‘sweeping restructuring,’ intended to “simplify the chain of command, strengthen local partnerships, and give field leaders greater ability to respond to conditions on the ground.” To read more, click here.
–“Wilderness Watch is raising concerns about the Forest Service’s Granite Moccasin Project, a proposed expedited industrial logging project on the Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana, which would violate the Wilderness Act and negatively impact the Great Bear Wilderness.” To read more, click here.
–There have been two fatal snakebites in California this year. Read about it in Backpacker.
–Unofficial Networks is reporting that, “This week, the Quebec Mountains Ski Company announced the acquisition of its fifth ski resort in the province. Belle Niege, a family-owned ski resort in the Laurentian region, has been acquired by the company. Led by Swiss entrepreneur Christian Mars, the company already owns/operates four ski resorts in the province. This includes Massif du Sud, Mont Grand-Fonds, Mont Lac-Vert, and Mont Édouard.” To read more, click here.
–GearJunkie is reporting that people are still being impacted by REI’s decision to cut its outdoor program. Read about it here.
–There is a vast conspiracy on Everest that includes poising and fraud. The Times is reporting, “Police claim that helicopter rescue pilots are systematically charging for flights that didn’t happen, doctors are charging for procedures that didn’t occur and — in some cases — climbers and trekkers are getting ‘altitude sickness’ that is more related to what has been put in their food than the altitude.” To read more, click here.
–Climbing is reporting that, “Thanks to a new permit tier, FastClimb Premium Summit+, 2026 Everest hopefuls can pay extra money to skip the lines and get priority access to the world’s highest summit. Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation announced the Summit+ permit in early March. A limited number are available for the 2026 season. They require a $12,000 surcharge on top of the standard $15,000 permit cost.” To read more, click here.