Afghanistan:
–Pro Climber Sasha Digiulian has worked extensively with women climbers in Afghanistan. She recently wrote passionately in Climbing about what’s happening to them in the country. “Right now, as you read this, thousands of people are desperately trying to escape from Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control of the country on Sunday. You’ve seen the chaos in the news. Among these would-be refugees are members of Ascend Athletics, Afghanistan’s first female mountaineering team, part of a program that has produced hundreds of strong female climbers since 2014. To save these young women from this oppressive regime, we need to raise our voices. We must lobby to ensure that these and other at-risk women are included in the United States’ evacuation plans.” To read more, click here.
Northwest:
–King 5 is reporting that, “A second litter of wolverine offspring, called kits, has been born in Mount Rainier National Park, according to the National Park Service (NPS). This is only the third wolverine family documented in Washington’s South Cascades in a century and the second family documented in Mount Rainier National Park, the NPS said. The first wolverine family was discovered in the park in August 2020.” To read more, click here.
–Wilderness Search Investigations (WSI), a new nonprofit company that is looking at putting together volunteer search teams in Washington State. The team will continue searching for missing hikers after the County has suspended the search. They currently are seeking rescuers. Interested parties need to be comfortable hiking off trail, as most of our searching will be off trail, using a GPS and a map & compass as backup. Possible backpacking into search locations for three-day weekends, otherwise will be day hikes. Day hikers will require a 24 hour pack for the “What If” should happen. Day or overnight will depend on the location of the search. Please send an email with your interest to wldnsrchinves(at)gmail.com.
Sierra:
–The Denver Gazette is reporting that, “a climber was rescued early Tuesday morning after she fell 20 feet from the Second Flatiron and injured her leg, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said. The woman, 26, had scrambled the freeway route on the Second Flatiron and was preparing to descend back to the trail when she fell, deputies said. She slipped while attempting to climb around an obstacle at the top of the route.” To read more, click here.
–Two women camping in the La Sal Mountains near Moab succumbed to gunshot wounds. The Grand County Sheriff’s office has determined that the deaths were homicides, and there is an ongoing investigation. To read more, click here.
–From Rocky Mountain National Park: “Beginning this week, all paved roads and parking areas within Rocky Mountain National Park will be striped. Work is expected to last three weeks and should be completed by September 4, weather and resources permitting. During the day, when striping occurs on paved roads, travelers should expect rolling delays up to 30 minutes Monday through Friday. Most work for parking areas will be completed at night Sundays through Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. When striping occurs in parking lots, those areas will be closed. Striping work will not occur on weekends.”
–Backpacker is reporting that, “just three and a half months after reopening to the public, Colorado’s Hanging Lake is once again closed due to a mudslide that partially obliterated the trail to it, the U.S. Forest Service announced today. In a news conference, White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams said a mudslide in the burn area left by last year’s Grizzly Creek Fire’s left much of the trail to the popular lake under a debris field and damaged or completely washed out multiple bridges. As a result, he said, Hanging Lake would be ‘closed for the foreseeable future.'” To read more, click here.
–Fox 31 is reporting that, “The group tasked with rescuing visitors in Rocky Mountain National Park needs a little help themselves. ‘The vehicle that the park has been using almost as their mobile command center for search and rescue is really old,’ Rocky Mountain Conservancy Executive Director Estee Rivera told FOX31. Now, RMC is trying to raise $75,000 for a new, modern search and rescue vehicle.” To read more, click here.
–The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting on access issues for climbers in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance opposes both options being presented by the Utah Department of Transportation to alleviate parking issues in the canyon. To read more, click here.
–Climbing is reporting on a year-long bolt war on Pikes Peak. “Over the past few weeks, the Pikes Peak Bolt War has attracted the interest of land managers and mainstream local news outlets, and has driven the Colorado Springs climbing community into a collective uproar. So far, neither side is willing to budge. After all, it’s not just about a few bolts, they say. It’s a high-stakes tug-of-war between the past and future of climbing on Pikes Peak—and perhaps the past and future of American climbing at large.” To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
