Northwest:
–SnowBrains is reporting that, “Mountain guide Simon Kearns has shattered the speed record for a round-trip ascent and descent of Mount Rainier, completing the feat in 3:43:52 on May 9, 2026. Kearns, who guides for RMI Expeditions on Mount Rainier, bested the previous Fastest Known Time (FKT) held by Alex King, marking a significant milestone in the Pacific Northwest alpine running community.” To read more, click here.
–From June 26-June 28, the Rock and Rise festival will take place in Squamish. This festival is oriented toward women and LGBTQ climbers. Read more.
–Unofficial Networks is reporting that, “A Northeastern Oregon county is looking for an operator to revive a ski area that last operated its lifts in 2016.” To read more, click here.
Sierra-Nevada:
—Here’s an interesting piece in climbing about an aid climber that took a huge fall on El Capitan.
–Climbing is reporting that, “At 22, Chris Deuto from Boulder, Colorado, is now the youngest person in history to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown, a link-up first accomplished by Dean Potter and Timmy O’Neill in 2001.” The Yosemite Triple Crown is one of big-wall climbing’s most ambitious linkups: a continuous push up El Capitan, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins. In a single effort, climbers stack more than 7,000 vertical feet of ascent across 70+ pitches and cover roughly 18 miles on foot between walls. To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
–The Los Angeles Times is reporting that, “A Las Vegas-based hospitality group has abandoned plans to build a luxury eco-resort less than a mile outside Joshua Tree National Park. The project, slated for 152 acres of undeveloped creosote scrub in the Indian Cove area of Twentynine Palms, drew a lawsuit from neighbors and conservationists who alleged the city failed to adequately assess and mitigate potential environmental harms when it approved the plans last year.” To read more, click here.
Colorado and Utah:
–Climbing is reporting that, “on April 28, Utah police arrested Matthew Maddison, the USA Climbing Speed team manager, for uploading and distributing videos of child sexual abuse online. The 37-year-old is being held without bail at Summit County Jail, near Salt Lake City. He currently awaits trial for 10 counts of child sexual exploitation.” To read more, click here.
–Aspen Times is reporting that, “Skier visitation numbers in the United States took a downhill tumble this past season, after Colorado and other top destinations in the West experienced one of the warmest and driest winters on record. Roughly 9 million fewer skiers and riders took to the slopes this season than last, with the Rocky Mountain West accounting for more than two-thirds of that decline, according to preliminary data released this week by the National Ski Area Association. The data counted skier visits, or each time an individual used a lift ticket or season pass to a ski area.” To read more, click here.
–The Denver Gazette is reporting that, “A skier recently learned that ‘closed’ means ‘closed’ in Summit County, ending up with a court summons and the potential for a hefty fine related to alleged actions at Copper Mountain. Per a report from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Copper Ski Patrol called for deputy assistance in recent days after skier didn’t follow the rules, attempting to ski uphill at the closed resort despite being told not to do so. Ski patrol stopped the man to let him know the resort was closed to all skiers, but he headed up the hill anyway.” To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
–Backpacker is reporting that, “a hiker who went missing in Glacier National Park was found dead on Wednesday in what officials say may be the park’s first fatal bear attack in nearly 30 years.” To read more, click here.
–Gear Junkie is reporting that, “Researchers recently found high concentrations of a dangerous, brain-eating amoeba in several National Park Service (NPS) managed sites in the Western U.S. The findings indicate that this microscopic parasite could be moving farther north as temperatures warm with climate change.” To read more, click here.
–The North Face has launched an adaptive line of camping and outdoor gear for those who don’t full function. Read about it here.
–Climbing is reporting that, “Two Swedish brothers just launched a new fantasy climbing league platform, allowing fans around the world to heighten the stakes of their climbing competition viewing. While fantasy leagues have long been popular in sports like football and basketball, this marks the first platform for assembling an imaginary team of climbers to watch throughout a competition season.” To read more, click here.