American Alpine Institute News:
–AAI’s Director, Jason D. Martin, wrote an article for Cascadia Daily News on How to Stay Safe When Adventuring Alone.
–In conjunction with the Boy Scouts and the Washington Climbers Coalition, AAI Guides helped revive an old crag on Mt. Baker Highway, by cleaning moss and replacing bad bolts. Read about it here.
–This is a good time of year to look at all of AAI’s current discounts and promotions.
Northwest:
–There are fire bans throughout the Pacific Northwest. But even with fires raging, some are ignoring the bans and making illegal campfires anyway. In British Columbia, they’re working hard to ensure that those that have illegal fires are cited. Read more.
–Unofficial Networks is reporting that, “Last week, The Summit at Snoqualmie announced some good news for Ikon Passholders. For the 2026-27 season, Ikon users will no longer need to reserve their dates on the mountain. This was previously a requirement for Ikon passholders if they wanted to ski that day. Now, Ikon passhodlers won’t need to go through that hurdle, although it appears that they will likely still need to pay for parking. Parking remains free for The Summit at Snoqualmie season passholders.” To read more, click here.
Sierra-Nevada:
–Gripped is reporting that, “Jacob Whisenant, a 30-year-old climber from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., died Aug. 3 following a climbing accident in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness, according to the National Park Service and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office-Coroner.” To read more, click here.
–Outside is reporting that, “A crowdsourced organization that compiles locations of surveillance cameras around the United States recently reported that there were at least five cameras inside Yosemite. DeFlock.org, a volunteer-run project that lets anyone add camera locations to a public map, tracks automated license plate readers across the country. The group created its database in response to the camera company Flock, a brand that sits at the center of a national debate over plate-reader data sharing.” To read more, click here.
–Following an investigation into the December 26, 2025 avalanche death of 30-year-old ski patroller Cole Murphy at Mammoth Mountain—the resort’s second fatal avalanche involving a patroller in under a year—California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued $126,000 in fines against the resort. Cal/OSHA cited Mammoth with three violations, including a $90,000 “willful” violation for failing to properly train staff on avalanche airbag deployment, as well as citations for communication breakdowns and failing to ensure the avalanche path was clear before triggering explosives. While Mammoth has since corrected the safety issues, the ski resort has filed an appeal to contest the citations, even as family members of the victims express conflicting views on the resort’s handling of worker safety. Read more.
–Climbing is reporting that, “In June, Yosemite big wall climber Taylor Martin established ’Stratosphere’ (5.9 A4; 2,200ft) over 9 days alone on Half Dome. Now, she reveals how she navigated imposter syndrome, tricky terrain, and no-fall zones.” To read more, click here.
–There’s a thread on MountainProject about the City of Rocks in Idaho. It’s reported that the park superintendent is trying to shut down new routes in the area. Read more here.
Desert Southwest:
–UC Berkley Research is reporting that, “UC Berkeley researchers are helping joshua trees survive wildfires. New software lets national parks in the Mojave Desert quickly assess fire damage — and plan for recovery.” To read more, click here.
Colorado and Utah;
–Fox 31 KDVR is reporting that, “A climber is in a hospital after falling 90 feet in Eldorado Canyon State Park, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. Officials got the report of the fall just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said. The 29-year-old man was climbing on the Vertigo rappels with a partner when he fell about 90 feet.” To read more, click here.
–The Denver Post is reporting that, “A climber was injured Sunday after falling roughly 500 feet from North Maroon Peak southwest of Aspen, according to the sheriff’s office. The climber fell while ascending the north face of North Maroon Peak, a popular fourteener in the Maroon Bells Wilderness, according to a news release.” To read more, click here.
–Unofficial Networks is reporting that, “Utah’s Sundance Mountain Resort is getting ready to open more of the mountain for the 2026-2027 ski season, with a major expansion set to add more than 100 acres of new terrain, a 1.7-mile groomed run, and a brand new high-speed quad lift.” To read more, click here.
–SnowBrains is reporting that, “Alterra Mountain Company, the operator of Ikon Pass, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees as it seeks to reduce costs and restructure its operations. The layoffs were first reported by the Denver Business Journal and later confirmed by the Denver Gazette. The layoffs come at a time when the company is considering moving its headquarters and is actively looking for a new CEO.” To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
–Shop Eat Surf X Outdoors is reporting that, “Arc’teryx and Salomon posted strong second-quarter growth, and both brands are now opening new wholesale doors, including a first-time Arc’teryx push into Dick’s Sporting Goods.” To read more, click here.
–The U.S. Forest Service has proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, potentially opening approximately 44.7 million acres of national forest land to new road construction and commercial logging. The Roadless Rule has protected some of the country’s most intact backcountry, watersheds, and wildlife habitat for more than 25 years while still allowing wildfire mitigation and other necessary forest management. Supporters of the rule argue that eliminating it could lead to costly new roads and increased industrial development on public lands. To read about this, click here.
–Outside is reporting that, “The bulldozers and backhoes that spent the past week digging into fragile desert ecosystems across Big Bend National Park are quiet today, August 18. That’s because on late Sunday, August 16, the Trump Administration ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the highly contentious stretch of border security roads and vehicle barriers through Texas’ most famous NPS site, which sits on the U.S.-Mexico border.” To read more, click here.