Northwest:

--Riley McCarthy was caught in an avalanche with two friends as they ventured out of bounds at the Stevens Pass Ski Area.  Riley took a slightly different path then his friends, striking a tree and being partially buried.  His friends were able to partially dig him out, however when they found him he was not breathing. McCarthy was a University of Washington Sophomore, and is the fourth death in the Cascades avalanche season. To read more, click here.

--It's camera footage that captures the deathly darkness that ends the lives of other avalanche victims. But for Oregon resident Chris Bilbao, those images recorded on a chest camera during a ski plunge down a mountain in British Columbia are a graphic reminder of how fortunate he is to be alive. The American was with a group of friends plowing through a bowl of fresh powder in the Monashee Mountains, east of Kamloops, when a snow slide struck. Bilbao shouted out several "avalanche" warnings as the snow began to slide. To read more, click here.  To see the video, click here.

Sierra:

--To save the endangered Big Horn Sheep in the Eastern Sierra some feel the Department of Fish and Game has gone to inhumane lengths to kill Mountain Lions before they kill sheep. Groups and citizens have accused Fish and Game of illegal and inhumane treatment of lions. In response, Fish and Game will reportedly come up with new protocols in their destruction of lions.To read more, click here.

--A woman from Saugus snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain on Friday had spent the day on the hill with her husband and friend. In late afternoon, she decided to make one last run. At the bottom of Chair 2 she ran into a Snowcat and suffered major injuries. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--Seven people were caught in a massive avalanche on Horseshoe Mountain in Utah over the weekend.  The thought is that the avalanche was triggered when three men were digging a snow pit to test snow stability.  Rescue crews were unable to fly into the area, and were required to travel 15 miles in the backcountry to reach the victims.  Ten hours after the avalanche, six of the individuals caught in the avalanche were reunited with friends and family, with one perishing in the accident.  To read more, click here and here watch the video below.



--The Supreme Court decided on Monday not to take up a dispute over a land transfer involving the federal government that could lead to the construction in California of the nation's largest landfill. The proposed transfer, involving land near Joshua Tree National Park, is between Kaiser Ventures LLC and its subsidiary, Mine Reclamation Corporation, on one side and the Bureau of Land Management on the other. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Jason Stuckey and Cascades local John Frieh grabbed the second winter ascent of Mount Huntington, via the West Face Couloir.  The route was first climbed in winter in 2007 by fellow locals Colin Haley and Jed Brown.  Stuckey and Frieh climbed the route in 23 hours, and were in and out of the range in a record 48 hours.  Truly a "smash and grab" operation.  To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Parks Canada officials rescued two ice climbers Sunday night who were stranded for several hours on the Weeping Wall off the Icefields Parkway. Brian Webster, a visitor safety specialist, said the climbers from Edmonton cut their rope in half after it became stuck during their rappel. They then tied the two pieces of rope together, creating a knot in the rope that the first climber on the descent could not bypass. To read more, click here.

-- Eight skiers and snowboarders who took the Minturn Mile backcountry route off Vail Mountain Monday ended up stranded overnight before Vail Mountain Rescue teams were able to get them down Wednesday. The group finally got off the mountain around 2 pm. Tuesday, shaken from the experience of spending the night in the backcountry with nothing more than standard ski gear and some flashlights.To read more, click here.

--A 65-year-old skier from La Crescent, Minnesota, who hit a chair lift tower at Welch Village Ski Area on March 16th died of a heart attack, perhaps even before he hit the tower, the Goodhue County medical examiner said on Monday. To read more, click here.

--Alain Robert is more likely known by his nickname, the "French Spiderman."  He has made a name for himself by free-soloing many tall buildings, often being arrested immediately after topping out.  This time, he made arrangements with the owner to climb the tallest building in the world.  Alain successfully climbed the 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa in just over six hours.  To read more, click here.

--Climber Josh Wharton is known for being a super hardman in the mountains...but he's also a bit of a a consisour of history.  The following video of him retrieving Jeff Lowe's backpack from the North Face of the Eiger -- left twenty years ago -- and returning it to him is very cool:


Jeff Lowe's Pack Retrieved from Eiger North Face from Jeff Lowe on Vimeo.

--The American Alpine Club is embarking on a new five-year strategic plan that calls for significant and exciting program changes. The 109-year-old club is becoming a community-driven organization that acts locally to unite climbers through community events, conservation projects, mentorship and other programs.  To accomplish these ends, the AAC seeks enthusiastic climbers to build a sustainable support system for members, starting with local volunteers and Club activists. Two positions currently open are Community Programs Director and Regional Coordinator (Northeast Region). To read more, click here and here.

Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:

--Petzl has recently discovered Chinese counterfeit versions of the Croll, Attache, Ascension and Rescue Ptezl products. There is a significant risk that these counterfeit products could open or otherwise fail at low loads and under normal use.  To read more, click here and here.
--Problems have been sighted with the #5 DMM Dragon Cam.  There are cracks in the aluminum axle boss.  To see photos and to learn more, click here.