Industry Buzz
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February 3, 2023
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Ski?
The rising cost of skiing has been linked to consolidation within the ski industry, and to the rise of mega-passes. This magazine has written about this shifting financial landscape, with some writers arguing that the multi-resort passes throw “a lifeline” to 20+-day-a-year skiers. But that also means that the cost of...
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January 31, 2023
Ugandan activist’s family awarded $10.5M for Arches National Park death
The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. Colorado Sun
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January 27, 2023
Peru closes iconic Machu Picchu ruins as anti-government protests flare
Peru indefinitely shut the famed ancient ruins of Machu Picchu on Saturday in the latest sign that anti-government protests that began last month are increasingly engulfing the South American country. The Culture Ministry said it had closed the country’s most famous tourist attraction as well as the Inca Trail leading...
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January 3, 2023
Ken Block, DC Shoes Founder and Mountain Lab Creator, Killed in Snowmobile Accident
According to a release from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, block was riding in the Mill Hollow area southeast of Park City when his snowmobile reared back and fell on top of him as he was attempting to climb a steep slope. He was apparently pronounced dead on the scene....
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December 9, 2022
Unlicensed Guide Convicted Over Hiker’s Death on Buffalo National River
A Missouri man who led a 31-person hike on the Buffalo National River where one participant died in a fall will face criminal penalties for acting as an unpermitted guide, a federal judge ruled this week. Backpacker
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December 5, 2022
Is working out while high L.A.’s next fitness craze? This trainer is betting on it
Stoned+Toned, a fitness company that blends cannabis and fitness in pursuit of community and a more pleasurable workout, is among those betting big on the legal cannabis boom bringing fitness along. San Francisco is home to a “cannabis gym” that encourages visitors to light up and lift. Researchers are taking...
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November 30, 2022
Nonbinary Athlete Inclusion and Acceptance in Running
Nonbinary athletes like Riley all have unique experiences, and sports can be inclusive to those diverse experiences in ways that they haven’t been afforded in so many other areas of life. Inclusivity is urgent because nonbinary athletes make up an indispensable part of our community. TrailRunner
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November 26, 2022
A woman died from hypothermia while hiking in Zion National Park
A woman died while hiking in Zion National Park on Wednesday after showing symptoms of hypothermia according to the National Park Service. The unnamed woman, 31, started showing signs of hypothermia while walking on a 16-mile hike through the Narrows section of the park with her husband, the NPS said...
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November 9, 2022
Jury Finds Extreme Skiing Champ Dean Cummings Not Guilty of Murder
Two years ago, professional skier Dean Cummings called 911 to report that he’d shot and killed a man in self-defense. This week, Cummings stood trial for the murder of 47-year-old Guillermo Arriola, who ended up dead on the floor of Cummings’ trailer. And just a few hours ago, a jury...
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November 6, 2022
‘An inordinate impact’: climate crisis leaves its footprint on trail running
More than 5,000 people lined up for Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA) on the last weekend in October, making it the largest trail running event in the country and, according to the race organisers, the second-largest in the world. But the multi-day event, which includes 50km and 100km ultramarathons, nearly didn’t go...
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November 1, 2022
The BLM Will Ban Rock Climbing at This Idaho Crag due to Its Cultural Importance to Local Tribes
On October 26, the Bureau of Land Management announced revealed its plan to close a formation called Massacre Rocks to climbers due to the site’s historic and cultural ties to the Shoshone-Bannock people. The site will also be closed to users of off-highway vehicles like motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. Outside
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October 27, 2022
This Company Will Send You on a Two-Year RV Trip to Visit Breweries
For beer and spirits lovers, the idea of spending two years traveling around the country in an RV hitting up hundreds of breweries and distilleries might sound like a dream come true. Well, the RV campsite company Harvest Hosts is looking for someone to do exactly that — and will cover a...
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October 19, 2022
Cotopaxi Closes San Francisco Store After Repeated Break-Ins
Citing lawlessness and “chaos,” Cotopaxi CEO Davis Smith announced on his personal LinkedIn page yesterday that he has closed the company’s sole San Francisco retail location. “As of today, we are closing the store due to rampant organized theft and lack of safety for our team,” Smith wrote on October 18. “Our store is...
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October 17, 2022
Nims Purja Issues Statement on Fatal Parachuting Accident
Famed mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja was involved in a tragic parachuting accident that claimed the life of his instructor, Dean Waldo, on Oct .14. Now, Purja outlines some of what happened. Gear Junkie
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October 14, 2022
Fishermen face felony charges over a cheating scandal at an Ohio tournament
Hoping to win a pro fishing tournament with nearly $30,000 on the line, Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky illegally stacked the deck in their favor, and now the pair have been indicted on three felony charges each. A grand jury has indicted Runyan and Cominsky on charges of cheating, attempted...
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October 14, 2022
Visitors Have Been Waiting Up to 5 Hours to Get Into Arches National Park
Starting October 4, the park no longer required a timed-entry pass. The experimental program, which began April 3, was meant to help the park service assess visitor use patterns and manage them more efficiently in the future. When the program ended, Arches warned guests of long wait times or delayed...
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October 10, 2022
Developers Loom As Boy Scouts Sell Thousands of Acres to Fund Legal Issues
The Boy Scouts of America and their local councils intend to sell thousands of acres of land — including properties where some of the abuse took place — to compensate sexual abuse victims. To help pay for the compensation fund, the Boy Scouts’ local councils are legally required to contribute...
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October 6, 2022
Why Did a Hunting Non-Profit Put a Bounty on Mountain Bikers?
In April, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a hunting education and advocacy organization, circulated a press release offering a $500 reward “for reports or information leading to a conviction of those responsible for illegal trail construction on public lands.” In other words, the national non-profit placed what amounted to a bounty...
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October 3, 2022
Avalanche Strikes Manaslu Base Camp – At Least One Fatality
For the second time in a week, a large avalanche cycle has hit climbers on the mountain. Last week, avalanches killed several climbers including world-renowned ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson. A massive avalanche struck base camp on the morning of October 2, burying upwards of 30 tents. Higher up on the...
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September 26, 2022
Renowned Mountaineer Hilaree Nelson’s Body Found on Manaslu
Renowned big-mountain skier Hilaree Nelson has gone missing on 26,781-foot Manaslu while attempting to descend the peak on skis on Monday. According to multiple reports, Nelson, 49, crashed just below the summit. Outside
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September 25, 2022
Fistfights, ‘campsite pirates’: Anger boils at crowded Oregon campsites
Sunnyside County Park located east of Sweet Home in the Cascade Foothills, is a 160-site campground which features fishing ponds, horseshoe pits and access to the sparkling water of Foster Reservoir. But this summer Sunnyside was not such a tranquil place as the demand for campsites overtook campground capacity. Tensions...
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September 21, 2022
Why Does the Catholic Church Oppose Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola?
The Diocese took the stance that the gondola benefits a relative few who already have the means to ski, and that taxpayer money should be used to improve the lives of the state’s most vulnerable, to bolster things like low-income housing, food insecurity, and other quality-of-life issues. In short, private...
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September 6, 2022
The amazing growth of Solo Women Campers
The number of solo women campers is on the rise, across all ages and in motorhomes, trailers, fifth wheels, and even truck campers. RV Lifestyle
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August 31, 2022
Climber Charles Barrett Arrested for Sexual Assault in Yosemite
California rock climber and guidebook author Charles Barrett has been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of abusive sexual contact. An indictment unsealed Tuesday afternoon and filed by U.S. Attorney Philip A. Talbert, alleges that on two separate occasions in August 2016, Barrett raped an individual...
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August 30, 2022
Cell Service in the Wilderness: It’s Coming Soon
The billionaire founder of SpaceX Elon Musk announced a new partnership with T-Mobile this week that will leverage the power of his Starlink satellites. Together, the two companies will offer a cell service plan that seeks to reach the most remote corners of the United States. Explorer's Web