Global warming gets a “proud skiing nation” planning for the future.

Sweden’s reduction in snowfall has spurred them on to begin creating a 750,000 square foot indoor ski park! I know similar structures, however quite a bit smaller, exist in the UK and also Nordic ski versions are out there as well in order to keep athletes on snow year round. Considering last winter here in Tahoe hopefully we won’t have to resort to this however it would pass the time over the summer!

Click the title below to check out the full story from Digital Trends.com.

“Plans for erecting the world’s premiere indoor ski park is underway with the Skipark 360° just outside of Stockholm, Sweden.”

image from CF Moller Architects

Wilderness

“The idea of Wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders.”  Edward Abbey

Gettin’ stuff done

Random post:

Here in Tahoe we really don’t have bike lanes like bigger cities do. However for those of us who cycle, whether as a commuter or for recreation, we do have to deal with cars (and cars need to deal with cyclists).

In a demonstration to warn luxury car drivers not to park in the bicycle lane in the Lithuanian city of Vilnius, the mayor of the city recently crushed a Mercedes-Benz parked in the bike lane with an army tank. Full story here  and here’s a Youtube video as well. Obviously this is set up however quite entertaining:

National Parks in trouble says recent report

One of the benefits of living in the western United States is the year round access to so many of the National Parks (and forests for that matter).  The Center for Park Research, an offshoot of the National Parks Conservation Association, has released their findings from 10 years of research on the conditions of the cultural and natural resources of the parks. Their findings “paint a grim picture” for the future of these resources we enjoy spending so much time in. Here’s a great article from Adventure-Journal.com by Michael Frank:

“Crisis: National Parks Are Polluted, Crumbling, Under Funded, and Likely to Get Worse ”

and another on the same subject from The Salt Lake Tribune, by Brett Prettyman

“Report outlines cure for nation’s ailing  parks“

Want to know more about the NPCA’s report? Check out their website HERE. Or click on the image below to get the entire 68 page report in PDF format.

"The State of America's National Parks"

 

Tahoe Rim Trail Volunteer Opportunities

Ever wonder why all the trails you use are in such nice condition? Well here in Lake Tahoe the big daddy trail of them all is kept in tip top shape by users just like you.

photo from TRTA

Throughout the summer the Tahoe Rim Trail Association runs volunteer trail maintenance days in order to build and maintain the Tahoe Rim Trail. So if you’d like to help out and do your part check out the TRTA’s website for volunteer opportunities. In addition to trail work info the TRTA puts on all sorts of great events year round.

What a great way to get out and enjoy the wild lands and give back as well! There are 165 miles traveling the ridges around Lake Tahoe to be kept in order, why not volunteer on an unfamiliar section?

Don’t feel like digging in the dirt all day but still want to help out? Check out what the US Forest Service has available as well. They have many other options besides trail work.

The teachings of running outdoors and Salomon’s Trail Running TV

Came across this article this past weekend. It comes from that “other” mountain range a ways east of us here in California and was in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, written by Mike Vidakovich.  A little bit about running, and awareness and respect for our outside surroundings.

“Native American way of life a great example for us all” 

Since we are talkin’  trail running here’s another one for you to check out. Salomon Running is documenting their international team as they tackle ultra distance races on all 5 continents. Check out Trail Running TV over at Salomon’s website, here’s the first episode TNF 100 Australia . Following athlete’s like Kilian Jornet, Devon Crosby-Helms, and Ryan Sandes is pretty cool. Seems like a great crew of people to travel and run with!

Emerald Bay Avalanche

If you haven’t seen this on the Sierra Avalanche Center’s Facebook page click on the photo to link to their website.  Photos and info on the wet avalanche that slide across the road at Emerald Bay. Be safe out there!

from Sierra Avalanche Center

Snowmobile Management and the US Forest Service

And the debate continues, snowmobile management on our public lands. I can see it being a tough decision for the USFS and I understand comparing a quad/4WD to a snowmobile although similar machines with similar impacts (physical and social), there are also very different impacts as well that they cause.

Most notably in the summer with OHV’s off trail use; creating illegal trails, vegetation damage, and erosion. Then with winter snowmobile use there are no trails. Unless I’m mistaken a major part of managing OHV’s in the summer is keeping people on designated routes. However summer OHV’s are far more limited in their access to illegally using designated Wilderness, where as snowmobiles don’t need trails and seem to be fairly common in the Desolation and Mt. Rose Wildernesses here in Lake Tahoe.

As mentioned a tough one for the Forest Service, especially since it seems that the first thing to get cut from the government’s budgets is recreation. With or without a management plan that appeals to all users will they be able to enforce regulations? Doesn’t seem like they have the means to enforce Wilderness boundaries now.

An update on the topic from  http://www.newwest.net, click on anything below for the full article:

Forest Service Denies Request to Manage Snowmobiles Under Off-Road Vehicle Guidelines

Petition backed by 90 organizations and filed last year ends with today’s decision.

By New West Editor, 3-29-11

The U.S. Forest Service today denied a request from recreation groups asking that snowmobiles on national forest lands be managed under the same guidelines applied to all other classes of off-road vehicles.

Black Diamond “fighting the good fight”

from Black Diamond Equipment:

Black Diamond Equipment CEO and Founder Peter Metcalf testifies before House Committee on Natural Resources in Washington, D.C.

Our founder and CEO, Peter Metcalf, has been out fighting the good fight recently, both in Washington D.C. before the House Committee on Natural Resources and in an essay for Rock & Ice magazine. He recently sent out an email to everyone here at BD about these recent efforts and what it means to him. Below is that email, as well as some links to his Rock & Ice essay and a copy of his testimony. To watch the entire webcast of the hearing (Metcalf’s testimony starts at 02:07:10), click here.

---

From:     Peter Metcalf
Subject:     Making A Difference  & Walking The Walk
Date:     March 9, 2011 5:26:22 AM MST

Dear Black Diamond Employees:

Two of Black Diamond’s founding constructs that we have attempted to live by in our month-to-month and year-to-year activities are “to make a difference for our fellow community of mountain enthusiasts” and “to champion the access of and preservation of mountain, canyon, and crag environments while working to minimize our own environmental footprint.”  Now 22 years later, in the Jan./Feb. 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review, is a thought-provoking piece authored by the guru of competitive strategy, Michael Porter (btw, his book, “Competitive Strategy” was very influential on me 22 years ago in starting BD)  In his cover story entitled “How to fix capitalism and unleash a new wave of growth,” he writes:  “…that companies must take the lead in bringing business and society back together; they must reconnect company success with social progress and not from a philanthropic way. They must recognize that optimizing short-term financial gain while overlooking the needs of their customers and the depletion of natural resources vital to their business is not sustainable.”  We believe this is exactly what we have been doing consistently for 22 years.

As many of you know, last week I was back in Washington DC, on behalf of Black Diamond, meeting with Secretary Salazar, giving testimony (at the request of the Outdoor Industry Association and Department of Interior) in front of a Congressional Hearing on the value that our country’s wild lands play on the active outdoor recreation economy, and meeting with the National Park service to influence proposed policy regarding both the Denali User Fee (stopping their plans to raise it fm $200/climber to $500/climber) and Fixed Anchors in the Wilderness (prevent a defacto ban until Climbing Management Plans are completed) .

My full congressional testimony is attached (as I only was able to give about 50% of this verbally). In addition I am attaching an article I authored on this topic of activism & alpinism for the current issue of Rock & Ice. Without Black Diamond I would have neither the opportunity nor the legitimacy to expose these views on behalf of the community. I thank all of you for creating this opportunity by making Black Diamond the special place it is that includes being a company walking the walk relative to “making a difference”.

With appreciation—
Peter

You really can’t please everyone

from http://www.newwest.net:

Backcountry Skiers Complain Snowmobiles Ruining Their Experience

Can you call yourself an environmentalist if, instead of “earning your turns,” you take a ride to the top?

By Allen Best, 3-08-11

	“I almost threw up from the smell. I turned around and left,” said skier Melanie Rees about snowmobile exhaust in the backcountry near Crested Butte. Photo by Flickr user Timo Newton-Syms.

 

Ski towns are like family, but as in many families, plenty of bickering goes on.

Take Crested Butte. Everybody loves the b.c. – the backcountry, that is. But as has been occurring now for 15 years or more, some skiers and snowboarders are buying snowmobiles to eliminate the sweat and get dibs on the choice backcountry slopes.

One local skier recently complained about planning to ski the Slate River, north of Crested Butte, and encountering seven snowmobiles while strapping skins onto her skis.

“I almost threw up from the smell. I turned around and left,” said Melanie Rees.

“My opinion – turns should be earned. If you don’t want to earn them, ride lifts. I don’t understand how anyone could consider themselves to be an environmentalist if they use snowmobiles,” she says.

In Crested Butte a decade ago, there was also some public squabbling as skiers complained about snowshoers messing up their trails.

Now, in Park City comes news of grousing among users of an area called Round Valley. The open-space areas have a groomed track, and slow skiers are being annoyed by fast skiers, and some skiers are cranky about people walking, reports The Park Record.

And then there are the dog-walkers, and everybody gets annoyed by those who don’t pick up their dogs’ doo. Much ado about nothing? Not with hundreds of dogs running around on any given day.

Allen Best writes, edits and publishes Mountain Town News, which can be found at allenbest.net.