There鈥檚 a new plan in Washington D.C. to auction off public lands, and this one involves millions of acres spread across nearly a dozen Western states.

The latest stipulation would require the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell off roughly 3 million acres by 2030.

On Tuesday, June 10, this plan was added to the draft legislation of President Donald Trump鈥檚 tax and spending megabill by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. Senate.

This sprawling piece of legislation, called 鈥淥ne Big, Beautiful Bill Act,鈥� passed the House of Representatives in early June, and is currently under debate in the Senate.

Sources 迟辞濒诲听The New York Times that two Republican lawmakers鈥擬ike Lee of Utah and Steve Daines of Montana鈥攚orked closely to decide on the plan.

Previous plans to sell off public lands have been met with public outcry. An earlier version of the Big, Beautiful Bill Act included a smaller selloff proposal, suggesting the liquidation of nearly 500,000 acres of public land in Nevada and Utah.

This provision was axed before the bill passed the House of Representatives, after backlash from the House鈥檚 Public Lands Caucus, a bipartisan group led by New Mexico Democrat Gabe Vasquez and Montana Republican and former interior secretary Ryan Zinke. Zinke called the measure his 鈥淪an Juan Hill.鈥� He has previously told 国产吃瓜黑料:听鈥淭he idea that you鈥檙e going to sell public land to get out of debt is folly.鈥�

This latest鈥攁nd substantially larger鈥攍and sale proposal was announced by Lee, who is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Specifically, the reconciliation bill鈥檚 language dictates that 鈥渘ot less than 0.50 percent and not more than 0.75 percent鈥� of all BLM land be sold to the private sector, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. Identical language and percentages dictate the sale of National Forest land as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The BLM manages 245 million total acres, and the the Forest Service manages 193 million acres. Under the plan’s rules, up to 3.29 million acres of public lands would be placed on the auctioning block.

Lawmakers have said the sale of public lands would raise funds for the federal government and clear land for housing development. The plan would put public lands in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Zinke鈥檚 state, Montana, is the only Western state excluded from this updated proposal.

The that national parks, national monuments, and designated wilderness areas would be exempt from auction, and land near existing population centers would be prioritized. The bill also mandates that any public land sales must occur solely for 鈥渇or the development of housing or to address associated community needs,鈥� but it leaves the definition of these 鈥渁ssociated community needs鈥� up to the Secretaries concerned.

鈥淪enate Republicans have finally said the quiet part out loud,鈥� said , the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 鈥淭hey want to put millions of acres of our public lands up in a fire sale, destroy the investments that have created thousands of manufacturing and clean energy jobs 鈥� including in their home states, and obliterate programs that lower energy costs for everyday Americans.鈥�

The plan received immediate criticism from nonprofit groups and organizations that work in conservation and outdoor recreation.

鈥淲hat some may see as a barren lot on a map on a Senator鈥檚 desk may actually be where a community hikes after work, rides their ATV, or teaches their kids how to hunt turkey or ride a bike,” reads a statement from Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a lobbying group for the outdoor recreation industry. “And once these treasured places are sold to private industry, they are gone forever, and in the case of this proposal, can be used for any purpose after ten years.”

David Willms, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, called the plan “orders of magnitude worse than what the House proposed last month.”

鈥淢andating the fire sale of up to two-and-a-half million acres of public land violates more than a century of land stewardship, threatens wildlife and clean water, runs directly against widespread public opinion, and will not begin to solve either the budget crisis or the affordable housing crisis,” he said.

The post There鈥檚 a New Plan to Sell Off Public Lands. It Would Impact Millions of Acres in Western States. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last summer, 国产吃瓜黑料 sent writer Drew Magary to Yellowstone National Park, not to observe the wildlife, but instead to gawk at the tourists. Amid all the chaos of high season at one of the United States鈥� most heavily-trafficked national parks, Magary discovered, among other things, that 鈥渆veryone who comes to Yellowstone is horny for bison.鈥�

But unlike other big, dangerous animals like wolves or bears, tourists, Magary noted, weren’t scared off by the 2,000-pound animals. 鈥淵our fight-or-flight instincts don鈥檛 kick in when you see a bison. Quite the opposite. You feel serene. Peaceful. At one with the land. That kind of attitude is why Yellowstone visitors end up gored.”

Alas, Magary’s observation has come true, again.

On Monday, June 10, a 30-year-old man from New Jersey was gored by a bison, near the Old Faithful geyser, after he and a large group of other tourists got too close to the animal. It鈥檚 the second such incident this year. A Florida , under similar circumstances.

The news was published by The National Park Service that asked visitors to use common sense. 鈥淲ild animals can be aggressive if people don鈥檛 respect their space,鈥� the release stated, before reminding visitors 鈥渢o stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals.鈥�

Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, and human-provoked bison attacks鈥攁lmost always resulting from tourists simply getting too close鈥攐ccur at least a couple of times a year in the park. There were two gorings reported in 2024, and another in 2023. The prevalence of such behavior, specifically in Yellowstone, has led to a nickname, 鈥渢ouron,鈥� a portmanteau of tourist and moron. An eponymous has over half a million follows.

Informally known as 鈥渂uffalo,鈥� American bison are the national mammal of the United States and the largest mammal in North America. Males stand six feet tall, weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and can run 35 miles per hour. Historically, bison roamed in sprawling herds across much of the continent, but were slaughtered for their furs wholesale in the late 1800s by settlers. In the late 1700s, the species numbered 60 million, but by 1889, less than 600 remained. Efforts to revive bison herds have been successful, however, and the latest assessment, in 2016, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported a population of 31,000.

Fossil records show that bison have continuously lived in Yellowstone since prehistoric times, and roughly 5,000 live in and around the park today, the largest bison population on American public lands.

It鈥檚 worth noting that bison attacks aren鈥檛 just bad for humans. They frequently result in tragedy for the animals. In 2016, a father and son tried to kidnap a baby bison in Yellowstone, which was subsequently rejected by its herd. Too young to survive on its own, the calf was euthanized. A similar incident occurred in 2023, when a man began handling a calf that had been separated from its mother. Despite repeated park efforts to reunite it with its family, this calf was also rejected and abandoned, and later had to be put down as well.

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On Thursday, June 5, rescuers in Southern Colorado boarded a helicopter and flew high into the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains.

They plucked a hiker off the southwest flanks of 14,055-foot Mount Lindsey, one of three Colorado fourteeners clustered at the southern edge of the range.

According to an (AVSAR), the hiker, who has not been identified, “had fallen several hundred feet after a boulder gave way鈥� while ascending the mountain鈥檚 northwest ridge, one of the two standard routes to the summit.

The rescue attempt was mobilized shortly after noon, and a search and rescue helicopter managed to reach the fallen climber at 1:20 P.M. Rescuers had extracted the injured climber by 1:40, and determined that 鈥渢ransfer to a local hospital by EMS would be appropriate due to the nature of the injuries.鈥�

Mount Lindsey, located north of the town of Fort Garland is one of the southernmost Colorado fourteeners. It is also one of a handful of the famed peaks that sits on private land. While much of Mount Lindsey鈥檚 approach trail is within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, the ridge and summit itself are part of billionaire Louis Moore Bacon鈥檚 Trinchera-Blanca Ranch, the largest privately owned ranch in Colorado.

Citing liability concerns, Bacon closed access to Lindsey in 2021, and did not reopen it to hikers until this March, after extensive lobbying from a nonprofit, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, and a 2024 change to Colorado’s Recreational Use Statute, which reduced the liability burden on landowners who allow public recreational access on their property.

Climbers hoping to ascend Lindsey target the peak from the northwest, either via a gully leading up the north face, or by scrambling along the crest of the northwest ridge. Both routes are identical until the final approach to the summit, and are rated Class III.

This means that, although not usually protected via a rope or any other climbing gear, the routes do involve some basic scrambling, and any mistake can be consequential. The northwest ridge route, in particular, entails high exposure and requires navigating a considerable quantity of loose rock.

One commenter on the AVSAR post, Joe Bartoletti, said he met the injured climber on the peak. 鈥淚 talked to him on his way down around 12,600/12,700 ft, he was ambulatory and it seemed like he would be able to continue on for a while,鈥� Bartoletti wrote. 鈥淚 went on towards the summit and figured I鈥檇 see him again on my way down if he weren鈥檛 able to continue on. Saw the helicopter fly in a while later and figured he was getting extricated.鈥�

While far less popular than well-known Colorado summits like Longs Peak and Pikes Peak, which can see as many as 15,000 to 25,000 hikers per year, Mount Lindsey has historically welcomed more hikers鈥攂etween 1,000 and 3,000 annually鈥攖han most of the other peaks in the Sangre de Cristo range.

This is due to its minimally technical route and relatively short trail: a little over eight miles round trip, with 3,500 feet of elevation gain. The mountain is often used by budding peakbaggers as a way to dip toes in the water before attempting the harder peaks in the range, such as those in the Blanca or Crestone group.

Per the stipulations of Mount Lindsey鈥檚 re-opening, all parties are required to sign an before any hike. There is also a sign with a QR code leading to the waiver at the trailhead, so hikers can sign their waiver on arrival, depending on cell reception. While hiking is allowed, other recreational activities, such as hunting, camping, motorized vehicles or wheeled transport, and aerial drones, are all restricted. The waiver also restricts climbers to either on the northwest ridge or gully route.

鈥淧lease remember that the restored climbing access to Mount Lindsey is a privilege that can be withdrawn if people do not follow the rules,鈥� wrote the Colorado Fourteener Initiative . 鈥淏eing responsible climbers will help maintain access. Violating the rules certainly will send a poor signal, and may result in the peak being closed again.鈥�

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On May 31, 2025, a webcam in Yellowstone National Park detected a small explosion in the Biscuit Basin Area鈥攖he same zone that suffered an unexpectedly destructive hydrothermal eruption less than a year ago.

On July 23, 2024, steam exploded from the ground beneath Black Diamond Pool in the area, destroying a park boardwalk and launching water, mud, rocks, and other debris up to 600 feet into the air. Some of the stones were up to three feet in diameter and weighed hundreds of pounds, and the event was visible for miles in all directions. No one was injured, but the surrounding area has remained closed to tourists since the incident.

The webcam that captured the most recent eruption was 鈥攁long with seismometers, acoustic sensors, electromagnetic instruments, and other cameras鈥攖o monitor hydrothermal activity in the area.

YELLOWSTONE ERUPTION: The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a small eruption occurred at the Black Diamond Pool in the Biscuit Basin, which was the site of a hydrothermal explosion last summer. Video Credit: United States Geological Survey

FULL STORY:

鈥� NBC Montana (@NBCMontana)

Although last week鈥檚 eruption is the first caught on video since the major explosion last year , the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that 鈥渢here is evidence from other monitoring data and some eyewitnesses that sporadic eruptions have occurred several times since the July 2024 event.鈥� These include eruptions in January and November, both of which shot debris 20 to 30 feet into the air.

Like the 2024 eruption, last week鈥檚 smaller incident is not necessarily a sign of increased volcanic activity or hydrothermal volatility for the area, but more likely indicative of a continued resettling in the wake of the 2024 blast. 鈥淚t is likely that these small eruptions are a result of the hydrothermal plumbing system for the pool adjusting after the major disruption of the larger explosion last summer,鈥� USGS Scientist-in-Charge Michael Poland

Hydrothermal explosions occur when water underground is rapidly heated by a geothermal source, such as magma. Because the water is in a confined space, trapped under overlying rock, it鈥檚 pressurized, which means its boiling point can be much higher than the typical 100掳C/212掳F. That means the water can get significantly hotter before converting into steam. This is a process known as 鈥渟uperheating.鈥�

Once a pressurized body of water is superheated, any sudden drop in pressure (due to a fracturing of the surrounding rock, for example), will cause the water to rapidly convert into steam, resulting in instant and dramatic pressure expansion. Steam’s volume is over 1,500 times greater than that of liquid. This leads to a violent explosion, often strong enough to shatter the surrounding rock and send debris flying up to hundreds of feet into the air.

Hydrothermal explosions aren鈥檛 uncommon in Yellowstone. They occur in the park a few times each year. However, these typically take place in the backcountry, where they aren鈥檛 often detected and don鈥檛 pose a threat to park visitors.

The Black Diamond Pool/Biscuit Basin webcam can be viewed by the public round the clock on the , but although it records footage constantly, the camera does not upload footage live. Instead, fixed images are uploaded to the website at 15 minute intervals. If an event, such as last week鈥檚 explosion, does occur, the USGS plans to post video clips online.

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Following a trio of moose attacks in Colorado, state officials are asking dog owners in mountain towns to keep their pets on-leash.

The three incidents occurred successive days this past week, in three different Colorado mountain towns. In all three, the people who were attacked were walking dogs when they encountered female moose.

On Friday, May 30, two women walking four dogs off-leash in the town of Fairplay came across a cow moose, which charged and stomped the women, who were able to escape without serious injury by climbing onto a roof. According to a , a neighbor was later able to chase the moose away using a fire extinguisher.

The following day, in the community of Grand Lake, a man and woman walking their dog on a leash were also charged by a moose, which knocked the woman to the ground and attempted to stomp on her.

The man eventually grabbed a firearm and shot and killed the moose. “The moose was shot in self-defense while actively posing a threat to human health and safety,鈥� CPW said in a release.

Give moose PLENTY OF SPACE AND RESPECT, especially during the spring. Female (cow) moose w/ calves can be very protective of their young, they may charge, kick or defend themselves if they feel you鈥檙e too close.

鈥� Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife)

This moose was subsequently found to have been protecting a calf, which officials euthanized.听听鈥淭he decision to euthanize the calf was not easy to make,鈥� said the CPW鈥檚 area wildlife manager, Jeromy Huntington, in a release. 鈥淲hile rehabilitation can be successful in some cases, it’s not a guaranteed solution. In the case of this moose calf, taking it to a rehab at such a young age would not be in the best interest of the animal鈥檚 long-term survival in the wild.鈥�

The CPW release noted that 鈥渨ildlife taken to a rehabilitation facility is primarily intended for the purpose of returning the wildlife to the wild,鈥� and that legally, wildlife may not be held for more than one year.

Grand Lake has been the site of serious moose attacks in the past. In 2006, the town鈥檚 former mayor, Louis Heckert, suffered fatal head injuries after being attacked by a moose while walking to church.

A third moose attack occurred on Sunday, June 1, in Steamboat Springs. A woman was returning from a walk with two leashed dogs in River Creek Park, near the Steamboat Ski Resort, when she was attacked and trampled by a cow moose. The woman was saved by a passing paddleboarder, who was himself injured while scaring the moose away.

According to a local report, the paddleboarder was released with minor injuries, but the woman was in critical condition after the attack, and was later airlifted to a hospital in Denver. Investigating CPW officers later found a moose with twin calves in the area. They believe the moose was startled by the woman and her dog.

This moose and her calves were later relocated out of the park and outside city limits. 鈥淎fter monitoring the moose and her young over the last 48 hours, we determined they were very comfortable in the area and not going to move on their own,鈥� Justin Pollock, assistant area wildlife manager,. 鈥淲hile this area is perfect habitat for moose, the risk not only to their safety in a populated area, but to the safety of people, was too high, which is why we chose to relocate them.鈥�

Moose encounters in Colorado are fairly common, but historically attacks and injuries are rare, particularly inside city limits. CPW has reported only 22 injuries from moose attacks in the state since 2019. Most of these occur during calving season鈥攆rom mid-May to early June鈥攚hen cow moose are giving birth to their young, and behave more aggressively than normal. Another time of increased risk is the breeding season, late September through November. Bull moose often become more territorial and aggressive during this period.

CPW maintains a webpage, , offering advice for staying safe while recreating in moose habitat, particularly during calving season. Cow moose often hide their offspring to protect them from predators but remain nearby, so even if an adult moose appears to be alone, it could very well be protecting a calf out of sight. CPW recommends choosing a trail with good visibility, and making lots of noise when recreating through thick vegetation to avoid startling a moose.

Signs of moose aggression included laid back ears, raised hairs on the neck, a lowered or cocked head, swaying back and forth, licking of the snout, and rolling eyes and ears. But in general, if a moose has reacted to your presence, CPW says, you are too close. In the event of a charge, attempt to place obstacles, like trees or boulders, in between you and the moose.

Walking with dogs off-leash raises risks. The scent and appearance of a dog is often similar to that of wolves, one of the only natural predators of a moose. CPW鈥檚 release says 鈥渕ost moose conflicts involve dogs,鈥� and recommends, particularly when hiking near riparian or willow habitats, where moose are often found, that all canines remain leashed.

鈥淥ff-leash dogs can venture off-trail, surprising hidden moose calves or cows. Cows will, in turn, chase retreating dogs, which can bring the moose in contact with humans,” the agency warns.

While many wild animal attacks occur as a result of human provocation and irresponsibility, CPW public information officer Rachel Gonzalez told The Steamboat Pilot that in some cases, a moose attack can simply be bad luck, and can occur even if an individual is following all recommendations.

鈥淭hings happen even when we follow all of the rules,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n places like Steamboat, it鈥檚 important to be extra vigilant when you鈥檙e recreating. Maybe that means keeping your dog on a shorter leash 鈥� maybe don鈥檛 walk or jog with headphones. I know we all want to listen to our favorite playlist, or that audio book we鈥檝e been sucked into, but you are probably going to hear an animal before you ever see the animal. Moose are really big, but they can blend in so well.鈥�

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鲍辫诲补迟别:听On Wednesday, June 4, rangers at Denali National Park located and recovered the body of Alex Chiu, 41, of Seattle, Washington. In a statement from the park, officials said Chiu fell approximately 3,000 vertical feet from the West Buttress Route. His body has been transferred to the Alaska state medical examiner.听

A ski mountaineer is missing on Alaska鈥檚 20,310-foot Denali.

According to a , the 41-year-old skier, who hails from Washington State but has yet to be identified publicly, took a long, unroped fall on Monday, June 2, while on the West Buttress, the mountain鈥檚 standard route.

It was unclear if the missing climber鈥攚ho was on Denali with two companions鈥攚as climbing or descending the mountain when he fell, but the accident occurred at a location known as Squirrel Hill. The series of steep, windswept slopes which are frequently icy, are located at approximately 12,500 feet on the peak’s West Buttress.

According to the release, the skier fell off of this steep section and slid down and out of sight towards Peters Glacier, 鈥渁n exposed rocky and serac covered 3000-foot face.鈥� It鈥檚 unknown how far the climber ultimately fell, but when his partners rappelled down the face, they could neither see nor hear their fallen companion.

With no sign of their missing partner, the two survivors alerted search and rescue, and then descended the West Buttress route to Camp I at 7,800ft. As of Tuesday, June 3, the NPS reported that both ground and air search and rescue efforts for the missing climber were delayed 鈥渄ue to high winds and snow.鈥�

Denali (recently federally designated as Mount McKinley by the Trump Administration), is North America鈥檚 highest mountain, and one of the Seven Summits. The peak鈥檚 climbing season traditionally lasts from late April to early July, and this year roughly 1,000 climbers have secured permits to attempt the peak (a number that has been consistent year-on-year since the coronavirus pandemic). Nearly half of these permitted climbers are on the mountain currently.

Although the West Buttress is considered the easiest and most accessible route on Denali鈥攁nd is the route chosen by over 90 percent of Denali hopefuls鈥攊t still entails a variety of hazards, including navigating crevasse-filled glaciers, climbing steep snow and ice slopes up 40 degrees, and surmounting a technical headwall rising from 14,200 to 16,200 feet, which is typically protected by fixed ropes. The average expedition up and down the mountain takes nearly three weeks.

The published by the NPS, reported that of the 1,001 climbers who set foot on the mountain, 34 patients were assessed by mountaineering rangers and patrol volunteers, and 25 of these were eventually evacuated. Three of these climbers died on the mountain, two from long falls, and a third from exposure after becoming stuck in a snow cave near the summit.

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鈥淕reetings from Death Valley National Park,鈥� the billboard reads. 鈥淗eat deaths rise, safety staff cut. Made possible by DOGE.鈥�

This Las Vegas billboard, unveiled in May, is one of 300 similar signs put up across the United States by , a nonprofit media outlet that aims to “build power for the working class.” According to the group, the billboards are a response to the severe budget cuts and layoffs leveled on the National Park Service by the Trump Administration.

The 300 billboards each have quippy slogans to describe the impact of the cuts. “More trash and dirty restrooms,” reads one for Shenandoah National Park. “Reduced staff, increased danger,” reads the one for Voyageurs National Park. “Six campgrounds shut down,” reads one for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Why is a labor advocacy group erecting billboards about the defense of public lands?

鈥淲orking class people need national parks,鈥� More Perfect Union鈥檚 founder, Faiz Shakir, told 国产吃瓜黑料. In Shakir’s opinion, all Americans, regardless of economic class, deserve access to parklands.

鈥淕oing to national parks is not like going to Disney World,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 profiting off of your attendance. They preserve and maintain beautiful spaces for all of us. Whether you made $10,000 last year or $10 million last year, you get the same level of enjoyment visiting a national park. That’s what it means when something is a public good.鈥�

Approximately 5,000 workers employed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Forest Service have been . Other employees have taken buyouts, early retirements, or deferred resignations, further increasing the staffing shortages. Their ranks include NPS rangers and other staffers, as well as wildland firefighters and janitors to cooks and locksmiths and trail crews.

鈥淏y attacking park rangers, you鈥檙e attacking the best of America,鈥� Shakir said. 鈥淭hese are not people out to make money. These are people who care deeply about the public experience, and about maintaining these places for future generations.鈥�

More Perfect Union鈥檚 billboards aren’t just targeting well-known parks, like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, but also lesser-known ones, like Biscayne National Park in Florida, Saguaro National Park in Arizona, Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania, Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

鈥淲e’re looking for well-trafficked parks combined with well-trafficked roads and communities,鈥� Shakir explained. 鈥淔or example, in Yosemite, the cost of putting a billboard up is higher, because it鈥檚 more remote, and also the only people driving up there are probably visiting the park.鈥� The Death Valley billboards, for example, aren鈥檛 placed at the entrance to Death Valley, but in the metropolitan hubs of Las Vegas and Reno, a few hours away. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just trying to get people who are already visiting a national park, but also everyday commuters.鈥�

Some of the billboards highlight blunt, unquestionable facts, such as 鈥淩educed Visiting Hours鈥� or 鈥淧ark Rangers Fired.鈥� Others make minor assumptions: 鈥淢ore Trash and Dirty Restrooms鈥� or 鈥淩educed Staff, Increased Danger.鈥�

The billboards are slated for a one month run, until the end of June, but Shakir is hoping to get funding for continued messaging. 鈥淥ne of the things we are assuming here is that the impact of the reduced staff is only going to get worse through this summer,鈥� Shakir explained. 鈥淭he worst of this has yet to come. It鈥檚 going to grow through June, July, and August. So, I鈥檓 hoping we can get to a 鈥楶hase Two鈥� of this billboards project where we can be more specific about the harms that were experienced. Right now, a lot of the effects are anticipatory.鈥�

The project, Shakir said, was funded by the same set of donors who have funded More Perfect Union from the beginning (the organization was founded in early 2021). 鈥淭his is our highest profile advocacy venture,鈥� he said, 鈥渂oth in the sense that it’s the most public thing and the biggest expenditure of dollars. We spent a couple million dollars to do this.鈥�

He said that although the billboards have only been up for a couple of days, they鈥檝e already received 鈥渨ild amounts鈥� of positive feedback and support. 鈥淚 did not anticipate this level of interest,鈥� Shakir said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always a small percentage of people who respond negatively, but it鈥檚 been overwhelmingly positive. The support hasn鈥檛 just come from the left side of the aisle, either.

鈥淭he prevailing sentiment, from both sides, has been that these cuts and layoffs are wrong, and we need to come together to protect our public lands,鈥� Shakir said.

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On Sunday, May 4, American climber听Alex Pancoe died on the slopes of Nepal’s 27,838-foot Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest mountain.

Pancoe was completing an acclimatization hike in preparation for a Makalu summit bid, and had recently returned to Camp II at 22,310 feet when he died, sources told 国产吃瓜黑料. His guide, Terray Sylvester of American climbing company Madison Mountaineering, told 国产吃瓜黑料 that Pancoe died suddenly.

“We don’t yet know exactly what happened,” Sylvester said. “Just a few hours earlier, he’d told me how happy he was, and that he was feeling so strong at altitude. He moved well that day, and had a great appetite and attitude.”

Sylvester and Pancoe had eaten dinner and tucked into their sleeping bags, but while they were talking, Pancoe became unresponsive. An autopsy later revealed he’d suffered cardiac arrest. Despite several hours of resuscitation efforts from Sylveseter,听other climbers, and Sherpas, Pancoe could not be revived.

Pancoe leaves behind a wife and two young children.

A Climber with a Higher Purpose

Friends and climbing partners spoke with听国产吃瓜黑料 about Pancoe this week, sharing anecdotes and memories. “He was always focused on what he was up there to do,” says Andrew Hughes, a close friend, ” which was to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.”

Pancoe began climbing mountains in 2016, but his dedication to cancer survival began more than a decade earlier. In 2005, Pancoe鈥攖hen 19鈥攚as diagnosed with a brain tumor. He survived, with no complications, after undergoing surgery at Lurie Children鈥檚 Hospital in his hometown of Chicago.

Pancoe used his climbs to raise funds for Lurie Children’s Hospital In 2019, he completed a feat known as the 鈥淓xplorer’s Grand Slam,鈥� climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents and skiing to the North and South Poles. In the process, he raised over half a million dollars.

鈥淲hen you face death early in life, I guess you see life differently,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淗aving gone through his brain tumor, I think Alex saw every day as another opportunity to seize what might have been taken from him.鈥�

After finishing the adventure, Pancoe continued to climb other peaks to raise money for charity. During a 2023 attempt to summit 22,349-foot Ama Dablam in Nepal, Pancoe fell ill, and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a lifelong cancer of the bone marrow.

For his Makalu ascent, Pancoe was hoping to raise a symbolic $27,838鈥攖he mountain鈥檚 elevation in feet鈥攆or the pediatric blood cancer program at Lurie Children鈥檚.

鈥淗e told me that when he stood up there, he was standing with everyone鈥攅very doctor, every person in his family, every friend鈥攚ho helped support him over the years,” Huges said. “The people who had been there when he was sick, and been there when he was well. His community back in Chicago really lifted him up.鈥�

Outgoing and Full of Energy

Hughes first met Pancoe in 2019, while both were attempting to summit Mount Everest. “He came to the mountains with an incredible sense of purpose,” Huges said. “He had his personal goals, sure, but he wasn鈥檛 trying to elevate himself. It was about bringing awareness to a cause that was deeply personal to him, one that had essentially saved his life.鈥�

Hughes described Pancoe as outgoing and full of energy. He was also dedicated to training and preparation, even after his leukemia diagnosis. Pancoe came into his climbs fit and well-prepared, Hughes said, and was always more concerned with going home to his family than summiting.

鈥淲e both lived by the idea that the most important step is the one that gets you back home,鈥� Hughes said.

In a text message exchange shared with 国产吃瓜黑料, Pancoe told Hughes鈥攁 soon-to-be father鈥攖hat being a parent was an experience he was learning to value far more than any summit. 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 miss climbing like you think,鈥� he wrote.听鈥淏eing a dad is amazing. I just want to wind things down on my own terms, [not by] coming up short on Ama Dablam because of leukemia.鈥�

Seth Timpano, a guide with American company Alpine Ascents, also noticed Pancoe’s dedication to his wife and children. During an ascent of Washington’s Mount Baker, he saw Pencoe follow his values. 鈥淲e made a strong push to the summit and back in great style, grabbed deli sandwiches for the drive, and still got him to the airport with plenty of time to catch his red-eye flight to Chicago, just in time to spend the 4th of July with his family,” Timpano said. “Alex loved the mountains, but he loved his family even more.鈥�

Pancoe befriended everyone he met in the mountains, Sylvester added. 鈥淥n our rotation to Camp I and II , he joked that he was the official 鈥榞reeter鈥� or 鈥榓mbassador鈥� on that section of the mountain,鈥� Sylvester said.

Pancoe spent most of his rest days sitting by the side of the trail on the edge of camp, chatting with other hikers. Even on the acclimatization hike before his death, 鈥渉e talked with just about everyone we passed on the trail,鈥� Sylvester said. Syvlester said that, shortly before his death, Pancoe befriended a stray dog at Makalu base camp.

鈥淗e gave it somewhere warmer to sleep, in the vestibule of his tent, and scraps from our dining tent,” Sylvester said. “He had a really good heart.鈥�

Hughes said that Pancoe had been in good health going into his Makalu expedition. Sylvester echoed the sentiment. 鈥淚 was thinking he鈥檇 have an excellent shot at the summit on our eventual summit push,鈥� Sylvester said.

Pancoe’s death is the fourth fatality of the 2025 Himalayan season. In early April, two Nepali guides were killed in an avalanche on 26,545-foot Annapurna. In late April, an Austrian climber, Martin Hornegger, died while descending Ama Dablam.

A Legacy That Will Continue

In the day’s after Pancoe鈥檚 death, his wife, Nina Laski Pancoe, wrote in a tribute to him on social media. “The moment I received that call from a satellite number, I wanted to think it was nothing, but deep down I knew something was very wrong,” she wrote. “At first I thought you broke a bone, but to hear that your heart stopped and CPR was not working, my heart shattered into a million pieces 鈥� You lived each day to the fullest making an impact on the world around you. You are the kindest, sweetest, most passionate person I have ever met.鈥�

Hughes said one of the most special things about his friendship with Pancoe was the support he always received from his friend, and the lack of competition between them. 鈥淚n the outdoor world, especially in climbing, there are always so many people trying to outdo each other, with 鈥榝irsts鈥� and records,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淎lex wasn鈥檛 like that. You could be vulnerable with him. We shared our goals and tried to find ways to make them work for each other.鈥�

Hughes said Pancoe’s outgoing personality and dedication to climbing and cancer fundraising will ensure that his memory lives on.

鈥淒espite the things that he was dealing with on a health level, Alex had so much life,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淗is time was cut short, but he is going to far outlive the life that he was given, by how much impact he鈥檚 had on the world around him.鈥�

Want to stay up on 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 2025 Everest Season coverage? Sign up for our听.

The post Alex Pancoe Died on Makalu. Friends Say He Climbed With 鈥淎n Incredible Sense of Purpose.鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ray Zahab first noticed that something was wrong with his body in the spring of 2022. 鈥淚 just started to feel like shit,鈥� he told me, chuckling. The Canadian ultrarunner was 54, and he felt like his body was breaking down. Even his warm up runs began to feel grueling. He was constantly out of breath, napping several times a day, and struggling with severe brain fog. 鈥淚 felt like I had wool in my head,鈥� he said. He wondered if he was nearing the end of his career.

Was this just what aging felt like, or was something worse going on?

Zahab had spent the last two decades crossing some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. He鈥檚 best known for running over 4,600 miles across the Sahara Desert in 2007, becoming鈥攚ith partners Kevin Lin and Charlie Engle鈥攖he first runners to do so. But if you name an extremely hot or cold place, chances are, Zahab鈥檚 crossed it. The deserts of Atacama, Namib, Patagonia, Gobi, and Death Valley. The frozen tundras of Kamchatka, Baffin Island, Antarctica, and Siberia.

Early in 2022, Zahab and longtime expedition partner Kevin Vallely were stymied while attempting an unsupported crossing of Ellesmere, a 500-mile-long Canadian island in the Arctic Circle (and one of the northernmost land masses on the planet). 鈥淚t was clear after starting northward that the snow conditions were going to make it nearly impossible to pull our heavy sleds,鈥� Zahab said. The men made poor progress, trudging directly into a brutal wind, and Vallely ended up with a condition known as 鈥渃aribou lung,鈥� which Zahab described as 鈥渇rostbite of the lining of the lungs.鈥� They soon threw in the towel.

Now, after failure on Ellesmere, Zahab鈥檚 body was failing him, too. Doctors ran tests, and knew that something was wrong鈥攈is red blood cell count was severely depleted鈥攂ut for several months, they couldn鈥檛 give Zahab a diagnosis. 鈥淚 thought maybe I had long COVID, or parasites left over from a past expedition,鈥� Zahab told me. 鈥淚 wondered if I was maybe just getting older.鈥�

When the results finally came in, they were worse than he鈥檇 imagined.

Zahab had a rare form of lymphoma, a blood cancer, in his bone marrow. He鈥檇 caught it early, and his prognosis was good, but for an extreme endurance athlete like Zahab, already in his mid-50s, it could mean the end of a career.

鈥淢y doctor was like, 鈥楪ood news. We caught this. We don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e going to die. Bad news is there’s no cure for what you got.鈥欌��

But Zahab dove into chemotherapy with the same mentality he took into his expeditions. 鈥淚 had the right, if you will, to sit on the couch, binge Netflix, and just try to make it through the next six months of treatment,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I wanted to fight it.鈥�

Each month, Zahab went for a few days of chemo and monoclonal therapy. 鈥淚 would come home, and I’d be sick as a dog for two days,鈥� he recalled. But as soon as he was able, he鈥檇 force himself to get up and out, pushing himself little by little. 鈥淚鈥檇 say, 鈥極k, I’m going to walk a mile one day. The next day I鈥檇 jog a mile. Then I鈥檇 get myself as fit as I could over a 10-day period, and I鈥檇 go away for a week or so to do something personally challenging, whatever that might be for me at the time.鈥�

In between chemotherapy sessions, Zahab ran 30 miles in the Mojave Desert with his daughter. After another session, he crossed a valley in Baffin Island with friends. During another chemo break, he went to the Atacama Desert.

These trips were small potatoes compared to his usual expeditions, but they kept his spirits up. 鈥淚 did these things, not to prove that I could,鈥� Zahab said, 鈥渂ut to try and get myself as fit and stoked and full of life as possible before each round of chemo. I鈥檓 reminding myself that I鈥檓 alive, right?鈥�

Zahab Returns to the Arctic

After six months of chemotherapy, Zahab was in remission. But throughout his treatments, Ellesmere Island never left his mind. And this March, almost three years after their failure in 2022, he and Vallely returned to the frozen island.

They first crossed the island on snowmobiles, burying two caches of supplies, then set out from Eureka, a research base, to ski over 300 miles to the town of Grise Fiord.

The men trudged through blizzards, across frozen sea and land, dragging 150-pound sleds behind them. 鈥淭he surface of the snow was jagged, like little daggers,鈥� Zahab recalled. 鈥淚t felt like pulling something across sandpaper.鈥� They encountered temperatures as low as -112 degrees Fahrenheit with windchill, and winds up to 60 miles an hour. 鈥淲e almost never saw a morning that was warmer than -22 Fahrenheit,鈥� Zahab told me. Zahab鈥檚 tracker suggested the men climbed somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 vertical feet, hauling their sleds up and down steep dunes of frozen snow known as sastrugi, and endless rolling climbs overland.

When the men arrived and set up camp each night, all of their gear was so cold that touching anything was risky. 鈥淵ou touch the sleeping mat, it鈥檒l give you frostbite,鈥� Zahab recalled. 鈥淵ou touch the air inflation bladder for the sleeping mat, it鈥檒l give you frostbite. Everything was so frozen that I could barely feel my hands.鈥� Zahab got frostbite on his fingertips just from setting up camp inside the tent.

At night, they staked down their tent with custom-made footlong titanium stakes, double-walling it and burying the fly deep in the snow so it wouldn鈥檛 blow away. Polar bears were a constant threat. They staked out a wire fence around their campsites on the ice, tied to shotgun blanks that would fire if bears tripped the line. They slept with neck gaiters over their face, so that the moisture of their breath wouldn鈥檛 freeze their sleeping bags.

The men packed 7,000 calories a day, 鈥渂ut we were burning through it like it was nothing,鈥� Zahab said. Their kit included six liters of olive oil, frozen solid into ice cubes, which they sucked on as they walked to keep their energy up. (By the end of the expedition, they鈥檇 become so adapted to the cold that when the temperatures crested -20掳C鈥攚hich was rare鈥攖hey felt so warm that they stripped down to their long underwear.)

After 28 days they finally reached Grise Fiord, becoming one of the few to have ever crossed Ellesmere Island overland. 鈥淢oney, time, cancer, planning, training, everything, it all paid off,鈥� Zahab said.

鈥淚 Get to Live鈥�

Zahab, who has a side career as a professional speaker and also founded a youth nonprofit, is a walking embodiment of the power of positivity. But he wasn鈥檛 always this way. Until his early thirties, Zahab was an overweight, pack-a-day smoker. He went from never having run a race in his life, to setting speed and distance records in some of the most extreme environments on the planet, all after turning 40.

鈥淔or the first half of my life, I talked myself out of doing things because I was afraid of what might happen, or failing, or what others would think,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the second half, I decided I was going to make decisions for myself. You never know how many days you’ve got left.鈥�

Cancer, he says, taught him that 鈥渆very moment you have is something to be celebrated.鈥�

鈥淭here was this moment during chemotherapy where I decided that I was going to continue to try,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淭o do whatever I could do to keep living my life as I had before. The cancer wasn’t going to own me. I was going to own it.鈥�

Today, Zahab is 56, and says he鈥檚 in the best shape of his life, but eventually, his cancer may very well return. He remains in remission, but the lymphoma is in his bone marrow, and there is no cure. This doesn’t faze him.

鈥淚 don’t even think about it,鈥� he told me. 鈥淟et鈥檚 say it comes back in a few years鈥� What am I going to do? I can spend my time worrying about that, or I can spend it celebrating. I get to wake up every single day and make an awesome espresso. I get to go see my kids. I get to run, ski, or paddle somewhere. I get to go trail running with my wife.鈥�

鈥淩ight now, I get to live. Why not focus on that?鈥�

The post “I Get to Live.” Explorer Returns to the Arctic After Surviving Cancer appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On April 8, just a day before her 24th birthday, American rock climber Brooke Raboutou made history by climbing one of the hardest routes in the world.

颁补濒濒别诲听贰虫肠补濒颈产耻谤,听the 40-foot route in Northern Italy is steep and notorious for its difficulty. Over the years this pitch has defied some of rock climbing’s strongest athletes. But Raboutou鈥檚 climb wasn鈥檛 just a big deal because the route was hard. Within the world of rock climbing, Excalibur is graded 9b+/5.15c. Raboutou has now become the first woman, ever, to ascend a climb at that grade.

鈥淔rom the start, I was drawn to you,鈥� Raboutou . 鈥淪ome days felt like effortless harmony; on others, we fought, our voices raised 鈥� You forced me to confront my fears, detach from expectation, and feed every flicker of belief I could find. You taught me to argue with doubt until it began to doubt itself. You asked for everything, but gave me even more in return.鈥�

Here’s what to know about her historic feat:

Who Is Brooke Raboutou?

Raboutou hails from climbing royalty. Her parents, French climber Didier Raboutou and American Robyn Erbesfield, were both world champion competitive climbers. Her older brother, Shawn, is one of the world鈥檚 strongest boulderers鈥攁 subset of climbing focused on short, powerful moves close to the ground.

With her听superhuman family, Brooke Raboutou has been making waves in the world of hard climbing since she was a child. She climbed a boulder graded V10 when she was just nine years old, and at age ten and then 11, became the youngest women to climb routes graded 5.13d and 5.14b, respectively. Long story short: Even before she hit high school, Raboutou was stronger than 99 percent of climbers on the planet.

Raboutou has also had an illustrious competitive career. She attended both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. In Paris, she earned a silver medal, becoming the first American woman to medal in Olympic sport climbing. I interviewed Brooke right before her Olympic success.

What Does the Grade 5.15c Mean?

In the United States, roped rock climbs are graded on a scale called the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), which used to run from 5.0 to 5.10, with the latter rating reserved for the toughest routes. In recent decades, as climbs have become harder, new levels (5.11, 5.12, etc.) have been introduced, with letters (a, b, c, d) tacked onto the end of the number to denote different arrays of difficulty within each number grade.

Today, 5.15c is the second-highest grade thus far.听The first-ever 5.15c was ascended by Czech climber Adam Ondra 2012鈥攖he route, called Change, is in a cave in Flatanger,听Norway. In the 13 years since then, only ten people (Raboutou included) have climbed routes at that grade. Less than a dozen routes graded 5.15c exist in the world.

But not all 5.15 routes are alike鈥攖he rating does not specify a rock’s angle or hold-size. Some 5.15c routes, like Excalibur, are short and steep, and require a climber to pinch microscopic holds up an essentially blank wall. Others 5.15c routes, like La Dura Dura in Spain, are four times as long, but require a climber to perform dynamic movements and diverse techniques to get to the top鈥攁 climbing style that favorites endurance over raw power.

One higher level (5.15d) technically exists, but there are only three routes in the world that have been proposed听to be that grade, and none has been repeated. This is noteworthy because climbing routes receive their grades by consensus. For example: if I am the first person to climb a route, I will tell everyone how hard I think it is, but then other climbers who climb the same route will听chime in with their respective opinions, and so-on. As time goes on, a general opinion within the climbing community emerges about the route鈥檚 grade. Perhaps my initial grading wasn’t entirely accurate鈥攖he climbers who repeat my route will set the story straight.

Of course, this means that assigning grades to the hardest routes is difficult, since only the very best climbers can complete them and then offer their respective opinions. The fewer climbers who are actually able to climb a route, the more weight each individual opinion carries.听For routes like Excalibur, which are among hardest in the world, this number is slim. Only two other climbers鈥擲tefano Ghisolf听and Will Bosi鈥攈ave been able to complete the route.

So, while 5.15c is technically the second-hardest grade in the world, it’s the hardest grade that multiple climbers have been able to complete and then verify.

What Do We Know About听Excalibur?

I鈥檝e reported on Excalibur by Ghisolfi, who hails from the town Arco where the route is located, in 2023. The route鈥攚hich is named for a sculpture of a sword-in-an-anvil placed near its base鈥攊s shorter than most other 5.15c climbs. However, it is steeper, and as a result, each move is individually harder.

The wall Excalibur ascends is overhanging at an angle of 40 degrees. Imagine climbing up a pyramid, but from the inside. The route is only 40 feet long and entails approximately 18 individual movements. To the layperson, this wall would appear essentially blank and completely devoid of hand or footholds. In truth, there are holds, but they are scarcely bigger than the cracks in the surface of听a brick wall.听Climbers have ascended听Excalibur using tiny pinches and 鈥渃rimps鈥濃�攃redit card-like edges in the rock that are sometimes only a few millimeters deep鈥攁nd shallow pockets, which can be grabbed using only a couple of fingers.

To get an idea of what Excalibur entails, I suggest of Ghisolfi making the first ascent.

In outdoor climbing, Raboutou has specialized in bouldering, like her brother Shawn, which also makes her ascent of Excalibur noteworthy. She has never climbed a route in the 5.15 zone, so her jump to a 5.15c is extremely impressive.听Excalibur, although it is a roped climb, is right up Raboutou鈥檚 alley.

What Did Brooke Raboutou Have to Say?

Raboutou said her ascent of听Excalibur听was different from those of the men who have previous ascended it. Raboutou is just 5 foot 3 inches tall.

“I knew a lot of the general beta used by Stefano and others when I first started trying听Excalibur, but I had to find my own methods and strategies that fit me,” she said. “My dimensions and climbing style are very different from theirs.”

Raboutout also said the climb required patience. Early in her attempts on the rock she made quick progress and she felt strong. But the variables that come with outdoor climbing鈥攁nd not in a rock gym鈥攎ade the going slow. “When I first started trying this climmb I felt really good on it really fast and kind of surprised myself. With that came an expectation that I could come it and fast,” she said. “That wasn’t the case. I had to detach from that expectation and be patient for things to line up: good weather, my skin to heal, my muscles to recover, and work toward a mental state that allowed me to execute physically.”

All of that focus didn’t prevent Raboutou from having some fun with the sword sculpture at听Excalibur’s base.

Where听Excalibur Places Brooke Raboutou in Climbing History

In 1993, American climber Lynn Hill made the first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite. This 3,300-foot route, graded 5.14a, is the world鈥檚 most famous rock climb. Prior to Hill, it had never been climbed by anyone, male or female, without using artificial aids to get around some of the more difficult, blank sections.

Throughout much of rock climbing’s early decades, the sport was male-dominated. In recent years, that has changed. In 2024, Austrian climber Barbara 鈥淏absi鈥� Zangerl to 鈥渇lash鈥� a route on El Capitan鈥攖his means she climbed the route on her first try, without a single fall.

The first woman to ascend a route rated 5.15 was , who scaled a 5.15a route in Spain called La Rambla in 2017. The same year, Austrian climber Angela 鈥淎ngy鈥� Eiter became the first woman to climb 5.15b by ascending a route in Spain called La Planta de Shiva.

In the eight years since then, other women have climbed routes graded 5.15a and 5.15b, but none have completed a 5.15c. With her Olympic medal last year, Raboutou proved herself one of the world鈥檚 leading indoor climbers. With Excalibur, she now stands at the pinnacle of outdoor climbing as well.

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