As COVID-19 has brought Continental Europe to a virtual standstill, Search and Rescue teams from Austria, Italy, and Germany have issued a public statement asking everyone to refrain from ski touring or any mountain excursions. For small nations like Austria, and nations hit as hard as Italy, adding more patients into an already completely overloaded healthcare system would prove catastrophic. Simply put, if you get hurt in the mountains, there are either no more resources available to help you out, or you would be taking a bed away from someone in critical need due to the current pandemic.
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On social networks, locals have been reminding their friends about the importance of this request, sharing fun ways to pass the time inside.
Here in the States, this advice also rings extremely true. For many reasons, lots of us now have plenty of free time on our hands, but we should really be mindful about heading out into the backcountry. Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is ALWAYS dangerous, and this is simply not the time to be putting yourself at greater risk than necessary.
Likewise, traveling to small isolated communities like Moab or Sedona to lay low in the desert is also probably not a good idea, simply due to the risk of transmission and overloading their fragile healthcare systems. Would you want outsiders bringing a problem like this to your small town? We think not.
The mountains, the desert, the river, and any of your favorite playgrounds will be there when this all blows over, so please follow guidelines issues by healthcare organizations.
UPDATE: SAR Finds Body Of Teton Pass Avalanche Victim
UPDATE: SAR Finds Body Of Teton Pass Avalanche Victim
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Max Ritter
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UPDATE: A rescue on Teton Pass's Taylor Mountain is currently still ongoing by Teton Search and Rescue after a slide was reported yesterday afternoon. TCSAR received a distress call at 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday, after two snowboarders triggered an avalanche on the south side of the mountain at about 2:45 p.m. A partner beacon search was unsuccessful, and TCSAR responded in full force to try and locate the presumably buried victim. The search was called off at dark, and rescuers are resuming
Mt. Washington Backcountry Closes Due to Risk and Crowding
Mt. Washington Backcountry Closes Due to Risk and Crowding
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Zack Skovron
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After closing access to the Tuckerman Ravine Headwall earlier this week, the Forest Service has made the tough decision to fully close Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines, as well as the Gulf of Slides area to all use. Individuals violating the closure may face a fine of up to $5000 and/or six months imprisonment, according to a press release from the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center. RELATED: Stay Stoked- Your Guide to TGR's Best Content According to the release, "The
6.5 Earthquake Near Boise Triggers Multiple Sawtooth Avalanches
6.5 Earthquake Near Boise Triggers Multiple Sawtooth Avalanches
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Max Ritter
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News
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2.7K
On Tuesday evening, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake was recorded in Idaho, with an epicenter just north of Stanley in the Sawtooth Range. The earthquake occurred during a period of heavy snowfall and high winds, which had sent the avalanche danger to High. As a result of the quake, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center reported multiple large avalanches, including some from observers in Stanley that could hear them rumbling for up to a minute from town. RELATED: Now is Not the Time to "Try" Backcountry