Ear to the Ground Show Notes – 4/2/21
Happy April! This week had an awesome group of panelists talking about news in the outdoors. We also had panelists share their Outdoor Career Stories, first gigs, big breaks, coolest accomplishments and hardest falls.
Tune in on Clubhouse Fridays at 4:30 MST to be part of the conversation.
Space-loving traveler who wants to bring great people together There are a lot of meetups in SoCal right now for new surfers that focus on inclusivity. Starting surfing can be really intimidating, especially when lineups are big, so these groups focus on inclusivity in diverse communities and building beginner’s confidence.
Erich Roepke:
Filmmaker- Full Circle Film out on Youtube now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ5AQC-qzTc
Erich just finished a shoot called “Land Below Zero” so look for stories about that in future rooms. He also is developing a program where the goal is to restore a well every week to attempt to make drinking water more accessible to the whole world. The goal is to have influencers do personal fundraisers and then use that network to make a lasting and meaningful change.
There was a helicopter crash in Alaska this week that killed 5 out of the 6 passengers. Greg Harms was one of the individuals who did not make it. He was an inspiration and a legend in the outdoor space and his loss will be felt by many.
Ski magazine launched a program “Lifts closed backcountry’s open” to show people how to operate the backcountry safely and to get more people experience it. Check it out here: https://www.skimag.com/collection/backcountry-skiing/
Whistler Black Cone in British Columbia was officially closed down completely this week for three weeks, which essentially marks the rest of the season. It was closed mid spring break which, while not being the biggest week, is still an important one for resorts as far as profits. They were forced to closed by “The Crown” aka the Government, due to covid outbreaks in the area. The closure has caused a ripple effect and numerous other resorts in BC have closed for the season as well. The closure comes with a wave of layoffs for the area, meaning a lot of locals are out of work and with covid apparently seeing a second wind, it could mean tough times to come for those who live in mountain towns.
In Colorado, a bill was passed in 2019 to limit pollutants from businesses. This year many business owners have written to the governor (Jared Polis) to strengthen that bill and demand more from business in doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint.
Mountain Gazette had an April Fools joke this year that they had aquired Freeze Magazine. It ended up getting so out of hand that Mike had to convince his employees that it was just an April Fools joke.
Jay Hart:
Candice Burt (runcandicerun on Instagram) is attempting the fastest time on the Arizona Trail right now. She is attempting to break 14 days, will run the whole thing, and will be posting stories and updates on her Instagram throughout.
The Michigan Line 5 Pipeline is being hotly debated right now. Essentially it would be an oil pipeline that would run through Michigan, a state with the most fresh water in the country, and are home to the largest freshwater system in the world: the Great Lakes. An oil leak there would be disastrous. Check out the stats and updates here: https://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/problem
Renee McCurdy:
As a nurse living near Whistler (the mountain that just closed), people are anxious. The Government, for a long time, has been saying that day trips to ski resorts are allowed and people are being safe, so the news came as a shock to many.
As a healthcare worker in the system, it is not the same. When the pandemic started, there were claps for healthcare workers twice a day throughout many cities, there were drives to make masks, there was support. Now there is none, but the pandemic has not gone away.