Backcountry skiing is growing in popularity, but experts warn it's more dangerous than you think
In the last decade, at least 234 people in the U.S. have been killed by avalanches — the vast majority in the backcountry, according to data compiled by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and the U.S. Forest Service. Some victims were hikers and snowmobilers, but more than half were skiers. Reporter Jack Dolan says that's a shocking number given how small the community of hardcore backcountry skiers is.
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Travel Weekly
09-08-2025
- Travel Weekly
A tunnel to Epic Universe? How Boring!
Jamie Biesiada Last month, rumors began to swirl that Universal Orlando Resort was in early talks with Elon Musk's Boring Co. to create an underground network of transport tunnels along International Drive. It would connect Universal's Orlando properties, its original campus and the new campus housing Epic Universe, cutting down on I-Drive traffic and offering Universal guests a quicker way to get around. While neither party has confirmed anything, the tunnel system would reportedly be similar to the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop: Teslas would transport passengers to various stops along the network. Universal already has measures in place to help traffic flow to and from Epic Universe, with its massive elevated loop outside the park that includes dedicated bus lanes, but any additional time-saving innovations could mean a world of difference to park guests who want to cram as much as possible into a day. I asked several travel advisors about whether Universal guests are concerned with the amount of time it takes to travel between parks. Most guests don't complain about it. Beci Mahnken, owner of MEI-Travel, said clients tend to accept the transportation time as part of the experience at Universal. (Farther down the road at Disney, buses are also de rigueur for many transportation routes, though they don't leave Disney-owned property.) Sara Newbury, an advisor with Travel Leaders -- Galaxy Travel, said her Universal and Disney guests are more likely to complain about the wait time it takes for a bus to appear. This could be solved with tunnels: The Boring Co. reportedly said in 2023 that the average wait time for Las Vegas passengers was less than 10 seconds. It could even become a selling point, Newbury said. "Time is money, and nowadays it seems we have to protect both more than ever before," she said. But there's another factor that's perhaps even more intriguing: Could underground tunnels and Teslas be themed to provide some entertainment along the way, a la the Hogwarts Express between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida? The short answer is yes, but not without challenges. Both advisors I spoke with pointed to a host of potential environmental problems in Florida: soil conditions, the high water table, hurricane considerations and sinkholes. It could be, in Mahnken's words, "enormously complex and costly." "However, with advances in engineering and technology happening all the time, it's exciting to imagine that such innovative transportation solutions could become more feasible," Mahnken said. "Universal and other theme parks are always looking for ways to elevate the guest experience, so creative ideas like this definitely have potential down the road." Universal certainly has enough intellectual property that could be a springboard for a themed drive. "The Fast & Furious" franchise immediately comes to mind. Or, to keep interpark connections consistent, the loop could connect Universal's various Harry Potter-themed lands like the Hogwarts Express does between the original two parks today. Maybe Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia could take parkgoers for a whimsical drive. Or the Teslas could be modeled into the carriages that take Hogwarts students from the train station in the nearby village of Hogsmeade to the school. (As for the conundrum of which guests would see the magical creatures, called Thestrals, "pulling" the carriages, I'll leave that to Universal Creative.) I've hoped for themed transportation between Epic Universe and its Orlando sisters since the park was announced in 2019. Whether it's in the form of electric vehicles or something else entirely, Universal has an epic (sorry!) world of possibilities.
Los Angeles Times
02-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
High levels of E.coli found at Lake Tahoe beach after sewage leak
Officials are warning the public to stay out of the water near a popular resort on Lake Tahoe's Southern shore this weekend after detecting 'high levels' of E. coli bacteria Friday after a sewage leak. Water quality samples collected near the Camp Richardson Resort revealed elevated levels of Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, according to the U.S. Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Immediately after the E. coli was detected, the resort conducted a sewer line inspection, located a leak and began repairs, the forest service said. 'Although no illnesses have been reported, the public should avoid recreational waters that have been tested and found to have high levels of E. coli,' the forest service said in a news release. The forest service is advising swimmers, paddlers and boaters to stay out of the water from Jameson Beach to the Valhalla Boathouse in South Lake Tahoe, even though levels of E. Coli in test results for samples collected near the boathouse and Jameson Beach do not exceed state standards. One of California's most beloved summer destinations, Lake Tahoe saw officials close beaches on its northern shore last summer after a private contractor drilled through a sewer pipeline in Carnelian Bay, spilling 85,000 gallons of raw sewage into Lake Tahoe. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board conducted an investigation into the incident and last month Caltrans and the North Tahoe Public Utility District agreed to pay an $850,000 fine. In South Tahoe, the Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit said Friday that tests in nearby shoreline locations do not indicate elevated bacteria levels. There are no advisories in effect for Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach. According to the Forest Service, officials are collecting and analyzing water samples from Camp Richardson and areas east and west of the resort and will advise the public if they need to take additional precautions or if it's safe to resume normal activities.
San Francisco Chronicle
02-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Swimmers warned to stay away from Tahoe beach after sewage leak
Federal officials are warning Tahoe beachgoers to stay away from the water near Camp Richardson upon discovering a local sewer line leak and elevated levels of E. coli bacteria. The U.S. Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit announced the findings Friday while advising that beachgoers, boaters, paddlers and swimmers 'should avoid' the water near Camp Richardson Resort, where the sewage leak was found. The resort 'immediately initiated a sewer line inspection and located the leak and has initiated repair,' according to the announcement. The affected area is confined to a segment of shoreline between Jameson Beach and Valhalla Boathouse. That zone is between two of the south shore's most popular beaches, Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach; however, the Forest Service did not issue advisories for those places. 'Tests in nearby shoreline locations do not indicate elevated bacteria levels and no other areas of Lake Tahoe have been affected,' the announcement reads. No illnesses have been reported, and no timetable was given for the advisory. Water in the affected area will be monitored daily, according to the Forest Service.
