Two 16-year-old sailors on quests to solo sail the globe

Local teenager Abby Sunderland, 16, is preparing to depart Saturday on her 40-foot sailboat "Wild Eyes" in her attempt to solo circumnavigate the world, nonstop and unassisted, says Pete Thomas on his blog.

The adventurer from Thousand Oaks had planned to leave last weekend, but small issues with her vessel delayed her and then this week's spate of Southern California storms changed her plans again.

Meanwhile, another teenager, Australia's 16-year-old Jessica Watson, is nearing her 100th day at sea, and shares on her blog some of the things she misses most:

"Family and friends pretty obviously come first. Particularly my brother and sisters. Second is being able to sleep and relax without the constant feeling of needing to be ready for anything. Third would be sleep -- long, uninterrupted sleep with no alarms and nothing to wake me! (That's how I intend on spending my first few weeks back home, so please don't make any plans for me!).

Yosemite National Park roads closed temporarily

Yosemite National Park officials issued a news release this morning reporting that all roads leading into Yosemite Valley are temporarily closed.

Highways 41 (Wawona Road) and 120 (Big Oak Flat Road) into the park are closed due to snowy and icy conditions.  Additionally, Highway 140 (El Portal Road) into Yosemite Valley is closed due to fallen trees on the roadway.  Badger Pass Road and the Hetch Hetchy Road are also closed at this time.

Visitors coming into the park through the weekend are urged to use caution and to drive slowly.  All vehicles entering the park -- including those with four-wheel drive -- must carry chains, as the weather can change quickly. Additionally, visitors are also urged to be aware of the risk of falling trees while driving or walking in the park.

Assessment of all roads in Yosemite will occur throughout the day.  For 24-hour road information please call (209) 372-0200.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A view of Half Dome from Cook's Meadow in Yosemite National Park after several feet of snowfall. Credit: Victoria Mates / National Park Service

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Storms pile on the snow in Southern California mountains and ski resorts

The storms expected to roll through Southern California this week should bring with them massive snowfall for area mountains and ski resorts.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area reports on its website that they have received 26 inches of new snow within the last 24 hours. With two more fronts forecast this week, Mammoth could be blanketed with up to 10 feet of fresh snow when all is said and done.

"There is no doubt that we here in the upper elevations will get a lot of snow," amateur meteorologist Howard Sheckter, whose forecasts are posted on the Mammoth site, said. "The [Sierra] Crest will get between 7 and 8, or even 9 feet by Friday night and the town 4 to 6 feet.

Snow Summit and Bear Mountain are reporting that Monday's snowfall totaled 3 to 7 inches, with more snow forecast today and through the week.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service has issued severe storm warnings for both areas.

Here's an excerpt from their report for the Eastern Sierras:

A winter weather advisory for snow and gusty winds remains in effect until 10 p.m. this evening.

         Snow showers will continue late this morning in advance of the next storm which will arrive by this              afternoon. Moderate to heavy snow is expected through about midnight before decreasing overnight.          A stronger storm is expected to hit the Sierra later Wednesday and Wednesday night.

High-surf and small-craft advisories issued for Southern and Central California coastline

The NOAA National Weather Service has issued high-surf and small-craft advisories for Southern and Central California coastal waters.

"This is the kind of event where someone fishing from the rocks or jetties can get washed out to sea and is very dangerous. They are usually accompanied by strong rip tides so if you do go in, you are in trouble," 976-Tuna founder Philip Friedman told Outposts.

Here are excerpts from each advisory:

High surf advisory:

High surf is expected to develop on the Central Coast today and on west facing beaches of Los Angeles, Ventura and Southern Santa Barbara counties tonight. During the peak of this surf event Wednesday through Thursday morning surf is expected to average 15 to 20 feet on beaches north of Point Conception. ... On west facing beaches of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, surf is expected to reach 8 to 12 feet. ...

Fish poachers taking advantage of Florida's cold snap

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are dealing with another effect of the brutal cold snap hitting the state -- fish poachers.

The drop in temperature is making some fish so lethargic that they are just floating to the water's surface and being grabbed up by unethical fishermen, who are taking fish by the hundreds in some instances, reports Florida TV station WFTV.

"We're seeing them using dip nets, and using boats, but you can get them from the shoreline," said FWC officer Steve Van Nortwyck.

The department is receiving reports of filleted fish littering shorelines. A poacher left behind a pile of more than 100 snook carcasses under a dock in New Smyrna Beach, on the eastern shore of the state. Snook season is closed, so possessing even a single fish is a second-degree misdemeanor.

FWC officers are patrolling waterways in an effort to halt the massive fish grab, and have arrested at least five people so far.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Common snook during warmer weather. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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Skiers, and then rescue party, hit by avalanches in Swiss Alps

At least four people, including one rescuer, have died after two avalanches in the Swiss Alps.

A group of skiers was buried by an avalanche midday Sunday while skiing in Diemtig Valley, about 25 miles south of Bern, Switzerland. Rescuers who arrived shortly thereafter were then hit by a second snowslide.

Bern Cantonal police spokeswoman Ursula Stauffer told the Associated Press that eight people were pulled from the snow alive, but three -- two skiers and one rescue doctor -- later died in the hospital. The body of another skier was recovered, and three are still missing.

A massive search-and-rescue operation involving 100 rescuers and eight helicopters was launched in an attempt to find the skiers and rescuers still missing, but efforts are being hampered by fog and snowfall.

"Rescuers haven't been able to resume their search today because the helicopter can't get close to the site due to the bad weather," Stauffer said.

Officials had warned of the danger of avalanches in the Swiss Alps due to recent heavy snowfall.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Rescue workers at the site where two avalanches came down a mountainside in the Swiss Alps. Credit: Associated Press / Keystone, Bern Cantonal Police

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Kentucky bear hunters are skunked because of Mother Nature

The first black bear hunt held in Kentucky in more than 100 years ended with hunters reporting zero of the animals shot, on account of a major storm that moved through the area and dumped enough snow to make hunting impossible.

"Most secondary roads were impassable due to snow or fallen trees," Steven Dobey, Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources bear biologist, said in a news release.

"Hunters simply couldn't get to the areas they intended to hunt -- and likely would have taken bears."

The two-day bear hunting season was scheduled for Dec. 19 and 20 in Harlan, Letcher, and Pike counties in southeastern Kentucky.

Black bears were nearly absent from Kentucky for about 150 years after intensive logging and unregulated hunting diminished their habitat and population. Today, however, black bears are reportedly more abundant than at any point since then.

“Bears are now well established in eastern Kentucky and research shows that population growth has risen steadily over the last 20 years," said Dobey.

No word as to if next year's season will be scheduled to take place earlier in the month, though the quota of 10 male or five female bears does come into play on the timing. Ongoing tracking of radio-collared bears shows that most females enter dens during the first week in December, thus concentrating hunting efforts on male bears.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A black bear scans the water while hunting for fish. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

Note: To follow this blog on Twitter please visit @latimesoutposts

Fish and Game Q&A: Can we throw dead fish overboard to remain legal when saltwater fishing?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:

Question: We often take three-day fishing trips on a private boat and always get the multi-day fishing trip permits to cover us. The multi-day permits require the trip to be continuous and to extend for a period of 12 hours or more on the first and last days of the trip, and berthing or docking within five miles of the mainland shore is prohibited. Since we do a lot of fishing within five miles of the shore, can we anchor and fish or sleep within five miles of the mainland as long as we don’t berth our boat or touch land or a dock? What do we do if we get our limit and a storm comes in before noon on the last day? Do we throw our dead catch over so we can get to shore safely and still be legal or do we keep them even if technically we’ll then be over the limit? Thank you. (Don F.)

Answer: Anglers can fish within five miles of the mainland, but berthing (anchoring) or docking is prohibited and anglers must disembark at the place of return as stated on the declaration form (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 27.15[b]). These permits were originally designed more to cover people who are fishing many miles offshore for multiple days (like for tuna and the more long-range species) who cannot easily get back to the dock each night.

According to Game Warden Jason Chance, every mariner and boat operator is responsible for planning out their trips in advance -- especially trips that will encompass multiple days at sea. If you plan your trip according to weather forecasts, it’s relatively unlikely that you’ll be caught off-guard by a sudden storm. By continuously monitoring your marine radio for ongoing NOAA weather forecasts and hazardous conditions updates, and then Channel 16 for any emergency U.S. Coast Guard announcements, you should not be surprised by changing weather conditions.

Oregon may require locator beacons for Mt. Hood expeditions

The recent death and disappearance of three climbers on Oregon's 11,249-foot Mt. Hood has revived debate about requiring mountaineers to carry personal locator beacons on the mountain.

Following an eerily similar incident in 2007 -- one climber was found dead and two others never located -- the Oregon Legislature considered a bill requiring winter climbers to carry the device, though it never passed the Senate.

Backers of such a stipulation contend that locator beacons would help search-and-rescue teams pinpoint lost climbers, reducing the risk for those searching, and saving time and expense.

Those opposing such a requirement believe it could lead to climbers taking excessive risks because they assume they will be located and rescued.

As a casual hiker, I would never attempt to ascend mountains such as Mt. Whitney or Mt. Hood -- locator beacon or not -- knowing they are out of my league.

But I'm curious what readers' thoughts are. Would personal locator beacons be a good idea to help track down the lost and reduce risk to rescuers, or would hikers and climbers attempt more difficult paths, believing that if they got stuck or lost someone would come save them?

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Trees in the foreground belie the immensity of Mt. Hood as early morning sunlight glints off the mountain peak. Credit: Don Ryan / Associated Press

Search effort for missing climbers on Mt. Hood suspended; becomes recovery mission

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office announced this afternoon that the search for two climbers that have been missing on Oregon's 11,249-foot Mt. Hood since Friday has been suspended and is now being handled as a recovery effort.

"One of the most difficult decisions I have to make as Sheriff is the decision to suspend search operations. I have consulted with all of the search-and-rescue experts at my disposal, along with the family members of Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietta, and have made the decision to suspect search operations at this time," Sheriff Craig Roberts said in a news release.

"My condolences go out to all the family and friends of Luke Gullberg, Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietti. I would like to thank all of the search-and-rescue personnel for the many hours they have spent on this search and others. Without these dedicated individuals, we could not perform difficult missions."

Avalanche danger and severe weather has kept search and rescue teams from reaching the area where  24-year-old Anthony Vietti, of Longview, Wash., and 29-year-old Katie Nolan, of Portland, Ore., are believed to be.

The climbers' families praised the efforts of search and rescue teams at a news conference today, reports Oregon Fox Television affiliate KPTV.

"They have risked their lives," David Nolan, Katie's father, said. "They have sacrificed time with their family and children. These guys have courage and valor."

--Kelly Burgess

Photo: A helicopter flies past Mt. Hood's Crater Rock on Sunday in search of two missing climbers. Credit: Don Ryan / Associated Press

Related:

Officials say chances are slim that missing Mt. Hood climbers are still alive

Severe weather may halt search for missing Mt. Hood climbers

Poor weather, avalanche danger hamper search for missing Mt. Hood climbers

Officials say chances are slim that missing Mt. Hood climbers are still alive

Officials believe it is unlikely that the two climbers missing since Friday on Oregon's Mt. Hood are alive, reports Oregon Fox Television affiliate KPTV.

An authority on mountain survival spoke with family members of the missing climbers Tuesday and told them that the possibility of Katie Nolan, 29, of Portland, Ore., and Anthony Vietti, 24, of Longview, Wash., surviving conditions on the 11,249-foot mountain for this many days is exceedingly slim.

"Unfortunately, in this case, time is no longer in our favor," Terri Schmidt, a Oregon Health & Science University hypothermia expert, said later at a news conference. "What we know is after 48 hours, the chances of finding someone alive after that go down to about 1%."

Rescue workers are still on standby, but whiteout conditions and the risk of avalanche made any search effort impossible Tuesday and unlikely in the coming days. 

Portland Mountain Rescue team leader Steve Rollins said it would take four or five days of good weather to ease avalanche danger, and such weather on Mt. Hood at this time of year is unlikely.

Severe weather may halt search for missing Mt. Hood climbers

Whiteout conditions may prevent search and rescue crews from continuing efforts to locate two climbers missing on Oregon's Mt. Hood since Friday. Officials told Oregon Fox Television affiliate KPTV that "crews remain on standby" as the situation is being assessed almost hourly.

Authorities are still hoping that experienced climbers Anthony Vietti, 24, of Longview, Wash., and Katie Nolan, 29, of Portland, Ore., could be found alive.

Sadly, a third climber, Luke T. Gullberg, 26, of Des Moines, Wash., was found dead on Saturday. An autopsy showed that Gullberg died of hypothermia, said Clackamas County Sheriff's office spokesman Jim Strovink.

On Monday, a helicopter was able to search the summit after clouds cleared enough for the pilot and crew to examine high altitudes they were unable to scour previously, but no sign of the two climbers was seen.