Race recap, bear hunting and a Himalayan tragedy
Some recent news and notes from the world of the outdoors…
Saturday concluded a pretty good month for triathlons here in Oklahoma. Earlier in the month was the Red Man, a pretty difficult race by anyone’s standards. On Saturday, Norman hosted the Tie Dye Tri, an event where several of my friends competed and enjoyed the race very much.
Tie-Dye Tri in Norman
There’s still time, by the way, to get involved in the upcoming Spirit of Survival event in Lawton. There’s several races there (many of them are qualifiers, including one Boston Marathon qualifier) and a walk/run for fun. Proceeds and fundraisers connected to this event go toward fighting cancer and helping cancer patients in southwestern Oklahoma. And participants get to run in a beautiful area.
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Sad news from the Himalayas over the weekend.
Clifton Maloney, husband of New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, died a day after reaching the summit of Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak at 26,906 feet.
Clifton Maloney, 71, became the oldest person to ever reach the summit of this Himalayan giant, according to The Associated Press.
Cho Oyu, in the Himalayas.
It was said that he was in excellent health during the climb. “I am told that his last words were, ‘I am the happiest man in the world. I just climbed a beautiful mountain,’” AP quoted Barry Nolan, a congressional aide who works with Carolyn Maloney.
No word yet on what caused his death, but it doesn’t appear to be from a fall, avalanche or anything like that.
Speaking from experience, weird things happen at high altitudes. Condolences to his family.
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A few months ago, I posed a question about what readers thought about the legalization of a bear hunting season in Oklahoma. As reported in The Oklahoman on Sunday, black bear season starts this week.
Black bear in Oklahoma are on the rise, and are now legal to hunt.
A recap: Up to 20 bear can be harvested per season. Hunting seasons will be limited to archery and muzzle-loaders, and will be permitted in just four counties. The bear population in southeastern Oklahoma (transplanted from Minnesota and Canada years ago) has grown to at least 500 bears in Oklahoma. Some locals have said the bears are becoming a nuisance and their population needs to be controlled.
I’ve received a lot of comments on this one from a past post. Obviously, the debate will continue. Would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Bob Doucette
bdoucette@opubco.com
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