Backcountry.com Athlete Cedar Wright and Stefan Lavender spent a week in Ten Sleep Wyoming climbing and shooting footage with their tiny dogs as companions. The product is Mini Dawgz The Movie. Based on the opening credits it looks like Cedar’s dog is pretty good at driving really fast.

Earthquakes in New York and Colorado. A hurricane in New York. And now a barrage of 700 lightening strikes in Yellowstone in one 24-hour period. These are the things that happen when I try to leave town for a week. The strikes in Yellowstone ignited six wildfires though none larger than an acre. So are we having crazy weather or has a government hostile to the US testing a doomsday device? We’ll find out soon enough. The good news is that all the fires in Yellowstone are being managed and none look to pose much of a danger to the park.

Bozeman, Montana will become the new training grounds for ice climbers seeking to enter the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with the construction of the first UIAA approved ice climbing facility in North America. The design made my local students incorporates old lift towers from Bridger Bowl, and during summers the spot will be used as a venue for outdoor concerts. Check out Bozeman Ice Tower for a look at the design. It looks cool, but I’m going to keep holding out for ice fishing to be an Olympic event.

Backcountry.com lost a favorite son this past weekend. The story of Jeff Bates’ battle with cancer is legendary and has touched everyone at Backcountry and everyone in the local bike community and beyond. He was an incredible person, a dedicated employee, a great friend, and a loving husband and father.

Thanks, Jeff, for your contributions and commitment, and for being part of our lives. You will be forever remembered for your strength, optimism and valor.

Friends touched by his generous spirit and inspiring battle with cancer are welcome to make a donation through the Jeff Bates Melanoma Fund.

Photo: Jeff Bates Melanoma Fund

A new stretch of the Continental Divide Trail has opened in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Bad news for everyone who’s walked it: your hike doesn’t count anymore, time to start over and do the whole thing. The good news is that the trail will only be one mile longer, and the new trail section will take them through the forest north of Grand Lake instead of putting them on a highway.