Criminal charges won’t be filed in climber death

No criminal charges will be filed against a man who threw a bowling ball-sized rock over a cliff, hitting and killing another man climbing below, a Wyoming prosecutor said last week.

Fremont County Attorney Ed Newell said no drugs or alcohol were involved. Newell has refused to identify the man.

Pete Absolon, 47, died instantly when he was struck by the rock Aug. 11 while climbing the Leg Lake Cirque in the Wind River Mountains. Absolon was the Rocky Mountain regional director of the National Outdoor Leadership School in nearby Lander.

Newell said Absolon’s widow has the option of pursuing a civil case.

The man, who had no prior record, was hiking with several others when he threw the over the ledge and down a sheer cliff.

“He had no idea anybody was below,” Newell said.

The man leaned over and saw the rock hit Absolon, immediately calling friends for help and running to the bottom of the cliff to check on Absolon, Newell said.

“He could have easily walked away, and it would have been assumed that the rock had simply fallen due to natural causes,” Newell said.

In making his decision not to file charges, Newell cited the man’s remorse and said he took responsibility and cooperated with officials.

Still, Newell said throwing the rock over the ledge without checking to see if anyone was below was “criminally negligent or reckless.”

Associated Press

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Idaho appoints commissioner

A former national forest supervisor has been appointed to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission representing the Clearwater Region.

Fred Trevey has been a natural resource management consultant in Lewiston since 1999. Before that, he served as supervisor of the Clearwater National Forest from 1988 to 1991, and of the Coconino National Forest from 1991 to 1998.

Trevey, who was appointed to the commission by Gov. Butch Otter, is a member of the Kelly Creek Flycasters.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and wildlife management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and has 32 years of professional experience in natural resources management.

Trevey will succeed Commissioner Alex Irby on the on the seven-member commission. Irby’s term expired June 30.

Trevey must be confirmed by the state Senate. His term on the Fish and Game Commission runs through June 2011.

Rich Landers

FISHING

Steelhead get urge to run

Columbia River steelhead have been stirring excitement since Aug. 19, when one of the largest steelhead counts on record – 11,039 – was tallied at Bonneville Dam, the first dam that greets them on their upriver migration.

The surge of fish may be related to changing weather rather than to a gigantic run. Nevertheless, fish are moving upriver and becoming available to anglers in numbers higher than last year at this time.

On Monday, a total of 238,266 steelhead had climbed over Bonneville for the season compared with 184,821 on the same day last year. The season count at Lower Granite, the last dam on the Snake River before steelhead reach the popular fishing waters near Lewiston, was 4,821 on Monday compared with 2,136 last year.

Rich Landers