Today was going to be a backcountry ski morning, but the weather got springtime shaky so I’m banking some office time. Besides, our very own mountain film festival starts today here in Carbondale. This afternoon, at 5:00 PM, be there for burritos and beer then a slew of movies specially tailored for younger mountain boys and girls (and all nonagenarians). From base jumping to adventure fishing — looks like they’ve got it covered. More here.
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As for Len, I’m sure he’d be psyched at the way we’re honoring our mountain culture. As blogged yesterday, we climbed and skied Len’s eponymous mountain. While I knew who the man was from my studies over the years, I figured perhaps it’s time to put on my history hat (no, it’s not tinfoil, Dave) and blog at least a few more details about Len. His obit is nowhere to be found on the web, so here is a short bio copied verbatim from his book “Roaring Fork Valley.”
“Len was born on April 22, 1881, at Rosita, Colorado, and accompanied his parents to the Glenwood Springs area in 1886. The Shoemakers were married in Carbondale, December 2, 1906. He was a member of the Washington Park Community Church, the Masonic and Elks lodges, and the Eastern Star, all of Denver. Len was author of several books during and after his long career with the Forest Service. He retired in 1943, having served posts in Boulder, Carbondale, along the Frying Pan and in Denver, where he remained for twenty years. He returned to Glenwood Springs in 1968 — where he died at the age of 92, July 18, 1973.”
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
