I don’t know what’s better, casting for trout, or casting for pod. But podcasting with Cripple Creek Backcountry is a blast, that’s for sure. A few days ago they had me over to their recording studio (otherwise known as the beer tap counter) for a blab session. They call their ‘cast “Totally Deep” and this time we did go farther, with talk about how difficult it is to write about avalanche accidents while keeping it educational and readable, and not being perceived as exploitative. That’s an art I’ve clearly not mastered, but I do try to improve.
Listen to it here (and see some blackmail shots as well)!
One (now) amusing episode in WildSnow’s long history of covering accidents was when, a few years ago, one of the Cripple Creek co-owners, Randy, nearly got taken by a slide. He was with a group who clearly were pushing things. I blogged about it, and the S hit the fan in so many ways.
In particular and unbeknownst to me, Randy and his partner were apoplectic about how my writing on such mistakes could affect the credibility of their new backcountry skiing retail operation — not to mention concerns about whether Randy’s family might accidentally happen upon the blog post and put 2&2 together. (Many of you know the drill. Media covers an avalanche accident, next thing you know your parents are calling and asking “was that you?” or “I just read about how dangerous Colorado is, you’re not still doing that illegal out-of-bounds skiing, are you now?”
Randy and I got together for a talk over coffee soon after, which led to both of us pondering and (hopefully) improving our avalanche safety awareness. But more, led to a rewarding friendship, as well as working with Cripple Creek in mutual support of our business endeavors.
If you’ve not done so, check out all of the Totally Deep podcasts, you’ll find hours of amusement and perhaps even days of education, or seconds of shear terror (smile)?
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.