I was amused by a recent article about Aron Ralston in Mountain Gazette, Colorado’s wordy journal that covers an eclectic mix of verbiage, all loosely associated with life in the mountain west.
The piece by Vince Welch is titled “The Hand.” It tells the story of recovering Aron Ralston’s famous appendage from its trap under a boulder in Blue John Canyon. In the usual Gazette style the writing is way too long and includes the usual boorish whining about those pesky OTHER people who are moving to or visiting the (read OUR) west, but skim that junk and you’ll find part of the article is quite enjoyable. Who would have thought that going out and getting someone’s chopped off hand would become part of your mountain rescue resume?
As for the rest of this MG issue: I also enjoyed the writing about climbers and their intimate relationships (see “Climbing is for Lovers”). But Dick Dorworth’s troglodytian rant about Yosemite was boring. Is any one else tired of reading whiney writing about “how cool this place was when I was here so many years ago, and how crumby it is now?” Mountain Gazette is full of that stuff, and it gets old. Also, the usual “alcohol is hip” slant in the Jonny Love profile is something I’ve seen enough of. Having numerous friends who are recovered or struggling substance abusers causes me to see whisky through a different lens. (As one who enjoys a few drinks now and then I’m not trying to get sticky here, just opining on the glorification of booze.) Mountain Gazette needs more content that covers the positive fun side of mountain life, less “we are the people and this is the life — and you stay away from my place — and before you leave please pass the whisky” junk.
My own rants aside, check it out for yourself — especially the info about the outdoor cooter. Now in that case I learned something. Really.
If you can’t find a copy of Mountain Gazette at a news stand near you, their website is here.
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.
