Wednesday, January 22, 2003

Survivor says avalanche was 'fluke of nature'. The fatal avalanche in the Selkirks is the talk of all committed skiers, especially those who spend time in the backcountry. There isn't enough information yet for a diagnosis, and there may never be. Survivor and group spokesman John Seibert gave an extraordinarily composed and objective press conference. To those who question why people would run such risks, I can only say that we try to avoid the risks as best as we can, and that the experience of the backcountry is on a different level of awareness and beauty than anything else that we know how to do. Still, we want to know what happened so that we can better avoid the dangers next time. When we climb slowly a backcountry slope, the only noises our panting breath, our skis, and maybe wind, falling snow, or a bird, even more than when we speed on the way down, the world's fine detail, the uniqueness of every moment, and the imense depth of time are all evident. We feel it in different ways -- mystical, physical, intellectual -- but we feel more, and we sense that we feel more truly, if only for a while. I cannot think of a better memorial to the victims than to understand the value of what they were doing, and to work to make it safer and available to others. Too many of us spend too much time rushing from place to place in noisy metal boxes that can become our tombs at a moment's notice, that fill the air with poisons, and whose resource demands seed oppression and death all over the world. 9:23:03 PM