the avalanche

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


This is a radio story from 1987 about an avalanche that happened in 1979. Seven young men went skiing in Big Cottonwood Canyon, just east of Salt Lake City. Three were caught in an avalanche. One died, one was buried but survived, one ended up on top uninjured. I talked to five of the survivors and asked them to tell me what they remembered of the day, from the beginning to the end, and then I edited their stories into one account. There were some discrepancies, some things that were different in the different accounts, but I tried to find the best way through it. It’s a sad story, one I think back country skiers to listen to.

This entry was posted in radio. Bookmark the permalink.