Stevens Pass Ski Patrol
The snow burst through the trees with no warning but a last-second whoosh of sound, a two-story wall of white and Chris Rudolph’s piercing cry: “Avalanche! Elyse!”
The very thing the 16 skiers and snowboarders had sought — fresh, soft snow — instantly became the enemy. Somewhere above, a pristine meadow cracked in the shape of a lightning bolt, slicing a slab nearly 200 feet across and 3 feet deep. Gravity did the rest.
Snow shattered and spilled down the slope. Within seconds, the avalanche was the size of more than a thousand cars barreling down the mountain and weighed millions of pounds. Moving about 7o miles per hour, it crashed through the sturdy old-growth trees, snapping their limbs and shredding bark from their...
During national tragedies, we always look to sports, even when sports had nothing to do with the tragedy. This happened on Sept. 11. It has occurred during wars and natural disasters. And it's happening now. It's not just... more »
Racing downhill, and winning, has come easy for Lindsey Vonn. The uphill battle against depression, and an unhappy marriage, has been a bigger challenge. Vonn, 28, the most successful female ski racer in American history, told... more »
Email
Print
Share