Meditations
I knew that inventorying the clouds was an important part of the job. I had just forgotten how important. I know now that it means everything to me. Far out on the desert to the north dustspouts rose wobbling and augered the earth and some said they'd heard
Avalanche
artwork by mike clelland Why do people take avalanche classes? I have been so curious recently about the MOTIVATIONS of avalanche students. Can they be boiled down to two generalizations? A: I want the risk of being injured in the backcountry to be less than it is today. B: I
Basho's Narrow Road North is a cold winding path. First steps of autumn. For my friend Rōbert
Meditations
"If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him." Norman Maclean Chase Wharton’s father was a long-time National Park Service ranger and superintendent and Chase has continued along this path. We
Meditations
An old friend of mine was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in the fall of 2021. Normally, this is a fairly quick and immediate death sentence. He lived way longer than they expected him to. I went to see him a week, maybe a week and a half before
Meditations
I begin this meditation with an excerpt from my January 5, 2010. avalanche forecast. There is a beautiful book, written by the French aviator Antoine de St. Exupéry, called Wind, Sand, and Stars. Part of it details a time when his plane crashed in the Libyan desert. I think it
Meditations
“To him, all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - came by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy.” Norman Maclean Cottonwood Creek is nestled in the cradle of Teewinot and murmurs through the ranger and guide’s cabins of Lupine Meadows.
Meditations
Meditation #61 - Flight of the Hermit Thrush Haunting symphony. "Loveliest of all birdsongs", Abbey's Hermit Thrush.
Meditations
Q - Why Are Scientists Such Poor Messengers? A - Because They're Trained to Be Have you read any peer-reviewed scientific papers recently? They are thick on modesty and thin on absolute conclusions. In nearly any paper, you’ll find milquetoast disclaimers, limitations, concessions and more…. * While we
Meditations
Traveling this week. Have a piece by our old friend Basho. And one for my good friend George Gardner (previously published, spring 2020).
Meditations
At a winter sports conference not long ago, I was having coffee with a sponsored snowmobile athlete. She was having a hard time wrapping her head around an avalanche accident that involved her party this winter. I was shocked, she said. Tell me. When Ryan was buried, we all looked
Meditations
I have come to believe that expertise in a field is gained through many years of curiosity, reflection, and humility. Curiosity about the world leads to the openness of possibility. Time and proper reflection can reveal powerful lessons (rather than what I’ve viewed as Hindsight 20/40). Humility helps