Seattle PI article

Lowell - I should have been more clear. Its the readers comments I was referring to. I shrug those comments off. If you think about it; people who don't backcountry ski might think that anyone who ventures out of bounds is borderline suicidal/nuts. I exaggerate but you get the idea.

Heck even people who backcountry ski think that some of the stuff I do (just using myself as an example as its not fair to point fingers at anyone else) as nuts. So who am I to judge someone else's risk tolerance - even if i think their opinion is based on ignorance or chicken-shittedness.

The best repsonse in my opinion is to ignore " the nattering nabobs of negativity" to steal a phrase. There will always be assholes in this world and others that will choose to misunderstand what we do. That is why as a communtiy of backcountry skiers we must look after and care for oursleves and educate where we can.

Joe and I who where partly caught up in the initial media buzz where very aware of how it could offer an avenue for these seekers of controvesy, that is why I asked the inital thread to be locked so it could not be sullied with any negative postings and why Joe was very clear to the producers that if it turned negative, he was off.

Lowell-

Interesting reference to Ome Daiber....I wasn't aware of him until I googled the name, sounds like a interesting man and a apt reference.

The best repsonse in my opinion is to ignore " the nattering nabobs of negativity" to steal a phrase. There will always be assholes in this world and others that will choose to misunderstand what we do. That is why as a communtiy of backcountry skiers we must look after and care for oursleves and educate where we can.

Joe and I who where partly caught up in the initial media buzz where very aware of how it could offer an avenue for these seekers of controvesy, that is why I asked the inital thread to be locked so it could not be sullied with any negative postings and why Joe was very clear to the producers that if it turned negative, he was off.

I hadn't realized your intentions in asking for the thread lock... I approved of it then, as an "in memoriam", but I approve even more heartily now. You guys did a great job handling the (surprise) publicity.

Sidnie and I have been taking a home remodel break from skiing this spring and the angst has kept us from checking the TAY site for some time. But now, whew, what a great story. Makes me proud to ever have posted anything and count myself a part of this scene. I got a similar taste of the sense of bonding within the backcountry skiing community when my friend Randy Kraxberger was missing on Hurricane Hill this past January. Thankfully, that turned out well, but the I experienced the same
sense of community among folks I knew and ski with and strangers alike.
Well done all.

Michael

" the nattering nabobs of negativity"

Scottish tongue twisters? Oh yeah Spiro Agnew.
I can't wait to hear that in person with the Scottish accent.