Day 040: 02/20/12

Written By: Stephen Williams

“Without risk, there’s no adventure” – Bill Briggs

We at The Mountain Pulse have made a commitment to try and keep the content on our website upbeat and positive. Although each one of us is saddened by the tragic loss of folks in our community and the ski and snowboard industry, we have tried to leave it up to the news professionals and people with personal connections to the lost to report on those incidents. We would never want to use stories of the loss of someone’s life to attempt to gain traffic to our site or activity on our social networks.

With that being said, we are reminded by recent events that the sports that we love carry the highest of risks. Every time we lace up our boots, click into our skis, or fire up our snowmobiles, we are accepting that the enjoyment we are looking for comes along with the potential consequences of injury or death. Snow and avalanches are a part of the mountains, and have existed for millions of years before we came along and will continue to stand for a million more after we are gone. Only in the last couple hundred years have we attempted to conquer these mountains and the elements that come along with them in the name of adventure. We have invented countless pieces of equipment that attempt to minimize the risks, and studied tirelessly to educate ourselves on the potential hazards in our environment. But no matter how hard we try, we will never completely conquer the mountains or be free of the risks that our adventures bear, and that is what draws many of us out here to enjoy them.

The winter sports industry has had a tough year so far. The loss of pioneers, Olympic athletes, rescue workers, and everyday winter enthusiasts like you and me, is felt by everyone of us who heads into the mountains to seek adventure. Our thoughts are with those who have been personally touched by the tragedy of recent events and hope that they can find comfort in the memory of their loved ones. As we continue down the road of celebrating adventure sports and the beautiful mountains we call home, we hope to honor all those who have come before us and remind our readers to be safe out there.