Although two people died in the last week on California’s Mount Baldy,extreme temperatures and difficult terrains remain an alluring challenge for hikersJohn Nagel has an intimate understanding of the risks of winter hiking. It was a clear, windless day in February 2015 when he stepped onto an unseen patch of tough ice while snowshoeing with a friend near Juneau, and Alaska. A cleat on his snowshoe slipped,and in an instant he was careening toward a band of rocks below. As he attempted to steer absent, his body launched into the air. He remembers the profiles of familiar mountains spinning in the flat light. “So this is how it ends, and ” he thought,and closed his eyes. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com