I'm sure most of you have heard the story about the snowshoer who was
killed in an avalanche near the Eisenhower tunnel on Monday. He was
Ken Booker.

Ken was a friend I met shortly after I moved to Denver. He ran with
us several times, whenever we ran at Ken Caryl in daylight. The
trails at Ken Caryl are private, for residents only, so technically
we were his guests whenever we ran there. For those who ran with us
there, he was a short, British man in his late 40s. I think some of
you know him from CMC climbing outings. Ken also raced cars, was an
avid back-country and downhill skier, and I'm sure many other outdoor
activities I didn't know about. He will be missed.

Many of us venture into the back-country in the winter, as well as
the summer. I take this as a reminder to be a little more careful and
to respect the dangers out there. For those going out in the winter,
always be aware of and check for avalanche danger. A great source of
info is the Colo Avalanche Info Center,
http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanche/

Go out and enjoy the outdoors, but be safe and smart.