The Darkest White by Eric Blehm #
The Darkest White, Eric Blehm (audio). This is the story of Craig Kelly, aptly subtitled “A mountain legend and the avalanche that took him”. Kelly is someone I’d heard about—the snowboarder’s snowboarder—but about whom I didn’t know much more, since (i) I ski and (ii) am relatively new to snow sports and so was not conscious of him during his rise and when this tragedy took place (early 2000s). This book was gripping: a very informative character portrait from Kelly’s somewhat troubled early days in Mt. Vernon, WA and a portrait of the birth of a new sport. He seems like a “real one”: dedicated to his craft, humble in his own success, and loyal to his loved ones. The story of the avalanche itself (during an apprenticeship for Kelly to become the first snowboard-based mountain guide) is also very detailed and informative. The epilogue must be read, as it paints a richer portrait of Ruedi Beglinger, the main guide that day, and his role in the affair. (I suspect it’s an epilogue and not in the main text simply because many of the details could not be corroborated and Blehm seems to be a serious journalist.) Ultimately, it’s a story both of the pitfalls of interpersonal relationships, mental health, and the true randomness of the mountains. Grade: A.