17:30 – It’s Saturday night and we’re coming to you live from the Sun Valley Skating Center. I just imbibed three shots of espresso with enough sugar to make the spoon stand straight up. Let’s hope this does the trick. After last night’s victory over the Park City Silver Kings and a nine-hour drive to retrieve my brother from Salt Lake City this morning, my legs feel more wooden than Ben Affleck’s acting.

18:00 – Jamie and Villi are out for tonight’s game. Apparently they got bored of scoring goals last night and decided to try their hands at enforcing. Thus, the lines have been mixed up and Coxie and I get the pleasure of skating with Billy the Kid. Kid happens to hail from a suburb of Boston close to my hometown. Look out, two Massholes on the ice together.

19:00 – While we might have one of the best men’s teams in the nation, we are nothing compared to the kids who come out to perform the National Anthem at our games. Considering how self-conscious I get singing in the shower, these are the bravest people in the world in my book.

19:16 – I know this is something you never want to say or even think during a game, but I think the Silver Kings’ chances of winning are something akin to me getting called up to the Bruins this season. Their team is more decimated than Napoleon’s army marching out of Russia.

19:30 – There’s something I should tell you before I continue: at this moment in time I am what you would call snakebit. I’m getting the chances, but just can’t score. Prom night all over again. During the opening weekend I didn’t really notice it – I was too focused on winning our inaugural games and not skating into my line mates. Last night, however, its presence became stronger until I could no longer ignore it. Now I’m like Charlie “Rain Man” Babbit five minutes before Wopner.

19:37 – Here it comes. I’ve slipped out of our zone between their defensemen and am about to receive a beautiful centering pass at center-ice for a breakaway. In my excitement to end the drought I look for a higher gear, but at the last second remember that I don’t have one and trip over the redline instead. I corral the puck as I spring up, my legs doing a Roadrunner impersonation that almost sends me to ice again. After all that graceful floundering around I’m hearing footsteps by the time I reach the net, but I still manage to aim at the open top corner. Then I shoot the puck into the middle of the goalie’s chest.

19:52 – Period over. Some kid I don’t know tells me he wants me to score a goal. I don’t know whether to give him a hug or pull his shirt over his head.

19:59 – Funniest moment of the night so far. Villi’s son Jake has become a stalwart in the Suns’ locker room and is running around with his little hockey stick, high-fiving everyone. While this is undeniably cute, it doesn’t necessarily make you laugh. The hilarity comes when you realize he looks exactly like his father. “He’s mini me,” Villi says in his Latvian accent. Priceless.

20:09 – Word is professional golfer Brad Faxon is in the penalty box tonight. I wonder if it would be inappropriate to take a deliberate penalty in order to ask him how to improve my short game.

20:23 – Adam “We’re Currently Taking Nickname Suggestions” Swain does a slow motion skate through three Park City players while shorthanded to score his first goal as a Sun. I can almost see that good-natured grin he always wears widen.

20:30 – This game is a mess right now. We’re well ahead and the opposition’s got about as much spirit as the fat kid in gym class.

20:36 – Adam “Seriously, This Is The Best We’ve Come Up With So Far” Swain treats us to an encore performance. Man down once again, he glides past the defenseman at half speed and slips the puck into the net while being upended. This kid is cooler than the other side of the pillow.

20:48 – Barnzy goes hunting for intermission nourishment and comes back to the locker room with Cup-a-Noodle. Whereas I would be working on not throwing up on my skates, he’ll be working on a hat trick when we step back out on the ice.

20:54 – 8-2 at the beginning of the third. Replacement goalie is in for the Silver Kings and their captain has requested that we don’t shoot at her head. And no, that’s not a typo.

21:01 – Playing in his first game of the season, Johnny Miller gets his sixtieth goal in a Suns uniform. Damn you natural athletes.

21:17 – At the end of the second period, the Kid’s stick turned into a wet noodle causing him to miss the net on my pass across the crease. Now I return the favor, flubbing his perfect two-on-one dish. I can hear my brother laughing from the stands.

21:23 – Barnzy walks in toward the net unmolested from the right. I’m standing open on the far side waving my stick in the air, hollering his name, doing everything short of shooting off warning flares to get his attention. He calmly zips the puck five-hole for his fourth goal of the game. Good thing too, because I either would have missed or scored the eleventh goal on a second-string keeper. Not exactly a win-win situation.

21:37 – Last few minutes of the game and Trevor Thomas takes a shot from the point. Instinct takes over and I drop get my blade on the ice just in time for the puck to deflect off of it into the net. I can’t help but laugh. Scoring the twelfth and final goal of the game is like beating George W. Bush in a spelling contest. I feel slightly dirty, yet secretly happy to get it over with all the same.

21:45 – John “Cubby” Burke comes to my salvation and keeps me from being outfitted with the George Jacket for two weeks in a row. He’s run the gamut of the program, starting of as a player on the original Suns’ team, then coach and finally general manager. Always at the rink with a smile and a kind word, Cubby represents the best of the organization. We repay his kindness the best way we know how: by cloaking him in an ugly red jacket.

The Winter Recreation Coalition needs to raise about $3000 to pay for the printing of their winter map and guide. The map delineates ski routes, snowmobile routes, and shared use areas. The map and guide is a useful tool in educating recreationists about the importance of heeding closures, and how to be good neighbors in the backcountry.

The WRC began in 1995 in an effort to resolve winter recreation conflict between skiers and snowmobilers. The group has had some very strong successes. In 2000 the group’s travel planning recommendations for winter use were adopted and implemented by the Sawtooth National Forest.

Over the years many local snowmobilers and cross-country skiers have been involved in the work of the WRC. A few of the folks who are currently involved include Chris Klick, Owen Downard, Jim McClatchy, and Andy Munter. Andy is the point person for the group’s map and brochure fundraiser. You can phone him at 726-8818 for more information.

I’ve long admired the collaborative work that the WRC has embarked upon. The fruit of their cooperative efforts has been an inspiration to many of us in this community. I’m proud to say that the local dirt trail advocacy group I’m involved with, Big Wood Backcountry Trails, has pledged $300 toward the fund raising effort. We encourage others to make a donation.

The Blaine County Recreation District has agreed to take donations on behalf of the WRC. Please make checks payable to: Blaine County Rec. District (BCRD). Be sure to note on the check that the money is for the WRC Map and Guide. Sent your donation to the BCRD, Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Road, Room 107, Hailey, ID 83333, or hand it off to Andy at Backwoods Mountain Sports.

Here are a couple of links to articles about the work of the WRC:

Snowmobilers and skiers reach agreement in Sun Valley

Lines In The Snow

Snow Pact Gets Forest Service Approval

Rotarun is up and running! I am happy to say we had one of our biggest openings ever on Saturday December 23rd. The annual Art Richards appreciation free ski day was a hit. The hill looked great, minus a few bare spots at the top but that didn’t stop everyone from enjoying the snow and having a good time. The kitchen was in full swing with great food and happy faces.

Here are a few pictures from our opening day:

Rotarun first thing in the morning

A happy skier on her way up the hill

Sledding trio

warming up by the fire

Everyone has a smile when they’re at Rotarun

Hope to see you all at the hill for night skiing! We’re open Wednesday and Friday nights from 6-9pm. We have the most affordable skiing around, come check us out!

After giving a few talks recently on my giving philosophy, I was encouraged to share them on my blog. In light of the fact that many people are in the giving mood, it seemed apropos to share my thoughts on Christmas Eve. In general, I’m a private person especially when it comes to giving as it is a very personal decision. However, I have learned that the discomfort of getting out of my comfort zone is outweighed by the multiplier effect my talks have had on others giving. That is, the dollar/hour I may give is multiplied 5x if I have an effect on 5 other people.

My philosophy is shaped by a few people, in particular. By far the most impactful have been my parents. Earlier this year, I highlighted them on my venture-related blog (see excerpts below) because they were named Citizens of the Year in their community. They have been proof that you don’t have to be a gazillionaire to have an effect. They are solidly middle class and like many worked their way up from nothing as newlyweds. In fact, in their first years of their marriage, they were audited by the IRS. Why? According to the government, someone of their means couldn’t give that much money. With my dad being early in his career and my mom staying home fulltime with 3 kids 4 or younger, they couldn’t have had much money.

At the other end of the economic continuum, there are two people whose thinking has further shaped my outlook that also happen to be part-time residents of Ketchum. They are Jeff Brotman (founder/Chairman of Costco) and Paul Brainerd (founder of Aldus and fulltime philanthropist). Even before Bill Gates put Seattle on the philanthropic map, they have been instrumental in making Seattle the most giving major city in the country and a hotbed of innovation in the non-profit world.

I’ll summarize some of the lessons learned from my parents, Jeff & Paul below as well as my own blend on what I heard from them and others:
1. I believe that the government can’t solve all of society’s problems. This is something most Republicans and many Democrats believe. If one believes this, you have to ask yourself “how will those problems be tackled?” In my view, it’s up to individuals acting on their own or banding together via non-profit entities organized around particular problems. Well-run organizations, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, have an amazing ability to get stuff done and have the 1+1=3 effect which is why I channel my philanthropy through well-run non-profits.
2. The old cliche “you get out more than you put in” has been 100% true for me in my philanthropic endeavors. It’s been incredibly gratifying to get to know like-minded people as well as people I’d never interacted with before through my efforts. My little contribution has paled in comparison to what I’ve gotten back.
3. Give ’til it hurts. The example of my parents is a great one. For those with greater economic means, I ask them to consider adding a zero onto the end of what they were thinking of giving and think about the incredible impact they can have.
4. Your time and talents are worth as much or more than your money. Much of my parent’s impact has been through their time, energy and talents. Whether you are a tradesman, a financial wizard, a marketing genius or whatever, chances are a non-profit can benefit from your talents.
5. Have a well-balanced giving “portfolio”. Most of us have heard of having a diversified investment portfolio. I have applied this in a philanthropic context. I’d draw a parallel with a stock portfolio. Typically, investments will fall in 3 broad categories. Broad-based mutual funds (e.g., index funds), sector specific funds (e.g., a mutual fund focused in the Utility sector) and individual stocks. I allocate my time/money into three equivalent area. The broad-based “mutual fund” are organizations such as the United Way that tackle a broad set of issues. The sector-specific entities would be an organization that tackles a particular area such a kids or the environment. The equivalent of an individual stock is a very focused non-profit. There are many examples on SunValleyPedia’s Non-profit page.
6. Contributing to non-profits is a sort of “retirement plan”. When we retire (and before), we want to enjoy the world around us. If we don’t solve some of society’s problems, it’s going to be a much less pleasant place to be. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” I’m a believer in personal responsibility so when I see an issue, I need to look in the mirror and ask myself how I can help solve that issue in tandem with others.

When people have asked me why I blog, one of the key reasons I state is the fact that I learn from others on topics that I comment on and it forces me to crystallize my own thinking. With that in mind, I hope others will add their thoughts below.

One of the joys of being a parent is having moments when you are proud of your kids. Most of the time we don’t have as much visibility in the other generational direction – i.e., knowing enough about what your parents are doing to be proud of them (beyond how they raised you). I’m very fortunate to have parents that are as good as it gets from how they raised us to how they contribute to their community.

Individually or collectively, Vern and Barbara Chase are who you go to if you want something done. And for their unstinting efforts to make Edmonds a better place, Vern and Barbara have been named 2006 Citizen(s) Of The Year.

If everyone gave a small fraction of the energy my parents have to their community, the world would be a much greater place.

Merry Christmas to you all!

I’d rather participate than watch most sports but College Football is the exception. It’s the best team sport to watch in my opinion. The players are old and skilled enough to play at a high level yet young and stupid enough to create moments that you’d never see in the sterile NFL.

In 1982, there was a moment that may never be topped in terms of a particular play. What is often lost is the game had one of the great comebacks led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the end of of the storyline. The video below picks up where he’s in a dire 4th & 17 on his own 13 yard line with 53 seconds left in the biggest game of the year for his team. Hit play on the video below as it tells the story best. If you want a Oliver Stone-esque reenactment, watch the second video.

Click on the Play button to see both The Play as well as the amazing drive by John Elway before it

Click on the Play button to see a graphical depiction of the play “proving” that the touchdown was legit

Every year, when the Boulder comes around in early February, the local skiing crowd gets all excited about one more trip down the Harriman trail along with about a thousand other skating crazies. They get signed up, put their number over whatever ski togs they prefer, line up at Senate Meadows and wait for the gun to off. For the next couple of hours they race tip to tail with people from all over the country just to hear Jody Zarkos announce their name as they come across the finish line at the SNRA.

Sounds fun right? Well, I was wondering how many people know just how lucky we are to have a ski race like this, actually there isn’t anything like this. I’ve been around a while now, skied in races all over the world, big and small and I have yet to see one anything like the Boulder. For starters, it’s been around forever. Way back in the pine tar days of 1973 a few people got a wild hair to have a marathon ski race all the way down the valley from Galena to Ketchum. Well the last part didn’t work out so well but it looked like Galena to the brand new SNRA headquarters would work. So with a couple of spare snowmobile clutch belts in hand a few intrepid if not down right stupid ski coaches started working on the simple task of putting in the trail. No big deal, we skied only classic in those days so it only needed to be three feet wide, right? After about half a dozen broken snowmobiles and a mile or so of willows hacking, one river crossing sans bridge and a quarter mile of hand shoveled side hill at goat creek the race went off without a hitch, sort of. It was enough or wasn’t enough to keep it from happening a second time, so here we are a couple of years later and we have the 32nd running of this classic, we did lose three years in there for lack of snow.

There aren’t very many ski events in the US or anywhere for that matter that can look back on such a history. The reason for that is the people involved. Every event, no matter what its modus operandi has one governing factor, and that is who puts it on. We in the WR Valley are pretty lucky in that one of those ski coaches that broke his back putting in the first BMT was Bob Rosso. Citizen extraordinare, Bob has been, if not a guiding light at least a guiding foot in keeping the BMT alive all these years. The downfall of any event is always the lack of someone to put in the effort on behalf of everyone else. There innumerable other people who deserve mountains of recognition for helping keep this thing going all these years but Bob is always the easiest one to pick on, so don’t despair if your name wasn’t mentioned here, you have the chance to get him back. He’s going to race this year so you could hide alongside the course and jump him as he goes by, he probably won’t notice.

The next great thing about this event and the one that truly sets it apart from all others is the field. Nowhere is there is race where someone who just discovered cross country skiing because they got a pair of skis for Christmas, can jump in a race thirty days later and race against someone, over the same course at the same time and with some hope of finishing, that represented our country at the last Olympics. Every year there are forty or fifty people in the BMT that have never raced anything before and only just started skiing. Every year there are people like Carl Swenson or Rebecca Dussault who are the creme of the American crop of cross country skiers. So take advantage of what you have right in your own backyard, ski the race or at least go out and hide by the side of the course and ambush Rosso.

Trooper Chris Glenn answered the call on December 20, 2006.

I arrived at work yesterday around 7 a.m. Within the hour, we had reports from Twin Falls that a trooper had been shot after stopping a robbery suspect on SH74, just south of Twin Falls. Pursuing officers had chased the suspect to Jackpot, Nv. where at speeds of over 100 MPH, the suspect struck another vehicle and crashed. We monitored the TV and radio all day, details were hard to come by.

This morning, I received a call from an old friend and former employee of the Hailey Police Department, Brian Switzer. Brian works for Elko County out of the Jackpot substation. Brian is a good friend of the trooper that was shot,
Chris Glenn. Brian told me what happened.

Brian said that Trooper Glenn was preparing to go to work and was exiting his subdivision which is a mile or two south of the Stinker Station, near the “singing bridge” just past the Depot Grill. He had heard the broadcast of a robbery that had just occurred at the Stinker Station. The suspect vehicle was described as a white, four door sedan. A vehicle matching that description drove by and Trooper Glenn turned and followed it south to the curve that merges onto U.S. 74. He stopped it a short distance later. He contacted the driver and spoke with him. After about 30 seconds or so of conversing, the suspect shot Trooper Chris Glenn in the neck. It is believed that the bullet pierced his spinal cord.

Brian said that he was on his way home from McCall when he got a phone call from another ISP Trooper and Detective, Jerod Sweesy, regarding Chris. They are all friends. Sweesy used to work for Ketchum P.D. Brian detoured to the hospital to see Chris.

Detective Steve Harkins of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and former Hailey Sgt. Jeff Frost went to school with Chris Glenn and graduated together from Kimberly H.S. Chris was a high school quarterback. Upon graduating, he obtained a degree and later returned to teach History. He was also a football coach at Kimberly High. Four years ago, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a trooper with the Idaho State Police.

Chris Glenn has a wife and a 3 year old son. He is in the process of building a home in Kimberly. The long term prognosis for Chris is not good at this point. He is enduring multiple surgeries. Barring a miraculous recovery (which Brian Switzer says if anyone is capable of, Chris surely is) it appears that Chris Glenn may be permanently disabled. Chris Glenn will most likely need physical therapy, home health care, a wheelchair, a wheelchair enabled vehicle, and reconstruction of the floorplan in his new home. All of this is going to cost a lot of money.

It’s Christmas. Please join Detective Harkins, myself, and our extended family as we try to answer the call for Trooper Chris Glenn this holiday season. A local bank account has been set up at Wells Fargo in Hailey. (208-788-2212) Another bank account has been set up in Twin Falls at any First Federal Bank. (208-733-4222)

Thank you.

Ketchum Ranger (and regular SunValleyOnline blogger), Joe Miczulski, posted an article on SunValleyOnline that has some words of wisdom and warnings about hiking up Baldy in the winter. I was surprised to see a “Does anyone know this man?” caption below a picture of my dog and me.

The warnings are about closures (e.g., due to avalanche risks) and general safety. I couldn’t agree more. In order for the mountain to open on time, the Sun Valley Co crew need to prepare the mountain especially after a big snow. He didn’t get into many specifics on the safety side but I’ll throw out a few of my idea and hopefully others can add to the list, including Joe. Part of what forms my perspective is having had a job as a delivery guy in downtown Seattle when I was in college. Despite having to wear a yellow jacket, I found I was “invisible”. It only gets worse in low light.

My safety tips (please add to these):
1. Wear a headlamp. Not only does it help you see but it gets people attention coming down the mountain.
2. Start early. The times I’ve gone up the mountain and got to the top around 8am are when I see little or no activity. As a bonus, you have the mountain to yourself on the way down.
3. Wear a bike light on your backpack. This is the kind of light that is red and blinks.
4. Think about where a groomer plow or snowmobile is likely to be on the slope and avoid those areas. Of course, I also listen and adjust to where they are coming from.
5. Use common sense. If the mountain is closed, there’s a reason. This webpage is the best all-around weather/conditions page I’ve found for the area — it includes Baldy, Nordic, Dollar, avalanche, weather stations, forecasts and webcams to help you decide the best places to go/avoid.

I personally avoid taking my dog on Baldy at all during the winter. I don’t trust her or the skiers, snowmobiles, etc. to be able to see her. Fwiw, the picture in the article is of me with my dog far from the slopes of Baldy.

Check out a video from this past weekend’s action. Thank you Mati.

I can’t beleive how fast time has gone. It is almost already Christmas, and I feel like I just got here. Things have been going so great.

My host mom and I have been getting really close. I am so lucky to be living with her. She is constantly showering me with hugs, kisses, and compliments. I don’t know what my life would be like without her.

School is good. I have switched into a lower level of Spanish and French. Hopefully when I come back to America I will not only speak Italian, but also a little Spanish and French. It’s challenging, but I am doing well.

I recently went to my first disco. The Italian disco is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I arrived at the disco around 11pm. There were already a lot of people there, but no one was dancing yet. Then at midnight, the DJ hopped up onto the bar and shouted, ‘Who’s ready to get this party start?!’ Everyone cheered, the music began, the lights went down, and people flooded onto the dance floor. The bar and tables were cleared of drinks, and people jumped up onto the tables and began to dance. The music didn’t stop for 5 straight hours. I made the mistake of wearing my new italian high heels. By the end of the night, I had could barely stand up my feet hurt so much. Italians really know how to have a good time!

The language is getting much easier. No one speaks in English to me anymore, and for the most part, I understand everything. I don’t know when it happened, but it is as if one day the language just clicked for me. I am by no means fluent, but I am getting there. The verbs are the hardest part of the language, but I think once I get those down, I will be able to speak with as much ease when I am speaking english. This process is really weird. I feel like my brain is a mix of Italian and English. Some days I can only remember the italian word for something. And as far as writing and spelling in English, I am having a lot of trouble. So if this makes no sense, I apologize.

I feel like I am finally fitting in here. I have made two groups of friends: The foreign language girls and the art boys. At the beginning of november I spent 3 days at the local art school. It was really fun, but I decided to stick with the language school. But when I was at the art school I met a group of 4 boys (Ady, Diego, Eddison, Luca). I have been going out with them a lot lately. The language girls are my friends from the Foreign language school (Fedarica, Laura, Rosella, Marta). Both groups are really nice, and it is wonderful to have friends here.

I am really excited for Christmas in Italy. Already the streets are feeled with Christmas lights. In the center square of Brescia, there is a christmas market with lots of little treats and goodies. Although I am sad not to be coming home for Natale, I am excited to see how the italians celebrate it. They have so many different traditions. For example, Santa Claus doesn’t bring presents to the kids. Instead they have Santa Lucia, the patron saint of children. The story of Santa Lucia goes like this. When Lucia was alive, she was tortured because she wouldnt give up her faith. She was blinded with hot ashes and eventually killed. Then, because of her undying devotion to God, she was made a saint. Now every December 13, she brings presents to the children of Italia. On the night of the 12th, all of the children have to go to bed really early. During the night, Santa Lucia rides into the town on her donkey with lots of sweets and goodies. When she enters your house, the bells on her dress jingle. But it is said that if you open your eyes to see her, she will blind you with hot ash(kind of a scary thing to tell little kids.) Anyway, she leaves a trail of chocolates from your room to your presents. If you have been bad, she leaves only ash. They also have a Santa Clause in Italy (aka Babbo Natale), but he is just a jolly old fat man who brings Christmas joy.

Christmas break is just 4 days away, and I am really excited. I don’t know what I am doing yet, but I am sure that I will have a lot of fun.

Until next time…Baci e Ciao!!!!!!

In case you missed it local attorney, builder, developer and all around nice guy Brian Barsotti this weekened announced on SunValleyOnline.com that he intends to build a 5 story, 128 room luxury hotel at the base of Warm Springs.

This news from Brian is music to my ears and to the ears of many locals who understand that Ketchum needs new 5 Star Digs in order to remain competitive with other ski resorts in the Rocky Mountain West.

Maybe the best thing about the news is that this morning after reading about the new hotel on SunValleyOnline.com , Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall called Barsotti and pledged his support to do “whatever it takes” to help Brian get the hotel built. I agree with Brian… a positive, collective approach from business and city government will be the only way the Ketchum digs out of the hole it is in.

In case you missed Brians coments here they are… Oh one more thing… we should have artist renditions of the new hotel tomorrow! Feel free to comment on this exciting proposal!

Brian Barsotti says:

As part of the Master plan of Warms Springs, we have designed a 5 story, 128 room hotel at the Baldy Base Camp/ new Bald Mountain Lodge (old Eagle Crest). I received the designs yesterday and will placing it before the city as soon as possible. This time rather than attempt to design a hotel under a flawed ordinance that made the hotel not economically feasible, I now know what it will take to make a hotel economically feasible. 5 floors and 128 rooms. I know this will be very controversial for some, but Warm Springs, like Ketchum is dying…full of unoccupied home and condos. The Out-abounds restaurant will not open this year. Rental revenues for Baldy Base Camp today are less than 50% of the revenues we received in 1987. There will be change in Warm Springs in the near future.

We have a beautiful, dynamic design for a hotel that will inject incredible energy into Warm Springs…and where better to have a hotel but in a tourist district where you can walk across the street to lifts.

The city has said” We are open for business for hotels.” Well, this time we will find out what they mean at the inception rather spending another 4 years on project and $100,000’s before learning their true intent. Of course if they don’t like our hotel, we know it is a great site for another couple single family homes!!!

From Google Maps, the base of Warm Springs and proposed hotel location:

While attention on the ongoing Mt. Hood climber situation is understandable, there is another developing story where I need any Tibetan connections asap. There are details/links below. In a nutshell, what I need is any connections that people here might have to the Tibetan community in the Greater Tibetan region of China to help with the search efforts for the missing climbers in that section of the Himalayas.

Here’s the gist of the situation. One of my business partners (Dave Jones) is an owner/investor of Mountain Madness. They are a Seattle-based guiding company that is run by Christine Boskoff who is a friend of my business partenr. She and her companion haven’t been heard from in weeks. On a positive note, Dave is friends with the former governor of the state of Washington (Gary Locke) who has probably been the most famous Chinese-American politician and the state of Washington is the sister state of that region of China. When he was governor, Locke made trips to China and has strong connections over there. Thus, there are some very useful connections. The bad news is there are many Tibetans in that area who may not be helpful if Chinese officials showed them some picture and asked them if they’d seen this person. Given the Tibetan/Chinese history, this is understandable however getting help from Tibetans is essential as they may have seen her. If someone respected in that community put out the word to be helpful to the government officials in this situation, it could greatly speed up the search process.

Unfortunately, they don’t have many specifics on their plans/whereabouts as the focus of their trip had already been accomplished (see article link below for details). Consequently, getting as much help as possible is vital given the time sensitive nature of the search. With the recent Tibetan movie showing, Kiril Sokoloff’s connections with the Dalai Lama, etc. I’m convinced that there are people in the valley who could be very, very helpful in getting us any connections. If you have any connections, please call my work # (it will forward to my cell since I’m traveling) — 208-578-4042 or leave a comment below (it will send me an email) asap.

ANY HELP WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED!

More details:

The situation with Mountain Madness CEO Christine Boskoff is hitting closer to home. She and a climbing partner haven’t been heard from in over a month. Here’s a link to the province of China where they went missing — China’s Sichuan Province).

Dave will be on Anderson Cooper (CNN) tonight with more details on what is going on. They have setup the U.S.-based search hq in my firm’s Seattle office.

As a sidenote, those of you who read “Into Thin Air” may recall that the founder of Mountain Madness (Scott Fischer) was one of those that died in the series of tragedies Jon Krakauer wrote about.

We have all been glued to our TV’s this weekend following the search and rescue efforts for the lost climbers on Mt. Hood. Tragically one climber was found dead near the summit in a snow cave. Two other climbers are still missing somewhere on Mt. Hood. Can some of our local search and rescue personnel login and educate us all on what may have went wrong. Some reasons seem obvious others may not be so evident.

We have many great climbers and athletes here in the Wood River Valley with tons of experience in extreme mountain climbing. I think your insight here may be helpful to others in our community. Here are a few questions I have.

1. What added risk was there in climbing at this time of the year?
2. Should a GPS transponder been taken? Considering the weather would it have even been helpful?
3. Should climbing be prohibited at certain times of the year?

Thanks for any insight that any of our experienced search and rescue and climbing community can add to this blog.

I met Fred Higbee in late ‘82, maybe early ‘83. He was the civil process (paper) server for the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office when I arrived on the scene in the Wood River Valley. Fred was 64 maybe 65, going on 23. He was as sharp as a tack. He wore this felt cowboy hat with a little feather in it. He loved wearing a badge and he took a lot of pride in that. Fred had heart. He took his job very seriously and he was tough. I wish I had met him when my brain had developed a little more; as luck would have it, I was barely 22. Please forgive the length of this, Fred lived a long time.

This much I knew about Fred. On December 7, 1941 when the Japanese came calling at Pearl Harbor, Fred was stationed on the USS Phelps. I’m not sure what he did on that ship but I always have this picture in my mind of Fred on the bow shooting at Zeroes with a handgun, maybe a rifle. Sometime thereafter, Fred left the service and found his way to Ketchum when the railroad came to Sun Valley. I think he was a cook at the Lodge for many years. I’m not sure how many years, to be exact, but knowing Fred I’m sure it was a long time. He had this little blue house across from the old Ketchum Post Office. I stopped in for coffee from time to time.

Along about 1980, Fred decided it was time to take up law enforcement. He was the oldest man ever to go through the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training Academy. I think he still is. At a time when most people are retiring, Fred at age 62, decided to embark on a new career. Back then, the physical standards were a lot tougher, but that didn’t deter Fred. Fred didn’t finish at the bottom either. He put a lot of young bucks to shame. There is still a plaque that bears his name hanging on a corridor wall at the academy. I smile when I see it. I hope it’s still there.

Now Fred came from the great generation. He had a great work ethic. If he would have called in sick, I expected that the call would have been made by the Coroner on behalf of Fred and at his last request. Or perhaps St. Peter. Fred was tough. But for all of Fred’s attributes, and they were many, God forgot to send Fred to driving school. Now Fred took his job very seriously and his job, involved a lot of driving. Fred was a serious man and considered himself a good driver. He did not try to be funny, he was serious. And for that reason alone, Fred Higbee will always be with me. Fred’s driving was legendary. The things he did while driving are known to only a few of us. Until now.
Now I could tell stories of Fred calling for Fish and Game to pick up a dead hen pheasant he found on the road. Or of yelling at pedestrians to “use the crosswalk!” when he grabbed the county radio frequency microphone instead of the public address mike in his car. Or of him grabbing the coffee pot, dumping it out, and putting 131 scoops into the coffee filter to make “good” coffee. Or the time Mitchell Odiaga began shooting people in the streets of Ketchum and Fred instantly checked in service at 10 PM. No, what I’ll remember about Fred is his driving. Fred was at his best behind the wheel. So if you know me, you know a story follows.

There was the time I was following Fred and a car suddenly stopped in front of him to turn at Zinc Spur on the highway. Back then there were no turn lanes. Fred wasn’t prepared for that. He whipped the wheel to right, dynamited the brakes, and shot right off the road traveling down the borrow pit for about 100 yards, bouncing all the way. He gave it some gas and brought her back up on the road and continued on like nothing happened. Not a peep on the radio. Those skidmarks through the fog line stayed there for months. One time, he took the corner too fast at Main and Walnut. Back then they had those barrels on the corner to collect deer and elk hides. I didn’t see it, but I heard he sent that barrel careening down Main. A friend of mine, Mike Nicholson, worked in the jail. One year Mike went out and bought all these snowshovels for the inmates to use. He laid them out, all 4 0r 5 in a row, on the floor in the center bay of the garage and spraypainted BCSO on them. While they were drying, Fred came back to the office. He wheeled his car into the garage and snapped every one of them in half. It made a hell of a ruckus and Mike came charging out into the garage to survey the damage. Mike accused Fred of being blind in some colorful fashion. Fred told Mike he shouldn’t have had them on the floor in the garage. Mike told me the story a few hours later, looking for a little sympathy and asking me if I could believe it. I looked at him and said Fred was right, you shouldn’t have had them on the floor. Mike laughed and called me a “chump.” But my favorite story about Fred didn’t involve driving but it did involve his car. I’ve actually contemplated not writing about this out of my deep respect for Fred. But I think he’ll forgive me. It is without a doubt, the funniest thing I have ever witnessed.

Sometime in the mid-eighties, I decided to buy a 30-30 Winchester, lever action, to dispatch deer and elk that had been struck by cars. I carried it in my car but Sheriff Haynes asked me to get rid of it. So I sold it to Fred who placed it in a soft cover in his trunk. The following year, a friend invited me to go deer hunting and I was rifleless. Fred agreed to sell me the 30-30 back. As we trudged through the garage to his car, he mentioned that he had never even shot it. It was a nice day, all the bay doors were open, and the trustee was washing a patrol car in the center bay. Fred was parked facing north, by the easternmost bay, outside. He popped the trunk and began to eject the shells from the gun. About that time some cops at Hailey P.D. stepped out and I said something to them and glanced back at Fred. He was still ejecting shells which were scattered about on the gun rug in the trunk. When Fred was finished and satisfied the gun was empty, he shouldered that 30-30 and leveled it on the trunk lid. He pulled the trigger and “KABLOOEY!” Now if you have been the victim of an accidental discharge (I have) there is a brief moment that occurs immediately afterwards. Time actually stops while your brain begins processing what the hell just happened. I remember three things. I remember the back window glass getting blown out. I remember looking at the trustee, holding a towel and his mouth all agape with a look of shock on his face and I remember Fred handing me the gun and saying, “I can’t believe I did that.” Fred also had a look of shock on his face. I put the gun away. I clenched my teeth to keep from laughing. I traced the bullet path through the trim around the window where it dug a trench in the top of the back seat. It then went through both coats and the kickscreen they were hanging on. The bullet went right through the middle of the driver’s seat and lodged near dead center in the steering wheel. By this time, I was laughing uncontrollably. I couldn’t stop. I had tears streaming down my face and I had to leave because I knew Fred felt terrible and I didn’t want him to see me laughing. Hours later, I still couldn’t stop. I was on a traffic stop and still laughing uncontrollably. I’m sure that motorist thought I was insane. Fred filed a report and not much happened after that. That was the way it should have been. It took a few weeks before I felt safe enough to rib Fred a little.

Fred worked up until the mid 90’s and eventually retired in Meridian. I think one of his daughters lived there. I saw him once or twice after that. A few years ago, the maker must have been in need of someone with a lot of heart and called for Fred. He was one of a kind. Tough, fearless, and a professional. The absolute salt of the earth.

P.S. If someone out there has a photo of Fred, I’d sure like to scan it and post it with this blog.

Edit: Here are some photos submitted by Fred’s daughter, Jo.

2500 Mallard Ducks have been found dead in the Oakley/Burley area. This Blog is a call to action for our local hunters, sportsmen, biologists, veterinarians, and environmental leaders to weigh in with any information about this disaster.

Our SunValleyOnline.com readership crosses all spectrums. We are blessed with a wide variety of experts in many field