Lou Dawson, long time observer of the backcountry scene is our guest on the podcast. We discuss Lou’s memoir, Avalanche Dreams. Photo: Lou Dawson collection
In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we speak with Lou Dawson. As much as anyone in North American ski mountaineering, Dawson has been a cornerstone of the sport and the broader ski culture.
Last spring, Dawson released his memoir, Avalanche Dreams. Already reviewed on the site, here’s what our writer Alex Lee had to say:
Lou Dawson, pioneering American ski mountaineer, climber, and writer, dissects hard-earned wisdom of the mountain in Avalanche Dreams: A Memoir of Skiing Climbing and Life. Avalanches are, as Lou puts it, the “sword of Damocles,” whispering “rocks, snow, people—all fall.” Lou’s story of his “unrecoverable addiction” to the mountains is a hero’s journey of facing dragons and overcoming Herculean trials to find comfort beneath that sword through partnership and family. He also catches literal rattlesnakes, managing to get his elementary school evacuated when the sheriff comes to kill them.
If you know who Lou is, or if you don’t, his story is a gripping wallop of adventures, family, and gravity.
Alex joins the podcast as we discuss the writing process with Lou and converse about his decades-long life and continuing adventures in the hills.
