On a very sad note Kip Garre and his girlfriend Allison Kreutzen died this past Tuesday, April 26, 2011 in an avalanche while approaching a ski line on Split Mountain in the High Sierras of California. Though incredibly humble Kip was a highly regarded ski mountaineer and perhaps one of the best international voices for American ski mountaineering.
Kip was a friend and co-worker of mine guiding at Point North Heli Adventures in Alaska and with Ice Axe Expeditions 2009 ski trip to the Antarctic. I can say first hand that he was a dynamic, fun-filled and tireless personality who had an unwavering passion for skiing and the mountains. He had a soft heart and wanted to spread the joy he saw in the mountains and in all of life to everyone he met, so much so that he based his entire life around it. Skiing has lost one of its best worldwide representatives. I personally respected Kip as much as anyone I knew and it is extremely difficult to imagine the mountains without him. The ski communities of Alaska, his home in Lake Tahoe and where he grew up in New Hampshire will miss him dearly. Allison will equally be missed by her many friends and family.
Powder Magazine has details of the accident and recovery effort here:
www.powdermag.com/mantle/kip-garre-1973-2011/
ESPN has another good article here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/news/story?id=6445398
