Editor’s Note: This story is part of our collection of articles covering Mental Health Awareness. It contains sensitive content related to dealing with death and trauma in the mountains. If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is out there. Start with the National Institute of Mental Health and its many resources.
She says she still dreams about shoveling her friend’s body out of avalanche debris. The worst day of her life keeps coming back at night.
And she’s not alone. If you get deep into skiing, especially if you get deep into the backcountry, you might have to acknowledge that the thing you love can kill the people you love. Skiing and trauma are tied together.
But mountain culture prizes shaking off tragedy. We pretend to be tough and unfazed. To cope we turn deaths into hero stories or we go silent. But if you’re actively ignoring the brutal parts, in any part of your life, the trauma will catch you.
The National Institute of Health defines a traumatic event as a shocking, scary, or dangerous experience that affects someone emotionally. Trauma can look like a lot of…
