by kontiki Feb 7, 2006 at 01:47 AM


-- Deaths of 5 Skiers Stun Mammoth

In the span of a week, three skiing accidents, a heart attack and an
avalanche claimed
the lives of four visitors and a ski patrol veteran.

MAMMOTH LAKES — The deaths of five skiers over a recent seven-day period
on or near
Mammoth Mountain appear to have been tragic accidents but have shaken
this
hamlet of
outdoor enthusiasts.

One victim was a Los Angeles dentist and avid outdoorsman, another a
retired water
deliveryman from Garden Grove, the third a San Diego teenager and the
fourth a
marketing representative from Laguna Niguel. The fifth was an
accomplished
ski patrol
member traversing the Eastern Sierra's breathtaking backcountry.

Yeah, we lose a few every year here on the east coast too. Usually too
fast, down, and slide into a tree or rock....

I think theres a difference between a sport and a federally and state
funded transportation system.