BURIED IN A SNOW TOMB

I an Steger was disoriented and scared. Of course he was. He was sprawled upside down in the dark, under more than 6 feet of snow, the weight of which was pressing down on his chest, making it a struggle to breathe what little air there was.
Steger was an athletic 40-year-old, but that didn't matter. He knew there was no way to escape. A good friend had died just three months earlier in this exact situation. Steger accepted that he, too, was about to die.
His mind raced, full of images and regrets, of words and feelings he wished he had shared with friends and loved ones when he'd had the chance. Too late now.
He had no idea what suffocating to death felt like. He hoped it would be peaceful.
Steger grew up in Bellingham, Washington, about an hour or so from where he was now trapped in the Mount Baker Ski Area. When he was 2 years old and just learning to walk, his father had hauled him to the area and taught him to ski. He loved it, and he later took up snowboarding on the mountain.
His job as a real estate agent gave him a flexible schedule, the chance to hit the slopes whenever he wanted. He typically went to the ski area more than 30 times a year, and he made it a point to be there whenever storms dumped fresh powder. March 3, 2023, a Friday, was such a day.
The area is nicknamed Powder Mountain. Experienced skiers and snowboarders are drawn to the virgin powder outside the routes maintained by the ski patrol. The backcountry boundaries are marked by ropes and signs to warn people that they're leaving the safe zone.
"Safe" is the operative word.
Esta historia es de la edición December 2024/January 2025 de Reader's Digest US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2024/January 2025 de Reader's Digest US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

FULL SPEED AHEAD
THE TEEN WAS TRAPPED IN A CAR ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL. COULD IT BE STOPPED BEFORE HE RAN OUT OF ROAD?
News FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE
If you're trying to lose weight, drinking carbonated water might help your efforts at least a little.

YES, DRIVING IS MORE DANGEROUS NOW
After decades of declining fatality rates, more people are speeding, plowing through intersections, and driving impaired

Beat the Heat
How to stay cool when temperatures soar

Gripper the Class Turtle
IN 1993, A student at my wife's elementary school brought in a box turtle he'd found in the wild. My wife agreed to keep Gripper as a pet for her second grade class.

‘Without You I Wouldn't Be Alive Anymore’
A Georgia grandmother and a young German man are forever connected, thanks to a lifesaving donation

Your Wish Has Been Granted
Seniors are seeing their dreams come true, thanks to a former Olympic athlete

DIG IN!
CLASSIC COMFORT FOODS FROM ALL 50 STATES

SUN, FUN & PLASTIC SURGERY?
Americans are packing their bags and heading abroad for more affordable health care. Is that a good idea?

Warning: This Fruit May Orbisculate!
Two siblings honor their father by trying to get his made-up word into the dictionary