Looking Inward | E82

Looking Inward | E82

From Mind the Track by @Pow_Bot and @trail_whisperer

March 6, 2026 · 1h 35m · Season 4 · Episode 5

About this episode

The episode reflects on the tragic avalanche incident at Frog Lake and the broader implications for the skiing community.

On February 17, nine backcountry skiers were taken by an avalanche at Frog Lake, in the Northern Sierra Nevada near Truckee, California. Since then, the sense of loss and confusion over what happened has been overwhelming. This accident has impacted everyone in the Truckee and Lake Tahoe community on some level. Because of pending investigations, there are so many unanswered questions that will remain unanswered for a long time. As the community struggles to understand, people around the world continue to die in avalanches, including our friend, Stratton Matteson, who was taken by an avalanche in British Columbia a week after the Frog Lake accident. A gut punch made worse by finding out only minutes after we recorded the recap of our trip to Frog Lake. A trip to Frog Lake ending only 48 hours before the accident. Losing Stratton as we recorded made us realize it was too early to share. We needed more time to look inward and reflect. This episode is our second attempt, focused on the realizations we’ve had in the 18 days since the incident, and what we can all personally do to honor the lives lost, as well as move forward with compassion and a commitment to being safe and making…

People in this episode

Hosts: @Pow_Bot, @trail_whisperer

Topics covered

  • avalanche safety
  • community impact
  • grief and loss
  • backcountry skiing
  • personal reflection
  • honoring lives lost

Keywords

  • avalanche
  • Frog Lake
  • Truckee
  • safety
  • backcountry skiing
  • community
  • grief
  • Stratton Matteson

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Frog Lake, Northern Sierra Nevada, Truckee, California, Lake Tahoe, British Columbia

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