A Wall of White

Twenty-seven years ago today, at 3:44pm, the ski resort of Alpine Meadows, California, was in the middle of a blizzard. The storm was thrashing the area with lightning and hurricane force winds and had already deposited 100 inches of snow. One minute later, at 3:45pm, an enormous slab of snow broke away from the surrounding mountain. The resulting avalanche blasted down the slope snapping century-old trees, destroying buildings and burying 8 people. One was rescued immediately, six lost their lives, one was rescued five days later.

Anna Conrad who worked at the resort was inside the Summit Terminal Building when it was destroyed under the crushing force of the avalanche. Although a rescue dog signaled that it had located a survivor, it took until April 5 for rescuers to reach Anna who was huddled under a bench buried under 15 feet of snow and a pile of lockers.

Jennifer Woodlief has captured the days immediately before and after that pivotal moment on March 31, 1982 in her new book, A Wall of White. Introducing readers to the many players in this real-life drama, Jennifer takes great pains to cover every detail in their personal histories. When the avalanche (that you know is coming) finally descends about half way through the book, the story becomes riveting. I stuffed my copy in my purse so that I could pull it out at stop lights and grocery store lines -- any place that gave me enough time to read just a few more pages.

A gripping tale for anyone who enjoyed books like The Perfect Storm, Wall of White won't be shaken off immediately. My copy actually arrived on my doorstep in the middle of a snow storm. When I finished it last week I was relieved to find that winter was over in my hometown. It was good to see signs of Spring.