(This is the fourth story in an album I am building. For more information please go to the website, homebrave.com.)

The Wasatch Mountains, just east of Salt Lake City, are known for having the best snow in the world for powder skiing. Powder is the kind of snow that flies over your head as you ski through it. The snow flakes are big and dry—they take up space but weigh almost nothing, so skiing through them can feel like flying.

When we were kids we learned to ski by riding the lifts at the resorts, but after high school, in our twenties, we realized we didn’t need the chair lifts—we could hike up and ski down the mountain, pretty much any mountain, on cross-country skis. We had the whole Wasatch range to ourselves.

This was a beautiful, but dangerous thing. We knew how to ski, very well, but we were just learning about the mountains, and what can happen in the mountains.

One day in April, 1979, seven young men went backcountry skiing in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Late in the day, after hiking up and skiing multiple shots, one of the slopes avalanched and swept away three of the skiers. One ended up on top of the debris, freaked out but uninjured. Another was buried for 20 minutes, but was dug out by his friends. The third, Greg McIntyre, was buried and didn’t make it out alive.

Years later, I interviewed five of the six survivors, asking them to tell me the story from beginning to end.

The Avalanche aired on “All Things Considered” in the winter of 1987.

Thanks to Dwight Butler, Dave Carter, Chris Larson, Alan Murphy and Larry Olsen.

I invite everyone to listen to these stories for free and then decide whether they are worthy of a donation. If so, please go homebrave.com and look for the DONATE button.