A tribute to the 34 people killed in U.S. avalanches in 2012

The day before their last day, Johnny Brenan, Chris Rudolph and Jim Jack all went skiing at Stevens Pass, Wash. It was Feb. 18, one of many stormy powder days during a high-snowfall year in the Northwest. More than 12 inches of new snow had fallen overnight. Around 4 p.m., Jim, the head judge of the Freeskiing World Tour, showed up at Stevens' Foggy Goggle bar with a smile so big, you couldn't help but smile back at him.
Chris, the marketing director for Stevens Pass, was at the bar, too. He'd orchestrated a women's ski demo that opportune day — an event I was a part of — and led a dozen or so female skiers around the resort. We'd spent the entire day getting some of the deepest turns of the winter. At the bar, Chris was surrounded by all of the ladies, including his girlfriend, Anne.
"How'd you get so lucky?" Jim asked Chris, only half joking. They both just smirked at each other, as if to confirm that, yep, their lives really were this good.

Johnny, Jim and Chris -- all residents of nearby Leavenworth -- lived the kind of life that city dwellers sometimes fantasize about. They had real jobs in the mountains and had turned their passion for the outdoors into their lifestyles and careers. In the winter, all three of them skied most every day; in the summer, they mountain biked, climbed, boated, camped and spent time outside with friends and family. All three men were known for their warmth, openness and jovial spirits.
The following day, Feb. 19, Jim, Chris and Johnny were killed in an avalanche on the out-of-bounds backside of Stevens Pass. I was there that day, too — a participant in a tragedy worse than any nightmare you could imagine.
Thirty-four people died in avalanches in the United States during the 2011-12 season, just two fewer than the record in this country. Around the world, avalanches devastated other mountain communities as well, including a recent climbing disaster on Nepal's Mount Manaslu that left 11 dead.

Go here for the full story. Over the next eight weeks, ESPN.com will take a look at the increase in avalanche fatalities in the U.S. Go here for an overview of the series.