Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join Lou Dawson, legendary ski mountaineer and the first person to ski all 54 Colorado Fourteeners, on The Local's Show for an inspiring conversation on mountain safety, backcountry adventures, and embracing unpredictable winters in Aspen and beyond.
In this episode titled “Safety 1st and Fun 2nd”, Lou shares his lifelong passion for the mountains, from childhood hippie-era harmonica vibes to epic ski descents, reliving memories through his latest book Avalanche Dreams. Amid a historic low-snow, warm winter, discover smart adaptations like seeking higher elevations for reliable snow (Richmond Ridge, Pearl Basin, Castle Peak), low-risk touring spots, and why altitude in Colorado keeps the joy alive.
Lou dives deep into backcountry safety essentials: minimizing risks in avalanche terrain, avoiding overconfidence, the value of guides and mentors, proper gear use, weather unpredictability, and lessons from real incidents. Whether you're into ski touring, snowshoeing, climbing Capitol or the Maroon Bells, or just love the Elks' jagged beauty, this episode emphasizes preparation, judgment, and maximizing fun while staying safe.
Hosted by Erik Skarvin on Grassroots Community Network at the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Perfect for backcountry enthusiasts, Aspen locals, Colorado skiers, and anyone drawn to mountain life.
Subscribe for more local stories, mountain wisdom, and community vibes!
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
Join Lou Dawson, legendary ski mountaineer and the first person to ski all 54 Colorado Fourteeners, on The Local's Show for an inspiring conversation on mountain safety, backcountry adventures, and embracing unpredictable winters in Aspen and beyond.
In this episode titled “Safety 1st and Fun 2nd”, Lou shares his lifelong passion for the mountains, from childhood hippie-era harmonica vibes to epic ski descents, reliving memories through his latest book Avalanche Dreams. Amid a historic low-snow, warm winter, discover smart adaptations like seeking higher elevations for reliable snow (Richmond Ridge, Pearl Basin, Castle Peak), low-risk touring spots, and why altitude in Colorado keeps the joy alive.
Lou dives deep into backcountry safety essentials: minimizing risks in avalanche terrain, avoiding overconfidence, the value of guides and mentors, proper gear use, weather unpredictability, and lessons from real incidents. Whether you're into ski touring, snowshoeing, climbing Capitol or the Maroon Bells, or just love the Elks' jagged beauty, this episode emphasizes preparation, judgment, and maximizing fun while staying safe.
Hosted by Erik Skarvin on Grassroots Community Network at the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Perfect for backcountry enthusiasts, Aspen locals, Colorado skiers, and anyone drawn to mountain life.
Subscribe for more local stories, mountain wisdom, and community vibes!
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
