Devon O’Neil is a journalist and author of The Way Out. A gripping, consuming read, The Way Out chronicles a 2017 backcountry ski trip in the Colorado Rockies that ended in both tragedy and miracle—and changed a community forever. Set in small towns and towering mountain ranges, it is at once an ode to high-country life and a dissection of what that life costs.

After reading the book, I was left with a profound feeling that it’s a story any member of our outdoor-loving communities should read. Devon’s writing is so much more than a page-turning story. He explores and examines the saga of the accident, but also life in the mountains at-large, with nuance and emphasis on the emotional and communal realities.

Devon himself lives in Breckenridge, Colorado and is a longtime reporter of life in the mountains, our adventurous pursuits, and the psychological realities faced by folks in these communities. He also moonlights as a mountain hutmaster, and in many ways, he became the perfect person to dive into the untold story from this harrowing accident in a true, relatable manner. In the interview, we get into the human side of his writing, the book, and what the process was like to immerse himself in a difficult story.

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This episode is brought to you by Salomon. To check out the QST line of skis, and all Salomon ski gear, click here.

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