Austin Mallet took the time to make his girlfriend breakfast on the morning an avalanche claimed his life.
In the early hours of the morning, before he set off on a grueling ski mountaineering expedition up Lone Peak and beyond, Austin Mallet took the time to make his girlfriend breakfast. He told her he would be back at her place in Salt Lake City before she got off work. That night, they had dinner plans at his favorite local restaurant, Vessel.
Mallet spent the past five years dedicating himself to becoming an adept rock and ice climber and ski mountaineer. A former competitive cyclist and collegiate skier, he moved from Texas to Montana in 2019 to hone his alpine skills. In 2021, inspired by the, an endurance hike-and-climb route near Salt Lake City, he pioneered the Hyalite Ultimate Ridge Linkup in the mountains around Bozeman.
Near the top of the Messner, Labosky said, the snow was perfection. After about 4,000 feet of descent, though, it turned to blue ice too hard and slick to turn skis on. With a deep crevasse looming below the route, Labosky and Mallet made the decision to transition from skis to technical climbing for the remainder of the descent. Using ice climbing tools like screws and axes, the pair climbed the rest of the way down while a mass of climbers hunkered down at the 14,000-foot base camp looked on.
Prior to any big outing, Mallet would inevitably churn out a trip spreadsheet. He would detail every bit of pertinent information, down to how much isobutane gas each person would use per day, what they would eat and which duffle held his sunscreen versus which held his crampons. He created many of them during lulls in his job as a petroleum engineer in the Permian Basin.
An adept alpine climber who previously volunteered for Search and Rescue, she said she was reluctant to “sound the alarm.” Outdoor recreation has its risks, but Mallet, whom she described as “the love of my life,” has always come home.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Multiple Skiers Missing in Avalanche Near Salt Lake CityA search-and-rescue operation was underway Thursday at Utah's Lone Peak.
Read more »
What does GCU, Seattle leaving WAC mean for Utah Valley, Southern Utah, Utah Tech?The Lopes and Redhawks will join the West Coast Conference beginning July 1, 2025. Where does that leave the WAC, specifically Utah schools of Southern Utah, Utah Tech and Utah Valley?
Read more »
Identities released of two skiers killed in avalanche in backcountry near Lone Peak CanyonAuthorities on Friday afternoon identifiedTwo backcountry skiers killed in an avalanche the day before.
Read more »
Two missing skiers found dead after avalanche in Lone Peak CanyonMultiple skiers were missing following an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday morning.
Read more »
6A boys tennis: Lone Peak gets assist from region rival Skyridge for 6th title since 2016Lone Peak's boys tennis team did just enough, and got a little help from one of a region rival, to clinch its sixth 6A state championship since 2016.
Read more »
Utah's reservoir system is close to last year's peak as snowmelt picks upUtah's reservoir system is back up to almost 85% — about one percentage point off of last year's peak — with plenty of snowpack left to melt.
Read more »