A friend's text hit my phone late on Thursday night, June 12, 2025. "Fourth of July Chutes tomorrow afternoon?" I replied with a simple, "Yes," and butterflies began to fill my stomach with anxious ...

I was going skiing in June, nonetheless, and our intended chute didn't require a long drive or a flight to reach. What wasn't there to be excited about? I packed up the car on the afternoon of Friday, ...