defining moments

last thursday i went ski. it was a severe weather. it was snowing like hell but warm, which is not a good sign generally, as it reduces stability of snow, the crystallines transform to granular snow which leads to instability of snow packs. therefore, it increases the chances of avalanches.
on the way from shemshak to dizin, there's a kind of a road block were there was a guy, a local, standing and he told us not to go. as we asked why and there were lot of cars coming from the top, he threatened that he's gonna call his colleagues up there in dizin and tells them to cause us trouble if we continued! as i was surprisingly asking why i decided that i will go anyway and he could kiss my ass, despite being in agreement with the guy that it was dangerous, but the threat and the adventurous nature that i have is just defying that risk-avert nature.
in the mean time, i knew that i will not risk lives for that adventure.
so we continued and as we were going up the winding mountain road from shemshak to dizin, at a point i decided that i will not drive further, as i felt a bit unsafe. we were two cars. so we turned back, despite the calls to continue or at least wait for few minutes there. we went to a smaller resort called Darbandsar and we skied for a while. i had to called it a short day due to knee problems.
later that day, i received a call from a friend and she was asking if i am ok? i said yeah why, and she told me about an avalanche! it was a kilometer away from where i turned back. unfortunately, 8 people including a woman, lost their lives. i was thinking i could have been one of them. in fact we could have added 5 more to that numbers. that was probably a defining moment in my life and others that were with me! i am glad that i took that decision and it was nothing but to appreciate the mountains, the nature.
one have to look at them with respect. an athlete in nature should feel and connect with it. the day that one shows disrespect to nature, that could be the very last day that one is ever breathing.
while our memories is with their families, it should be also understood that it is part of the game. we all know what is lying out there. every single time that i charge down a steep powder, i am well aware of what could happen. the risks make me not scared but courageous and twice as aware and respectful for i know, a single hesitation, a moment of complacency and disrespect, is too costly and disastrous. this is something that i hope the younger athletes would learn.