Super sad news - Carl Skoog dies :(

While I never had the pleasure of meeting your brother, Lowell. I certainly admire his work and the enthusiastic approach he took to life. I'm very sorry....Jerry White

Although I never met Carl in person, I've long been amazed and inspired by his skilled photography;<br>My condolences as well to all of Carl's family and friends.

Hello Lowell,<br>It was with great shock and sadness that I read on after opening Random Tracks. It is truly a tragedy when such a good person dies, especially when so all too soon. Carl's grand spirit touched so many of us in so many ways. My heartfelt condolences to you, your family, Rene and his family. Gerry Haugen

Jill and I just arrived in Pucon, Chile and learned of Carls accident. Carl and I had exchanged information about our upcoming trips to Argentina. I was looking forward to seeing the exceptional images of the places in the Andes we could only visit through Carls lenses.<br><br>Our hearts are saddened.<br><br>Zap & Jill

I'm impressed with PI reporter Angela Galloway's portrayal of Carl's life. She did what a good reporter should do; she talked to the right people; she got the facts right, and then she wrote (IMO) a great story about who Carl was.<br>I've reproduced it here for your convenience:<br><br>Tuesday, October 25, 2005<br><br>Carl Skoog, dead at 46: Adventure skier also excelled with lens<br><br>By ANGELA GALLOWAY<br>SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER<br><br>In the adrenaline-fueled, hard-partying, intense world of extreme sports,<br>Carl Warren Skoog was as much an anomaly as a pioneer.<br><br>A relative elder at 46, the easygoing and clean-living local backcountry<br>skier quietly made a name for himself over several decades as one of the<br>Northwest's most skilled outdoor athletes and photographers.<br><br>It was during one of his signature travels -- "partly a personal adventure<br>(and) partly a photojournalism trip" -- that Skoog died in an accident while<br>climbing and skiing in the Andes Mountains of Argentina on Oct. 17, said his<br>brother, Lowell Skoog.<br><br>Descending a 42-degree slope, Skoog lost his footing while he and a partner<br>made their way down from a 20,500-foot campsite near Cerro Mercedario, his<br>brother said. He might have struck a hidden rock or another obstacle, or<br>perhaps the uneven snow shifted beneath him. Regardless, he was unable to<br>regain his balance and ultimately fell 4,500 vertical feet.<br><br>"It wasn't extremely dangerous," said his partner, Rene Crawshaw of Canada.<br>"He just fell somehow, and he just couldn't get his ice pick in to stop<br>him."<br><br>It took Crawshaw several hours to make his way down to his friend to confirm<br>his death. Crawshaw then made a day-and-a-half trek out for help. "It was a<br>pretty lonely hike," he said.<br><br>Like many elite sports, adventure skiing rewards flamboyance and bravado.<br>But Skoog, who lived in Redmond with a brother, was never a showoff or<br>braggart, friends said. At the same time, he was an aggressive skier and<br>among the first to traverse some local backcountry areas on skis.<br><br>"He was mellow," said Dean Collins, a 42-year-old heavy-equipment operator<br>from Bellingham and well-known backcountry skier. Skoog shot more photos<br>than anyone of Collins, who said he has been fully sponsored to ski by<br>clothing and gear companies for seven years. While some photographers get<br>intense and pushy, Skoog was always there to have fun, Collins said. "He<br>never pushed me too far," he said. "I trusted him, and that's a huge issue<br>in the backcountry, because it's a long, bloody way to the hospital."<br><br>"He was very cautious," Collins said. "But we never waited for him. He's<br>just a damned good skier. He could go anywhere. If you could get there on<br>skis, he could do it."<br><br>Another longtime friend and ski partner, Andrew McLean of Park City, Utah,<br>added, "Putting together interesting trips to cool places with interesting<br>people ... was more important to him than bragging rights."<br><br>During a pioneering traverse across the rugged Picket Range in the North<br>Cascades in 1985, Skoog stumbled into the profession of photography, his<br>brother said.<br><br>The Skoog brothers and a friend wrote up a story on the trip for a<br>mountaineering magazine. A national gear manufacturer was so impressed with<br>Skoog's photos it asked to use some in its catalog and in a poster, Lowell<br>Skoog said.<br><br>By the mid-1990s, the Bellevue native and University of Washington graduate<br>with a mechanical engineering degree had given up his job designing outdoor<br>gear and dived full time into photography.<br><br>"For about a decade, he was really the most active and the most published of<br>the photographers working in this small and kind of difficult niche," Lowell<br>Skoog said. "He had followed his heart, and so that's pretty cool."<br><br>Skoog's work was published in numerous outdoor magazines, including Skiing,<br>Powder, SKI and nine cover photos for Backcountry. His also contributed to<br>posters and advertisements for companies such as Rossignol, Marmot and The<br>North Face.<br><br>Skoog is survived by four older brothers, an older sister and his mother,<br>Ingrid Skoog of Bellevue. Skoog's parents had both been skiers, and his late<br>father, Richard Skoog, was a ski jumper in the 1950s and '60s. The family is<br>making plans for a celebration of his life.<br><br>LEARN MORE<br>To see some of Carl Skoog's work, go to www.carlskoog.com
His brother, Lowell Skoog, an amateur photographer and historian, has a Web site at
www.alpenglow.org.

P-I reporter Angela Galloway can be reached at 206-448-8333 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Condolences to Carl's friends and family, spirit and support to Rene- I was only fortunate enough to ski a few Arm laps with Carl through my time at Baker. Being around someone who exudes the glow and energy of the mountains as he did makes that day stand out in my mind.

The Seattle Times ran a story about Carl this morning. The last line is unfortunately worded. You might get the impression that there won't be a memorial service. There will definitely be a celebration of Carl's life. We're still working out the details.<br><br>seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...63_skoogobit26m.html

The story includes a nice picture of Carl, which I believe was published in Outside magazine. I still get a chuckle out of that photo, because it was shot on the summit of mighty Gasworks Peak, approximately 50 feet above sea level.  ;)

I was deeply saddened by the news of Carl's accident. I only skied with him a handful of times, but each encounter left a deep impression on me. He was a true Northwest adventurer, and his energy and artistic vision were exceptional. <br><br>My condolences go out to Lowell and the Skoog family. It was clear that he was a great brother, friend, mentor, ski partner, confident, and fellow adventurer.<br><br>Carter<br><br>

My thoughts go to Lowell and the rest of Carl's nuclear and extended family. The joy we feel in sharing in someone's life mirrors the pain we feel upon losing them. From all I've heard and read about Carl, your loss must be deep.<br><br>I had hoped for several years now, based on seeing Carl's photos and reading bits and pieces from his trips, to meet him in person. This news is an unfortunate reminder to me to seize each day that passes, as they are more precious than I sometimes realize.

Like many, I know Carl through his work (and Lowell only through TAY and the NOAA field trip). But whether we knew him pesonally or not, his loss still leaves a very large hole in the backcountry world.<br><br>My prayers and condolences to his family and friends<br>Bill DeYoung

Here's the KING 5 News Version .

Very sad news. My condolences to Lowell and his family. <br><br>Alan

The following notice will appear in the Seattle and Eastside newspapers tomorrow. Details of Carl's memorial gathering are at the end of the notice.<br><br> <br><br>Carl Warren Skoog<br><br>Carl Skoog, 46, died October 17, 2005 in a ski mountaineering accident on Cerro Mercedario (6770 m) in the high Andes of Argentina. Carl was accompanied by his steadfast friend Rene Crawshaw of Chilliwack, B.C., who fortunately was not injured. <br><br>Born February 10, 1959, Carl grew up in Medina with four older brothers and a sister, all introduced to the outdoors by their ski jumping father, Dick Skoog and skiing mother, Ingrid Skoog. A lifetime Eastside resident (the family moved to Bellevue in 1953), Carl was an avid recreational skier and ski instructor during high school. He graduated from Bellevue High in 1977 and earned a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 1981. After college, Carl developed products for Seattle-area outdoor equipment manufacturers such as SMC, SunDog and Outdoor Research, combining his love of the outdoors and his talent for design. <br><br>While still in college, Carl began climbing mountains with his older brothers Gordy and Lowell. He worked part-time during college summers as a mountain guide, introducing beginners to mountaineering on Mt. Baker and leading clients up peaks ranging from the Cascades to South America. Over a period of twenty-five years, Carl climbed and skied hundreds of peaks throughout North America and pioneered dozens of new climbing and ski mountaineering routes in his beloved Cascades. Carl's desire to share his mountain adventures led to a growing interest in photography. In the mid-1990s, he quit equipment design to pursue outdoor photography as a career. Carl excelled in the demanding niche of adventure photography, his photos gracing dozens of ski magazine covers, advertisements, catalogs, and feature articles. <br><br>Carl was preceded in death by his father Richard B. Skoog and is survived by his mother Ingrid W. Skoog of Bellevue; brother Lawrence Skoog of Seattle; brother R. (Randall) Philip Skoog (wife, Janice) of Washington, D.C.; sister Anita Skoog Neil (husband, Bill Neil) of Bellevue; brother Gordon Skoog of Redmond; and brother Lowell Skoog (wife, Stephanie Subak) of Seattle. Carl was a loving uncle to Courtney Skoog (Philip), Wendy Gerber, Julie Iriondo, Dana and Erik Skoog (Gordy), and Thomas Skoog (Lowell). He is also survived by his aunt, Elsie Skoog, and cousins James, Jon, and Leonard Skoog, all originally of Mercer Island. <br><br>A gathering to celebrate Carl's life is planned for Saturday, November 12, 2005 at 4:00 p.m at The Mountaineers clubhouse, 300 Third Ave. W, Seattle, WA. Friends and family are encouraged to bring photos and mementos to share about Carl's life.<br>

Dear Lowell, Gordy and the Skoog Family:<br><br> I am writing this email with a very heavy and saddened heart. To some who know my wife and I we are so lost at this tragedy. Rene is our son and Carl was a part of our family and a son to us as well. He had often been over to our place to visit or be at one of Rene's parties, or to pick Rene up to take off on an adventure. In our entrance to our home we have a picture of Rene on top of Mt. Hood holding a cup of hot chocolate taken by Carl.<br><br> We have so many photos of our son taken by a professional photographer, friend and yes even family member. As Rene and Carl were in Argentina my wife and I would always be praying for their safety realizing that what they were doing was what they both loved and knew that they were both together as best friends could be. When Rene called us at home of the tragedy our hearts were just broken. The life Carl led was a life that many people in this world will never have the chance to lead or have the courage as he did to do. <br><br> To Lowell, Gordy and the Skoog family Marilyn and I send our deepest condolences to you of your loss. We can't fathom your pain but please know that Carls life, love and passion will live with us forever. I know that Rene would give anything to have his good friend, climbing and skiing buddy back so they could test their passion for the slopes again. God grant you a peace in your hearts and may the good memories of a wonderful man always be strong in your minds. <br><br>Stu& Marilyn Lang

First of all,my deepest sympathies to Carl's family.  I never met Carl, but he obviously excelled at what we all love and will be a legend that we can all look up to.<br><br>King 5 TV has a nice video report on Carl:  www.king5.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer..._103005carlskoog.wmv

I recorded the video and can put it on the net for download if it becomes unavailable later or if someone wants a copy.

Lowell, may I extend my sympathies to you and the rest of Carl's family, immediate and extended.<br>Kind regards,<br>Brent Hostetler

Though I did not know Carl well, I will always appreciate and remember the times in having the pleasure to ski with him. My condolences to Lowell, the rest of his family and Rene.<br><br>Donnelly

... Carl's work and spirit will live forever.

Interesting prophecy, Darryl... <br>For those of you that haven't seen it yet, a recent article of Carl's entitled "Beyond the Line of Control" just appeared in the latest issue of Backcountry Magazine. It's a very interesting story about ski touring in India occupied Kashmir.<br>

It was great to see so many of Carl's friends at the memorial last evening. I thought of posting this picture over on the photo thread that Charles started, but I decided to keep it here with all the nice words that have been posted. I took this picture of Carl in the North Cascades in 1985.



Y ou shall know the night--its space, its light, its music.
You shall see earth sink in darkness and the universe appear.
No roof shall shut you from the presence of the moon.
You shall see mountains rise in the transparent shadow before dawn.
You shall see--and feel!--first light, and hear a ripple in the stillness.

You shall enter the living shelter of the forest.
You shall walk where only the wind has walked before.

You shall know immensity,
   and see continuing the primeval forces of the world.
You shall know not one small segment but the whole of life,
   strange, miraculous, living, dying, changing.

You shall face important challenges; you shall dare,
   delighting, to pit your skill, courage, and wisdom
   against colossal facts.
You shall live lifted up in light;
   you shall move among clouds.
You shall see storms arise, and, drenched and deafened,
   shall exult in them.
You shall top a rise and behold creation.
And you shall need the tongues of angels
   to tell what you have seen.

--Nancy Newhall
 This is the American Earth

On January 7, 2006, my mother, Ingrid Skoog, died from complications of a probable stroke that she suffered on December 26.  She was 85.  The picture below was on our Christmas card in 1955, a year before I was born.  Carl was born 2-1/2 years after me.



Ingrid didn't ski much after I came along.  But I have happy memories of a day in 1984 when Carl, my wife and I took her to Crystal Mountain and lent her a pair of modern boots and skis.  She rode the rope tow and soon was making stem turns again.  You never forget how to ski.

Mom slowed down quite a bit during the past few years, but she remained independent until the end.  She lived a full life.  My only regret is that she experienced so much sadness in the last two months of her life.  Carl's death broke her heart.  Her spirit has now joined Carl and my late father, Dick Skoog.

Lowell -- sorry that you have had so much loss in the past few months, but glad that you have been surrounded by people who have lived such full lives. You have added a lot to everyone who is interested in the culture and spirit of skiing in our region. Your picture and story of Ingrid, reminds me of my own mother, probably on her last months at a senior home in Oregon. She had a wicked stem christie. <br><br>regards<br><br>ross

So Sorry to hear of this great loss. Although I had not seen Carl in about a year, I considered him a friend. I used to ski Baker with Carl and Rene and Jesse. Some of the best photographs of me skiing were taken by Carl at Mt. Baker. His latest pics of me appeared in the October issue of skiing. I had a choice of which pics to run in the story and Carl was my first choice. He was a genuine guy and I am very saddened by this loss. My heart goes out to his family.<br><br>Scottie Ewing (and Bobby Fenton)<br> <br>photo by Carl Skoog

Fine article and great pictures about Carl:<br>www.greatoutdoors.com/published/ski/prof...amcarlskoog/?rssfeed

I am new to this community, but I wanted to send my condolences. I have enjoyed and been personally inspired by Carl's photography for years and I'm saddened that he's gone.

This link was posted by ron j in a different thread, but it seems to better belong here. It's a 90-minute interview with Lowell and Gordy about Carl.<br><br>powdermag.com/carl-skoog/