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| Walter Rosenthal |
This was just emailed to me. Walt was one of the ski patrolmen killed Thursday. Working in Mammoth for nine years - he was always around to ask questions and help. He will truly be missed. He was a great scientist.
Walter Rosenthal The afternoon of April 6th will be etched in ours minds forever. It dawned as a bluebird morning, but the sunny spring day was darkened by afternoon by a tragedy that stunned family, friends, and employees of Mammoth Mountain. In no time, the entire eastern Sierra was grieving the untimely death of Walter Rosenthal. The support and sympathy has been immense: with emails, letters, and phone calls coming in from all over the country. Many of the well-wishers never knew Walter or the other victims, but have been touched by this tragic story of bad luck, desperation, heroism, and courage. The newspaper coverage went National that same afternoon and by the following day, the story spread overseas to Thailand and perhaps beyond. Charles Walter Rosenthal was born and raised in Burbank, California. He would have been 59 years old on April 26th. Walter graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science. In college he was involved with the local spelunking club and ended up exploring remote and uncharted caves from Nevada to Mexico. His interests eventually turned to climbing and he subsequently migrated to Yosemite Valley. One of Walter’s endeavors was soloing the Zodiac Wall of El Capitan, which took him a week and a half. He climbed only in the mornings while it was cool, then hung out in his hammock and read all afternoon when the sun crept around the corner and started baking the cliff. Walter was a gregarious person, but it often suited him to strike out on adventures alone. When he moved to the eastern Sierra in the early 70’s, Rosenthal quietly began to tick off a number of first ski descents: Para-Chute off the east face of Pyramid Peak, Red Slate Mountain, the Checkered Demon, and the couloir down the center of the Sevehah Cliffs of Laurel Mountain. His adventures were pure and without any fanfare. Walter was modest and humble, extremely bright and engaging. He was great fun to be with. Among For the many people who knew Walter, words cannot begin to describe the depth of the pain and sorrow of his passing. Walter’s toothy smile could light up a room, and his laugh was loud, rolling and infectious. Above all, Walter had an intense love of life and family. His was a kind and sensitive soul, and there was no one more big-hearted. Walter was known to do anything for a friend, which is why he is gone. Walter lost his life trying to help his friends. When Walter died, a part of all of us died. The radiant glow of his smile has been extinguished, and there is emptiness and silence now. What remains are the memories, photographs, and shattered lives. With time, this dark cloud will move on, but we will always miss him. Walter is survived by his wife, Lori Michelon and his 14 year old daughter, Lily. Lori is an instructional aid at the Mammoth Middle School and an adjunct teacher of art at Cerro Coso Community College. Lily is a straight A student at Mammoth High School. Walter made a screen saver for Lily for their home computer which reads, “I love you ‘bug-bug.’” Personal finances, including mortgage payments and college tuition for Lily are of great concern. There have been memorial funds established at the Union Bank of Mammoth Lakes for all three patrollers; the Walter Rosenthal Memorial Fund, the Scott McAndrews Memorial Fund, and the James Juarez Memorial Fund. Union Bank, PO Box 2729, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. A memorial service for all three patrolmen will be held Friday evening, April 14th at 6:30 pm at the old gondola station, Main Lodge. The memorial is open to the public. Jim Stimson Photography |
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