It was in 2001 when long-time friend and ski journalist, Byron Klapper was involved in a motorcycle accident that nearly took his life. I always likened Byron to a tree trunk. He was a strong, strapping guy that you liked to keep in front of you when skiing, because if he ever accidently ran into you, you'd wonder where that Mack truck came from.

Fade to late last year. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a book in the mail written by Bryon, "Snow White's Skiing Dwarfs". Here was a guy that fought his way back from a painful injury to publish his own book about all the fun trips and people he met over the years.

L-R Standing: Byron Klapper, Mary Kerr, Fraser Noble, Gordon Bock Kneeling: Bob Enzel and Bob Wall. Crested Butte, CO, 1992.

Reading it for me was a trip down memory lane. Many, if not most of the people he wrote about and the places he skied were familiar to me. He and I carved a lot of tracks together for many years from ski areas in the east and west all the way to Las Lenas, Argentina. We were both members of The Eastern Ski Writers' Association and one of the benefits of membership was that we were invited to a lot of ski resorts.

You can pretty start anywhere in the book and enjoy every tale individually. His enthusiasm for each skiing experience makes the reader want to join him on the adventure. Here is a guy that enjoyed skiing and though his ability to ski since his accident won't permit his body mechanics to function properly the enthusiasm is still there. Anyone who wants to write about skiing and see what the life of a ski journalist is all about should go to www.smallbatchbooks.com and order a copy.

For those of you that feel you're too old or perhaps you have given up on physical activity, Byron's enthusiasm to continue an active life while physically hampered will get your juices flowing again. To say he is an inspiration is an understatement.

As you read through the book and see the places he's been, wonder at things he's done and the many people he's met along the way you may come to the same conclusion I have. That here is a guy that won't quit no matter what life throws at him.