Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by Cindi and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. King

2. avalanche

3. canyon

4. pianist

5. Wyatt

6. marriage

and/or:

1. supreme

2. packers

3. pie

4. jazz

5. crash

6. farewell

here is my story, which links back to the Jimmy Raven chapters from long ago:

1988   Alaska

While the siren whooped loudly throughout the town, Wyatt King, owner and manager of King's Snow Rescue, called in his team. Several were already on the way, having heard the siren from the first whoop. Ted Jansen, who lived way out near the canyon was the last to arrive and speedily began donning his gear as Wyatt told of the location of the avalanche.

Mount Katano, favoured site of many mountain climbing training schools, had inexplicably dropped several tons of snow and debris down its northern side. Several rescue huts were dotted around the area and the paths to those needed clearing as quickly as possible.

More importantly, Jake Raven had been on the roster for checking and restocking supplies at those rescue huts along with Simon Goldberg and there had been no reply to the latest radio message sent just before the siren started its whooping.

As they set off, some of the men tried lightening the somber atmosphere by joking with Harry Burke about his romance with the new jazz pianist, Claire Kovick, who was preparing to put on a concert at the town's solstice celebration. "Marriage on the cards?" joked Ted.  Harry blushed and changed the subject, asking if anyone knew which hut Jake and Si were likely to be at.

Wyatt replied their last communication had been from hut three, where they had restocked with supplies from the new company Supreme Packers, and were now headed towards hut four. "Right in the path of the avalanche," he said.

Moods immediately became more serious and all the men checked their equipment one last time, then began the arduous climb towards the plateau where hut four was. Or had been.

Reaching their destination a few hours later, Wyatt reported back to the base camp at the lower levels that the plateau was now a good deal smaller, most of it now lying somewhere at the base of the mountain, while the rescue hut was buried under quite a bit of snow and rocks.

The men were quiet as they shovelled away snow and rolled away the smaller boulders, exposing the crushed timbers of hut four. Carefully moving those aside,  they uncovered the bodies of Simon and Jake. Hearts were heavy as they surveyed the damage of the crashing avalanche, realising they must now say farewell to their mates.

Wyatt in particular was saddened to know it would be his job to break the news to Molly Raven and young Jimmy. Simon had been a bachelor and an orphan, there would be no family to inform.

**** I don't know the names of any Alaskan mountains prone to avalanches, so if any of you can hep me out with a name I would be grateful. Or perhaps suggest an imaginary name? Thank you.  

Edit: mountain has been named Mount Katano