Gonzo journalism department: Famed writer and self proclaimed weirdo Hunter Thompson shot himself today in his home near here. The local press frenzy has been incredible — totally over the top in a kind of perverse hero worship that is truly “weird.”
In honor of Hunter, here is a gonzo take of my own: Trying to base your life on being as weird and drug addled as possible, as Hunter did, always seemed to me like a loosing proposition. Kind of sad, in a way. I guess Hunter proved that out when he ate a .45 caliber pistol with his 6-year-old grandson nearby, and his wife on the phone listening to the click of the gun and a “loud muffled noise”! Sick. According to reports, Thompson’s last wish is to have his ashes fired from a cannon. I wonder if that seems important to him now?
Check out what one of our local pundits writes about Hunter.
Also a good opinion piece in the Washington Post.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Louis Dawson has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain. He published his memoir, Avalanche Dreams: A Memoir of Skiing, Climbing, and Life in 2024.
