This week I read the nytimes article “Snow Fall — The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek” by John Branch. The story is about a group of Elites who go skiing at the notorious Tunnel Creek section of Stevens Pass (part of the Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington) and fall victim to a violent avalanche. As one can imagine, this was an extremely tragic story and the author did an excellent job executing the piece by using every little detail to illustrate how exactly it all occurred.
“Snow Fall” is divided into six chapters, each titled with what the chapter entails- great for when referencing a specific part of the story. The plot lies in the chapter called, “Blur of White”, in my opinion it is the most significant section of this piece because of how present the reader feels due to graphics alongside detailed captions, the format, real time simulations of the actual avalanche, voice recordings of the 911 responders and the victims, interviews with survivors, and the language used throughout the writing.
It was quite interesting to see the avalanche happen in real time through the simulation. I was able to better understand what the victims were experiencing during those moments. If this piece did not have the graphics and simulations incorporated throughout, I would not be able to truly visualize the situation. Words can only provide so much to a reader but visuals bring words to life. If only more articles were designed the way “Snow Fall” was!
http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/index.html#/?part=tunnel-creek
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