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I just happened to be reading the latest issue of AOPA Pilot magazine today and saw a brief article that mountain-flying expert Sparky Imeson was found dead in his C180 near Bozeman, MT.
It really caught me off guard and moved me. I remember somewhere in The Finer Points Jason interviewed Sparky via telephone once.

First William Kershner, then Steve Fossett, now Sparky! Ahh!! All my modern aviation heroes are vanishing!

_________________
Inst: "So how far out so we make our initial call-up?"
Student: "10 miles"
Inst: "OK, let's make that call"
Student: "Airport Traffic, Cessna 172, 3 miles east..."

I recall reading that article as well (perhaps a month or so ago). I think in that same issue there was an advertisement for a book that Sparky wrote and the advertisement highlighted a section in the book that said Sparky says to always have several options available to you and NEVER get boxed in a canyon or get too low. The article about his death suggested he was flying very low (when he didn't need to be) and/or was not leaving himself many options should anything happen ... If I recall correctly. As I said, this was a few months ago.

I couldn't help but notice the irony ... on one hand there was the advertisement by Sparky saying what to do to not get yourself killed and on the other hand there was the article explaining almost exactly those things as the likely cause of Sparky's death.

I'm not saying I'm the expert. I'm merely pointing out the irony in the magazine. I do know mountain flying involves substantial risk, which can be reduced with proper training. I have taken a 2-day mountain flying class, sponsored by the Colorado Mountain Flying Association. Day 2 culmunated in a 5-hour tour of some of the highest mountain passes in the Rockies, as well as landing in box canyons (Glenwood Springs) and mountain airports, such as Aspen and Leadville (the higherst airport in North America). I did this with an instructor in a C172 ... and parts of it scared me because we were super slow and very close to the mountains, but I guess that's what it takes to get some lift when winds are light.