The Lineup Won't Be the Same Without You

From the Los Angeles Times:

Near Mountain High, a ski resort in the Wrightwood area on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, the avalanche victim was identified as Christopher Allport, 60, a veteran character actor from Santa Monica.

An experienced backcountry sportsman, he had been skiing out of bounds from the resort, northeast of Los Angeles, with a friend, according to John Johnston, an L.A. County reserve sheriff's deputy. His body was found under 10 feet of snow about 9:45 a.m.

Out-of-bounds areas are clearly marked, but Mountain High employees do not have the authority to stop skiers from going beyond cleared slopes because the resort is located in the Angeles National Forest, according to resort President Karl Kapuscinski.

Those who knew him recalled Allport, a musician as well as an actor, as a passionate adventurer.

"He would surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon," said his friend Jordan Roberts. "He was knowledgeable in every conceivable outdoor activity."

Allport -- whose credits include the TV series "Mad Men," "Commander-in-Chief," "CSI: Miami" and "Felicity" -- had written a story for The Times in 2004 about the pleasures of powder.

"With backcountry savvy, the right equipment, survival skills and a sense of adventure, skilled mountain hands can leave the masses behind and experience the freedom and solitude of the wilderness in winter," he wrote.

But, he added: "Any excursion into the mountains requires awareness. . . . Know your limits and ski within them."