That's why his death a few weeks ago in Chamonix came as such a shock to his friends. On the afternoon of February 26th, after a successful three-week trip in Europe, Petersen decided to ski the Exit Couloir on the Aiguilee du Midi, by himself. Considered a daunting challenge for most recreational skiers, the couloir would have posed little risk for a man of Petersen's experience. In his many years of mountain adventures, he'd skied and climbed terrain that was ten times more dangerous. Unfortunately, danger cannot be quantified in the mountains.
Nobody knows exactly what happened.
They found his body two days later, on the surface of the avalanche debris, near Glacier Ronde. Battered and broken, it spoke of a lonely and violent death. While his friends and acquaintances deeply mourn the untimely passing of such a strong and noble spirit, it is toward the living that we must now turn our attention. A loving husband and enthusiastic father, Petersen left behind a wife, Tanya, and two children, his son Kye, and his daughter Nava. A memorial trust fund has been set up to help his family make the transition to their new life without him.