These Knees

Blink and everything can change. There are so many moving parts and it's easier than it would seem for one to shift ever-so-slightly and change it all.

19" of new snow made it seem like yesterday should have been another epic pow day. It started off rocky; I was not skiing my best, stuck in the backseat thanks to weeks of ripping groomers and skiing spring slush. But the snow was awesome and fairly forgiving, though there were icy moguls waiting to down an unsuspecting skier. Jeremy fell victim on the first run, tweaking his knee, but it seemed fine and we kept going. We were lapping the Gad 2 double at Snowbird, finding great stashes in the tree and not really experiencing lift lines, surprising considering how full the parking lot was.

6 runs in and everything changed. The snow was holding really well and we kept finding waist to chest deep blower everywhere. We split up and then met back up on the cat track headed back to the lift. One more rollercoaster of a drop through the trees and we were on the home stretch. I was in front so didn't see the landing, but all I know is when Jeremy got to the lift it was over. The knee was done for.

Most skiers have messed up knees. It's the price we pay for beating them to hell on moguls, trying to drop stuff, or just crashing at mach looney. ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, they're all at risk every time we click in, and some people just get the shaft when it comes to knee injuries (as in they get more, not that they get shafted by not getting them; I'm no sadist). I've learned to ski through my pain mostly, especially since they can find nothing wrong with mine so they can't fix it. It's a motto I know many people follow, either for similar reasons for because surgery is too damn expensive. Regardless, it comes with the territory. It sucks.

This is likely to be a season-ending injury which truly blows to epic proportions. When someone's doing something stupid and they get injured it's easy enough to sympathize but then blame it on poor decisions. When someone is taking run-of-the-mill turns on a day with good, soft conditions and this happens it's even worse. here's no one/nothing to blame so you end up blaming yourself.

Stay careful out there this spring and send good wishes to skier's knees everywhere.