Letter: Love it or leave it

Tuesday, Feb. 21, was a beautiful day on Vail Mountain. Bluebird. No wind. Snow nice and firm. That morning I shared a ride up Chair 5 with Will: a pinhead and probably the last guy on the mountain telemarking in leather boots. He’s also at least 50 and has lived in the valley since ’83. Still recovering from a grade-two ankle injury, he was out with a huge smile and loving life. “We’ve got the most amazing backyard,” he said, several times over. He was a shot of renewed optimism — celebrating life with all of life’s imperfections.

Later that day, I shared a ride up Chair 4 with two ski patrollers. Judging from the peach fuzz on their faces, neither could have been a year older than 25. As soon as they put the bar down, one of them said something and his partner replied, “That’s what happens when you work in a cupcake mountain.” When I heard this I waited a moment and then said, “You can’t call Vail a cupcake mountain. You’re ski patrol. Respect your mountain.” He said that with so many acres you’d expect more gnarly terrain. So I told him, “If you ain’t happy here, pack your bags and go somewhere else.”

We could all use a couple more people like Will.    

Pipo Carvajal
Vail