Day One got off to a rough start and ended just as bad. Brian, still jet-lagged, a bit out of skiing shape (he hadn't skied in over a year before coming to Vail), unaccustomed to the altitude, and on old skis with a pair of boots that didn't fit well, had some trouble keeping up with me. The poor quality of the springtime snow didn't help much. We took two runs in Game Creek and we had to take a break at Wildwood at the top of Chair 3. At least the sun was out and the skies were blue.

Brian got his lungs back, but the boots were putting a tremendous amount of pressure on his thighs and the pain was killing him. Despite this, he soldiered on, following me deep into the Back Bowls all the way to Blue Sky Basin and back.

The snow back there was sloppy. It had rained at the base of Chairs 36 and 37. Where the cat track at the bottom wasn't icy, it was a slushy mess. I was surprised, because Blue Sky usually has the best snow on the mountain. The conditions at the top were better. We skied a few runs (Big Rock Park) before stopping at Belle's Camp for roast beef and turkey sandwiches (made by yours truly).

We headed back when Brian was too fatigued to continue. The trip home was a disaster. As we made our way to the front side, we could hear the low rumbling sounds of thunder. We didn't see any lightening, but all the lifts were shut down and our plans to "download" were thwarted.

It was probably 45 degrees. The snow was a horrible mess, the consistency of corn meal, and deteriorated badly as we made our way down the cat track to the base of Vail Village. By the time we reached the bottom, Brian was in incredible pain, not a huge surprise considering the nasty snow and his ill-fitting boots.

We recovered at Los Amigos with a few beers and a massive plate of nachos.