On a cold April morning, my boyfriend and I pull our ski jackets closer as we huddle into the cozy warmth of the gondola as it whisks us from Vail Village up the mountainside. The low clouds that have been obscuring the views for the past few days during a late-season storm are starting to clear and suddenly the Gore Range bursts into view, resplendent in the morning sunlight. It’s going to be a good day.
We reach mid-Vail in just under eight minutes and emerge into the cold at 10,000 feet above sea level. From here, it’s a quick two-minute warm up run down to the next chairlift and then we’re on our way to the top of Vail mountain. Now at 11,570 feet, the air is thin and clean and the last of the clouds has burned off, leaving us with captivating views of the Rocky Mountains and the distinctive snow cross marking Mount of the Holy Cross, a Colorado 14er just a few miles to the south.
