I met up with co-workers, Van and Ed, and we skied hard, hitting all three peaks that morning (though still sticking to blue cruisers). I had skied at Keystone once at the end of last season, so the layout of the mountain came back to me quickly. The scenery and long runs easily make it a favorite. The back side of the mountain, however, was extremely gusty that day, so we only stayed for a few runs.
Ed left around noon, and I wanted to get in a few more solo runs before calling it a day. I suspect that I was more fatigued than I realized--and should have at least taken a break to eat--because I was unable to catch myself when my ski caught an edge. I fell forward and twisted my knee in the process. I immediately knew that I was injured and needed help.
Ski patrol took me to the mountain emergency clinic via sled and the x-ray showed that I fractured my left tibial plateau--a bone in my knee. From there, an ambulance took me to St. Anthony's Summit Medial Center in Frisco. My surgeon, Dr. Joseph, confirmed the commonality of the injury among skiers, which fortunately signified a somewhat routine and predictable repair. I passed the next 24 hours at the hospital in a daze until Anna picked me up and brought me to her apartment, where I spent the next few days. Aspen and I took care of each other while Anna and Alex went to a friend's wedding in California.
After eight weeks on crutches, I am expected to make a full recovery. For that, I am grateful in knowing that my injury could have been much worse. Still, as a passionately active person, I expect the recovery to take its toll on me both physically and emotionally. My future seems impossibly uncertain at this point (with the Air Force, especially), but I am challenging myself to find strength, courage, and peace in knowing that everything happens for a reason. The lessons that I have already learned through this is to slow down and rely on loved ones for help.
