Bad things happen to good people.

But don’t worry, good things happen to them too.

It started innocently enough. A group of skier friends and even one snowboarder went CAT skiing with Park City PowderCats in the High Uintas.

The snowpack was a bit upside down, so we were on moderate angle terrain and tree skiing. We had some breakable crust and serious wind blasts, but were lucky to be properly equipped with new BD Megawatt skis and cozy shells and down from Cloudveil.

IT WAS FUN.

Just before lunch we skied a rollover open shot that led to an aspen glade then out to an apron and a meadow skip to the cat. Yipping through the trees there was a terrible THUD. Sam, a strong blond ski racer from Maine, had hit one hard.

IT WAS BAD.

The PC CAT guides were sharp and Dave and Howie had cool heads from previous trauma situations. We got Sam on a backboard and into the toboggan and down to the CAT. A short ride later, we carried him, three aside like a coffin, to an impromptu landing zone for an Air Med pickup under a flat gray January sky.

The copter came and whisked Sam away.

Right on time, at 8:20 PM that night, Sam’s wife Ryan deplaned and we met for the first time at the Salt Lake City airport. She was radiant in her strength and calm. We went and visited Sam at the hospital. He almost hopped out of bed to greet Ryan. Well, not exactly almost.

Final tally: Three cracked vertebrae, one broken finger, one broken nose and a small broken bone in between the sinus and eyeball. Sam learned he broke the latter when he blew his nose and his eye almost popped clear out of his head.

The previous night, a few of us who are a bit old school, including Sam, decided to wear helmets the next day. Good thing, no doubt.

Sam and Ryan returned home to Boulder after The Canyons resort graciously extended their stay at no charge (thanks Libby). About 48 hours after getting home, Sam and Ryan received word that a baby girl whom they had been working toward adopting in Ethiopia was approved for them. Her name is Mekdes.

AND THAT IS GOOD.
When not ripping it up, Penn Newhard is a partner at Backbone Media in Colorado.