We stopped in the lee of some bushes and sank to our hips when stepping off our skis. My pole disappeared all the way to its hilt when I applied even a minimal amount of weight.

This, more than anything , brought me a throat lump. I couldn’t believe they were using what little breath they had to encourage and to thank.

And most of all, we transitioned in a slightly new version of ourselves. The version that isn’t put off by the dark or the graupel or the wind - the kind that looks up the slope and says yes.