Mike Versus the Mountain

“Was I deceiv’d, or did a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night?” – Milton

It is always sunny in Mike Friedman’s world – even on a cloudy day.

My relationship with him has come full circle. Mike’s extended interview with Kalypso was a three-day ski trip in Beaver Creek. And now, five years later, we set out to conquer the Canadian Rockies on an epic heli-ski trip. Mike is an intrepid skier, but it turns out that his hamstring is no match for waist-deep powder and tree-filled 75-degree slopes. He spent the final few days in the lodge curled up with his email inbox and good(?) Canadian wine. If you expect that after three years of planning this would cause him to show some disappointment, then you do not know Mike. If “silver lining” is a metaphor for optimism and positivism, the lining of Mike’s clouds must be made of gold.

I am proud to call Mike my partner. He is the keeper of the Kalypso flame and sets the bar for what it means to be a partner. We have the great privilege of working with our closest friends every day and building lifelong relationships with our colleagues. Mike’s ski injury just means that we have to go back and do it again next year. I intend to introduce him to Vitamin I.