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Here's the top of a lovely tribute to the late Charles Tuft, who died Friday doing what he loved - skiing - on Vail Mountain. RIP, Dr. Tuft.

On a winter's day in 1962, my brother, Charlie Tuft, and I made one of our typical weekend mountain trips to the newly open Vail ski area.

We made that trip most winter weekends, not just in 1962, but for every year thereafter until Charlie went on to teach skiing at Alpe d'Huez, a French ski area.

Charlie was a skier's skier. I remember days at 3:20 p.m. when he would race to get the last run on Forever after skiing some 35,000 vertical feet that day.

Then there was the powder day when some Aspen greats came to ski with Charlie and at 2 p.m. they left with their tail between their legs while Charlie kept skiing.

Charlie could ski. He was maybe the strongest skier Vail's ever seen. On a powder day, he was always waiting at the Vista Bahn before it opened. He missed very few of these days.

Read more of Edward Tuft's tribute to his brother at the Vail Daily website.