Sean Naylor/Vail Daily Thursday was a snowy day on Meadow Mountain. As my wife, Jess, and I pulled into the parking lot to take our first avalanche rescue course, we experienced a mix of emotions. We were glad it was snowing, for multiple reasons, but mostly because we wanted an authentic mountain rescue experience where howling winds and reduced visibility added to the challenge. At the same time, there was nervousness and uncertainty in the air. We didn’t know who would be joining us that day, we worried we might be the ones who slow down the group, and we also individually carried our sense of “couple competition” where our main motivation is to be less embarrassed than our partner.