Catching Up...

That's me on the far left, Brett on the right. Not to scale.

   I finally uploaded the videos of snowboarding in Lake Tahoe... photos coming soon (I hope)!

My Little Pupcakes

    Okay, I'll admit it. I feel a little guilty leaving my pets alone for nearly 2 consecutive weeks, while I visited Kristin in Portland, and then went snowboarding in Lake Tahoe. (They're in *great* hands with Mary Ann, but I still miss them.) So tonight after Dan & John's holiday happy hour at Gram & Dun, I walked across the street to Three Dog Bakery to pick up a treat for the dogs. "A treat" turned into a bunch of treats: a doxie donut, pumpkin lab loaf, Boston terrier cream pie, and a holiday cupcake. (Mary Ann, if you're reading this, I have mini muddy paws for Gail & Lexie!) Based on their excited reaction, I'm guessing they forgot all about me being away. Spoiled Much?

For US?! Oh, boy!

Drooool....

Say "go"... say "go"...say "go".....

WHAT?! We only get to split ONE donut tonight?

CHOMP

YUMMY

Where do you think you're going, crumb?

   For the record, the only reason Gypsy isn't getting special treats is that she's on a strict prescription diet. So she's getting extra attention instead. Everybody wins!

Lake Tahoe: Day 7

   Today was our last day in Tahoe, so we got up early, ate, dressed, and jumped in the gondola at 9:00 for the nearly 30 minute ride to the top. Fresh corduroy awaited! I was able to get in 5 great runs down the mountain, with beautiful Lake Tahoe staring me down each time. I'm getting

more comfortable & confident on the steep blue runs, and my only falls today were from losing my balance while getting a little overzealous. And for a snowboarder, that's probably a good thing.

   One treat today: upon sliding off the Dipper Express lift, I saw two huge, happy Golden Retrievers prancing around the ski patrol station. They looked very proud in their red vests with white crosses, & their names emblazoned on their front shoulder. I tore my board off & ran over there with my camera, & asked one of the rescue team to take our picture. Madeline & Boulder were happy to oblige:

   This, of course, made me really miss my 3 pets back home, and also made me nostalgic for my childhood with these dogs. They were so funny and totally lit up, getting to come to work out in the snow. I'd really like to try training a search & rescue dog someday...

   We sneaked in nearly 2 full hours of riding before we had to catch the gondola back down the hill, to change, pack, check out, walk to Embassy Suites, & meet the shuttle.

   It was an hour and a half ride back to the airport, and we talked excitedly the whole way about getting together again for hiking & trail running, & what our next big adventure might be. Brett suggested that we might each host a trip to a place we've been before. Banff in September with Brett? Spain & Europe with Rafael? Japan in 2013 with Jen? It's fun to dream about what might be next, and incredible to meet like-minded people who are

amazingly easy travel companions. Brett is an expert planner and has great ideas of where to go; Rafael speaks Spanish and is very funny and easygoing; both of them are very knowledgeable about the outdoors, hiking, & backpacking. And I speak some Japanese, can talk to animals and am picking up the backpacking stuff as fast as I can. We make quite the Musketeers, and between us I believe we can go anywhere. W need our own TV show!

   We had lunch/dinner at the airport before we parted ways (the Southwest gang vs. the Delta gang) to head home. My favorite part was talking about

how lucky each of us are: to have our health, some vacation time, and some money to travel. And not just that, but the DESIRE to see the world. And the desire to share it with people who would appreciate it equally (and perhaps in different ways). The guys talked about the need to have a plan,but also the need to be flexible: like on this trip. We didn't plan for the lifts to be closed at Heavenly on Wed-Thurs-Friday, but that gave Brett & me time to walk on the sandy shore of the Lake together. And hitching a ride to Northstar allowed us to see another resort, and for me to dramatically improve in my riding on easier runs first, making Heavenly possible.

   I quoted something I'd read long ago, and whole-heartedly believe: "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out."  Like that wrong turn in Alaska that led us to see our first black bear, "mistakes" or seemingly bad things may lead to even greater things thatcouldn't have been anticipated. And although I'm sad that my trip to Africa fell through this fall, I was lucky to spend this time with two great guys who I feel will be good friends forever. And what more can you ask for? Every person I get to know has led me to even greater knowledge, greater experiences, greater adventures. And I'm just getting warmed up...

Lake Tahoe: Day 6

   We aimed to get in another pretty full day at Heavenly today, and we got it: we were on mountain from about 11-4:00, although I only lasted about 3 hours of that. My brain was strong, but my muscles were weak! My first few runs were fantastic, & I'm so glad I went out, but by 3:30 I was making mistakes and slipping up more frequently--due simply to fatigue this time rather than inexperience. That was frustrating, but I had skipped lunch, and this was day 5 of riding for at least 3 hours per day, so I shouldn't be surprised or frustrated! I just wanted to ride as long as possible now  that I was really getting the hang of it. Brett & Rafael were still zooming past me, but I was linking turns and making my way down much more quickly & confidently, if a little slower than everyone else.

   So I hung out and sipped water and ate the clementines and Clif Z-bars I'd stashed in my pockets, and waited for the boys to finish out the last runs of the day. It was nice to relax, taking in the clean air and watching others delight in flying down the slopes and deftly maneuvering back into line again. It was an awesome sight to see the skiers and riders cresting the hills, with the sun high above, illuminating the snow that clouded their feet as they sliced over and through it. Sheer poetry!

   Today was the opposite of yesterday: it was me who had the sleepy eyes and the dreamy look when we met in the lodge, not Brett. Brett even remarked on it, as amused as I was the night before. "I need food to perk me up," I said. So we returned, changed, & headed out to hunt & gather.

   Brett noticed a Hawaiian/Asian fusion place called Kalani right by the ice rink in the village. We still had 20 minutes of happy hour, so we sat at the bar with our gin & tonic, beers, & wine and knocked back a bunch of small plates: spicy edamame, sweet short ribs, a shredded pork quesadilla, spicy tuna rolls, and chicken wings. And the pieces de resistance: creme brulee cheesecake with fresh mango sauce, and fried banana springs rolls with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. A perfect way to savor our last evening.

   ...Not that we were done savoring. Another romp through freezing temperatures to reach the piping-hot, outdoor spa was in order. And it was the nightcap my aching body needed. By now only my neck tenderness lingered; from supporting the weight of the helmet, rather than from crashes. Improvement!!!

   Every night this week I've slept easily & soundly. It's nice to sleep until I wake up with the sunrise, rather than be jarred awake by an alarm. So what I love about ski trips is this balance of very strenuous (and very fun) physical activity during the day, & very restful sleep at night. Alright! ;)

Lake Tahoe: In Motion

By Jove, I think she's got it!!!

But she isn't as fancy as Brett, yet 

(to be fair, he has +10 years on her):

Throw in a Rafael and things get really tricky:

The going is slow, but I had a clean run, and the camera survived!

Success!

   Just had 3 clean runs in a row, & I feel like a million bucks!!!  ...Champagne may be in order, to celebrate the survival of my kneecaps!

Lake Tahoe, Day 4

   This morning we checked the ski report for Heavenly & confirmed that no additional runs had opened up. So we rented a car and headed up to Northstar. We had breakfast (oatmeal and fruit) but I guess I must be burning extra calories by working out several hours a day... I'm ALWAYS hungry! So I ate my leftover pad thai in car on way.

   We got a noon start at Northstar and I spent the majority of my time on Skid Trail, taking it to Lumberjack (both greens). There were some steep spots, but these runs offered great opportunities for me to practice linking my turns. I had to consciously weight my front foot, lean forward over my board, thrust my hip forward, and use my gaze to point my direction, hip and shoulder aligned. When I was able to do all that, I had some great, long stretches of time where I just coasted, then alternately got more aggressive and sped things up. So fun.

   I still had a number of tumbles, but much less today, so I was really pleased with my progress. Fingers crossed that another day at Northstar will set me up for the last day and a half of the trip, at the hellish Heavenly...

   I finished up as the lifts closed at 4:00, coasted down to the gondola base, and dismounted. I had a great conversation with Gary and Anastasia, a Northstar employee and Epic Mix photographer, respectively. I am amazed at how helpful and friendly all the employees are--at Northstar, Heavenly, and even in Breckenridge back in March! The resorts seem to attract the best and brightest consistently, & it makes the experience that much more fun. Kudos to them!

   Along those lines, Brett and Rafael have been great travel companions; very fun and flexible, and we've gotten along great. I feel very lucky to know them!

   So, famished, we had dinner at the Chocolate Bar in the Village. I devoured my share of honey-bbq chicken wings, and then a flatiron steak with broccoli and a heaping helping of sweet potato fries, all drizzled with balsamic glaze. YUM.

   Then we drove home, stopping at the grocery store for some provisions for tomorrow. A couple glasses of wine and again, I was out like a light. Turns out that hours & hours of exercise + good meals + early sunsets makes you tired.

Deja vu

   Eating pad Thai in the car again, on the way up to Northstar. Just like the intermission during my hiking adventure in the Columbia Gorge last week!
   We rented a Ford Escape from Avis this morning and are on the road. I am so thankful to be going to Northstar today & tomorrow, since they have many more open runs that suit my skill level. My big learning from this trip: careful booking early in the season when there may not be much snow, and if you do, go someplace with a ton of green & blue runs on which to play.
   My goal for today is to work on the basics: simple, tight serpentines of toe- & heel-side down the slopes, building up speed and building up to steeper inclines. If I nail that in the next two days, I'll be in good shape o finish out at Heavenly on Tuesday & Wednesday... Wish me luck!

Ow.

My knees say STOP!!! 

But my brain says KEEP GOING—THIS IS FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!

Lake Tahoe, Day 3

   Today we got great news: Heavenly would be open & the gondola started running at 8:30! We had a big breakfast, got dressed & took the very short walk to the gondola. The ride up was a real treat: a gain of 2000', with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. Both it & the sky were brilliantly blue.
   My good luck ended there: Heavenly beat the HELL out of me today!
   Arriving at the top, we took another lift up to access a run. Unfortunately this first run proved to be a hurdle for me: it started out with a long traverse that required me to skate, burning energy. And the run down was quite steep: a blue run more difficult than I am ready for. The fake snow was icy, so it hurt to fall, so I played it conservatively and rode toe side, then heel side, perpendicular to the mountain. Before long my legs were burning from yesterday's workout... And my energy and strength were fading fast. On the very first run. Ugh. This is where being a beginner is not so fun: it is very hard to ward off intense frustration, because you WANT to be able to do it so badly, but your body can't keep up.
   I reached the bottom, bid Brett & Rafael adieu, and hit Tamarack for a big burger, some Gatorade, & a rest that I hoped would give me the energy to get out there & tear it up like I did yesterday...
   I decided that rather than continuing to get frustrated (and sore) taking on runs above my level, I moved over to the only open green run—which was a ZOO—crawling with small children, large children, teens, adults, everyone, and with a huge range of skill levels to those who really belonged on more challenging runs. This spells danger. A guy twice my size came from behind and took me out (unintentionally of course, he was learning and couldn't avoid me)
   Ended the day by meeting up with Rafael and Brett again. We rode up the Tamarack Express, took Orion down to the Dipper Express lift, and then down the dreaded California Trail again. On the way down, I found a set of keys: car, house, everything! With a cute lil' metal bicycle die cut keyring. I turned it in to a Heavenly staff member and am hoping the poor person that lost them checked lost & found right away and didn't spend too much time panicking. Given that I've rescued three sets of keys at Snow Creek in the past, I think I am officially The Keymaster.

   I ended the day tired, but it really wasn't so bad the second time. All in all, I rode for another 3 hours or so.
   For dinner, we walked to Los Mexicanos, a little hole in the wall—but not one of those little holes in the wall with really amazing food. I ordered the camarones a la diablo (shrimp diablo), which normally has a spicy tomato sauce. This version was covered in thick, sweet ketchup. It's bizarre: I can't get enough ketchup when I'm eating burgers and fries, but on shrimp? I was completely grossed out. The sweetness was sickening. I scraped off as much as I could, and piled the shrimp into flour tortillas with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa, trying to cover the taste. It was good enough for one meal. But maybe not good enough to walk 2.8+ miles roundtrip in freezing cold weather.
   After that, home, wine, bed. The usual.

Lake Tahoe, Day 2

   The gondola and lifts at Heavenly were closed again; they made the call at 10 am. Brett was standing by the gondola waiting to hear the verdict, and talking to Ike (who works in Tamarack Lodge, a restaurant on top of the mountain). And Ike offered to let us ride along with him & his friend Jesse up to Northstar! It took about an hour to drive up there, but it went quickly with the beautiful views of the lake. We had a mega-quick lunch at Subway and were on the gondola by 1:30. We rode til almost 4:30 (the lifts closed at 4:00, so we were sweeping the trails—the last run of the day! I was able to ride down at least 5 times—I kind of lost count. Once my muscles remembered what they heck they were supposed to be doing and I switched on my iPod, I really got into the zone and was linking turns and having a blast, accompanied by Rihanna, Dorrough, Coldplay... What. A. Blast.
   Ike and Jesse drove us back down to Heavenly, we thanked them & said we'd look for them once the gondola opened up, & then we were off to change and find food. Ike had lived in Thailand for a year and a half, and recommended Nakorn Thai (west of the ski village). We had a glass of wine, hopped the Blue Go bus and for $2 we made the 20 minute trek. Ike was not wrong: the restaurant was EXCELLENT, and our server had an equally good—and very dry—sense of humor. So fun. We shared a big bowl of Tom Yum Goong soup with tomato, ginger, lime and lemongrass, with HUGE shrimp. And I sampled their pad Thai... And promptly downed half of the huge platter. So good! Then we hopped the bus back to Forest (nearly freezing during the 10 minute wait at the stop, enjoyed a glass of wine (well, I did. The boys had beer). Then it was off to rest...

Hello Northstar!

Guess where I am

   I'm in Ike's Chevrolet. Rafael & Brett are in the backseat. They closed Heavenly AGAIN today due to high winds, so Ike (a Heavenly employee) threw our gear on top of his SUV and is giving us a lift to the north side of the lake. RIGHT. ON.

Winds I Curse Thee!

   In 20 min we'll know if Heavenly is going to be closed again. If that's the case we're going to rent a car & drive up to Northstar. C'mon, silver lining!!!

Big Breakfast

   I'm really impressed with Forest Suites! It's a very short walk from the gondola and shops, restaurants, & a grocery store; they gave us a FREE upgrade to a 2-bedroom condo (Brett scored this), meaning that I have my own room & bathroom, and no one has to sleep on the couch; and they have a huge breakfast spread--also free! Perfect for loading up right before we hit the slopes.
   Rafael made it in late last night (and not without some airport shenanigans), but we're all good & we're excited to get up there this morning! :)

Mountain Lunch

   Brett met me at the shuttle stop (Embassy Suites) and walked me down to our condo, Forest Suites. Then we walked around Tahoe village and had a hearty lunch at Driftwood Cafe: black bean chicken chili! Yum.

Lake Tahoe, Day 1

   My long day started by having to wake up at 3am, shower, dress, grab my things, kiss the animals good-bye, and head to the airport. I flew through Salt Lake City and arrived in Tahoe 9:45 am, right on time. And I was lucky enough to catch an earlier shuttle to South Lake Tahoe. Brett was kind enough to meet me at the drop off at Embassy Suites & walked me to Forest Suites, even carrying my snowboard bag. (Which is taller than me, so that's no small favor.)
   We had a nice lunch together at Driftwood Cafe—I had a delicious bowl of black bean chicken chili, which tasted great, having just stepped out of the icy cold wind. Then we went grocery shopping to pick up a few staples. After that, we walked down to the lake, walking along the beach, which was all lit up and golden from the sun hanging low in the sky.
   Along the way, we talked about travel, and our philosophies on travel and life. We eventually walked back to our suite and shared photos from previous trips, & talked for hours and hours. We have a lot in common, and have each had some great adventures, so it was very enjoyable.
   Before long, I started feeling sick from the altitude (dizzy, headache, getting winded just walking up one flight of stairs, nauseous). So I got online and read that I needed to drink water and eat carbs. So we ordered pizza from Blue Dog, just down the street and walked to pick it up (A Greek pizza with feta cheese , artichokes & my favorite—kalamata olives).
   After that it was time for me to hit the bed; I was feeling drugged & exhausted. (Remember that the previous night I had been up late for the Jay-Z/Kanye West concert and the subsequent car accident, and had scarcely 3 hours sleep. Plus I had to wake up so early this morning. Brett was kind enough to volunteer to walk over to meet Rafael, who arrived after 11 pm. Zzzzz....

Reno or Bust?

   My first time here, & it's odd: the desert browns and scrubby plants make it look like it would be hot out there, but it's colder here than at home!
Not seeing any snow except for a dusting on the highest peaks. Heavenly has man-made snow, so I should still be able to ride--when the lifts reopen. They closed the lifts on the mountain today due to high winds! I'll still enjoy the stellar views of Lake Tahoe, I'm sure, but I am ITCHING to get on my board and see how much I retained from my last trek (Breckenridge in March).
   The winds also made takeoff & landing in Salt Lake City & Reno turbulent & treacherous. It was quite the roller coaster ride today. But every landing you walk away from is a good one!

Hello Reno!

Big money, no Whammies... STOP!

Salt Lake City morning

   I'm here! Now on to the next one, as Jay-Z would say. (And I KNOW he would, because I just saw him in Tuesday night. Aww, yeah!!!)