Last Tracks - A farewell to winter 3:03 PM

As I stood alone at the top Lower Saddle at Alpine Meadows for one last time, I gazed out over the snow covered mountains surrounding me and down upon Lake Tahoe. I reflected for a few minutes on the season that was about to come to an end, grateful for the many beautiful days in the mountains, with family and on skis. From skiing alone among the trees at Homewood on a stormy powder day, to watching Elias make his first turns (by himself) on spring corn snow under cloudless blue skies, to hearing Mariann ecstatic about starting to feel feel the groove and have fun on telemark skis, this season has given us many great experiences to look back upon. While a long spring, summer and fall separate us from next season's first snowfall, we can anticipate those first turns on new fallen snow with the memories of a fabulous winter at Lake Tahoe. Alas, the snow is melting, even on the high peaks, flowers are blooming, waterfalls are roaring and it's time for new seasons and adventures.

First Tracks 11:09 PM

The allure of looking back at a fresh set of tracks carved gracefully in new fallen snow is something most skiers can understand and appreciate. A winter storm rolled into Truckee and sent me out into the snow in search of some of those precious first tracks.  However, that same allure is felt by many and the search for a patch of untracked powder often proves difficult, particularly in ski areas inhabited by an overpopulation of ski bums. On two particular days this March, the usual crowd was thinner than expected and the search proved easier than anticipated.

Learning to Ski 9:48 PM

Finding a balance between our own desire to ski with spending time with our kids has proven to be much easier than anticipated. For the most part, we've had to swap time indoors hanging out/playing with the kids and getting a few turns in. With a long ski season though, we've already got plenty of skiing in, even if it only amount to a couple hours a day. They best part about having season passes and no other plans is that we aren't in a hurry. That in itself makes the day go much smoother. On days with fresh snow, I've been fortunate to be able to head out first and get my share of the powder before coming back in and taking my turn with the kids. The one challenge though has been trying to share our joy of skiing with Elias. Not quite three years old yet, he's already spent a fair amount of time on skis, having received his first pair when we was a little over a year and a half. This winter, we've been able to take him onto the ski lift for a different perspective than just skiing on the flats. For the most part, he's been skiing between my legs and learning to put more and more weight on his skis so that eventually he can ski on his own. However, as the season has progressed, he has shown plenty of enthusiasm and is finally able to ski down low angle slopes on his own.

Back to the Mountains 10:17 PM

A fresh snowfall last night left enough snow to blanket the upper slopes of Alpine Meadows and provide for a few more turns in light powder. The spring like weather of the past week or so had left most of the hill skied out and pretty bumpy, so the fresh powder was more than welcome. Today, the rest of the family granted me the first hour or so by myself so I hurriedly put on my skis and headed for the top of the mountain. What was waiting for me wasn't just the great skiing, but also a beautiful landscape begging to be photographed. So instead of hastily heading to the best lines I could find, I stopped and tried to capture some of the beauty that surrounded me. The blue sky, craggy outcrops, Lake Tahoe in the distance, rime covered trees, it was all as inspiring as the skiing that followed.

Truckee - Sunshine, Snow, and Skiing 9:11 PM

At last the holiday season has wound to a close and we have made our way to Truckee for (most of) the rest of the winter. With plenty of snow on the ground and sunny blue skies, what better way to get reacquainted with this beautiful area. A few centimeters of fresh snow, an eager two year old, a happy-go-lucky 11 month old,  and a daddy and mamma relieved to finally be able to start settling in for the season.

The winter is still full of plenty of unknown and unplanned adventures, but now we have Truckee as a base for the next few months while we ski, play in the snow, and make the occasional get away to other exciting places here in California. The boys can play with their cousin Sage, and we all  can try to get a feel for the community that we have sensed on previous visits.