Tahoe Snow

Out the Window
Originally uploaded by jenworth.

You know, this post should really be titled, "On My Knees".

That's how I spent much of my time in Tahoe.

I'm sore. Achy. Happy. Had a blast in Tahoe, but I'm learning to snowboard, so you know what that means: pain. Falling, crashing, twisting, pulling myself back up and trying again.

I'd gone boarding once before, last April at the end of the season. It was icy, and crashing on ice sucks.

I was stoked to give it another go! This time there was fresh powder. Completely different! It was like surfing on frosting, it was smooth and lush swishing back and forth. I got stuck in catwalks aplenty, hopping my board forth to get the slightest slope to give me some forward momentum. Crashing in powder was pretty fun, except for trying to dig myself back out and get upright.

The first day was a slow start, trying to remember how to do this. I couldn't tell if I was goofy or regular, and this caused some slowness. I fell with regularity. It was humbling, humiliating, and FUN!!! The snow was heavy and wet, and it was a cold and snowy day at Homewood.

The hot tub took the edge off the soreness from the first day. Hot tubbing outdoors during snowfall was a treat. It's something everyone should experience.

Second day on the slopes was fresh POWDER! Fun stuff! Even though I still fell a bunch, I had moments where it seemed completely natural to be snowboarding. And then...Crash! I got a bit better about going faster, but still need to relax into speed. I get all scaredy-cat about losing control while going fast and the resulting crash! As the day progressed, I became more comfortable with picking up speed and taking corners.

Homewood overlooks Lake Tahoe, so there were times when I'd just stare out at the Lake after crashing. The cold snow felt good on my sore ass.

I'm back home, eager to board again real soon. I'm sore as hell, in places that I'd expect and also in a couple surprise places.

The whole Tahoe trip rocked. Even the time spent on my knees. Snow was everywhere, at least six or eight feet on the sides of the road. It was gorgeous!