Sunday In The Sierra
Today was one of those perfect early-winter days up at Mount Rose. Good snow, sunshine, relatively warm temperatures, you really couldn't have asked for anything better.
I suppose I should qualify that. As you probably could have expected, I tried to take some pretty steep runs despite this being only my second day on the slopes this season and I proceeded to get my first big end-over-end crash of the year out of the way. I also managed to twist my right ankle pretty good. It's not in pain or anything, but I really can't put any weight on it. So I was forced to come down the hill after only five runs. Still, it was good to get the rhythm back. I'm gonna like having a season pass.
The only truly awkward moment came when I was taking the long ride up the main lift on the west side of the mountain. The guy sitting immediatly on my right seemed to be having a heated discussion with someone, and I assumed at first it was someone else on the lift. After a moment it became obvious he was passionately debating someone at the other end of a hands-free cellphone. The rest of us on the lift tried gamely to make idle conversation for a minute, but in the end all we could do was look away and listen to this guy engage in half of a lovers' spat twenty feet above the ground as we zipped up the mountain.
The argument seemed to be about the fact that his girlfriend wanted to move back to Vegas, but my lift-mate clearly wanted no part of it. I don't know why they chose to have this argument by phone while he was snowboarding, but I have to admit I was inclined to side with him simply because of his spirited defense of Northern Nevada against that sprawling L.A. wanna-be down south. I particularly liked his line of argument that Reno is one of the world's greatest locations for outdoor recreation while the biggest things to do down there are spend money and hope to see some celebrity having a more interesting life than you are. A bit insensitive, but there's some truth there. Don't give in, nameless ski-lift dude--all they've got down there is 30 or 40 different variations on the same crappy casino. I'd take Lake Tahoe over 10 Las Vegases.
I suppose I should qualify that. As you probably could have expected, I tried to take some pretty steep runs despite this being only my second day on the slopes this season and I proceeded to get my first big end-over-end crash of the year out of the way. I also managed to twist my right ankle pretty good. It's not in pain or anything, but I really can't put any weight on it. So I was forced to come down the hill after only five runs. Still, it was good to get the rhythm back. I'm gonna like having a season pass.
The only truly awkward moment came when I was taking the long ride up the main lift on the west side of the mountain. The guy sitting immediatly on my right seemed to be having a heated discussion with someone, and I assumed at first it was someone else on the lift. After a moment it became obvious he was passionately debating someone at the other end of a hands-free cellphone. The rest of us on the lift tried gamely to make idle conversation for a minute, but in the end all we could do was look away and listen to this guy engage in half of a lovers' spat twenty feet above the ground as we zipped up the mountain.
The argument seemed to be about the fact that his girlfriend wanted to move back to Vegas, but my lift-mate clearly wanted no part of it. I don't know why they chose to have this argument by phone while he was snowboarding, but I have to admit I was inclined to side with him simply because of his spirited defense of Northern Nevada against that sprawling L.A. wanna-be down south. I particularly liked his line of argument that Reno is one of the world's greatest locations for outdoor recreation while the biggest things to do down there are spend money and hope to see some celebrity having a more interesting life than you are. A bit insensitive, but there's some truth there. Don't give in, nameless ski-lift dude--all they've got down there is 30 or 40 different variations on the same crappy casino. I'd take Lake Tahoe over 10 Las Vegases.
posted by Yukon Sully | 8:00 PM
3 Comments:
I heard on the news tonight that there was a fatal shooting at the Tahoe Harrah's this weekend.
Alas, crime is everywhere. The reason you heard about that shooting up at Lake Tahoe is because serious crime is so very rare up there.
UPDATE: The guy who comitted that crime was not a local. He is--or more accurately "was"--from Orange County. Officials aren't saying, but it looks for all the world like a case of 'suicide by cop.'
Post a Comment
<< Home