Road Trips: Squaw Valley

Come on, how could I not do one more road trip to Tahoe with how this winter is going? It has been dumping record-breaking levels of snow on the resorts up there, and I’ve been lucky enough to go skiing a few times within it.

Besides Mt. Rose, one of my favorite places to ski is Squaw Valley (ideally not on a weekend). The mountain itself is amazing, especially as I get to know the terrain more intimately. The village is great, and the surrounding areas are also nice, but I come to ski Head Wall, Siberia and Granite Chief.

My most recent trip on the 24th did not disappoint. We took the scenic route around the lake (I was staying in South Reno) – check out all the snow on Mt. Rose Highway and the image with Tahoe in the background. So beautiful!

When we got to Squaw, Head Wall, Granite Chief and the Tram were closed due to wind. Not to be discouraged, we headed to Siberia and took a few runs and then checked out Shirley Lake and the bowl. The snow was fantastic and there were no crowds; I think with the coming storm and the wind, all the California folks headed home to our delight! The bowl protected us from the wind and we made run after run.

Around 1, we headed in for lunch and when we went back out the sun had come out and we went back to Siberia for a couple more runs and finished off the day again at Shirley! Awesome day with great friends – one who had never been to Squaw and now he has the perfect first experience to want to return.

Road Trips: Mt. Rose

Winter is here, and it’s time to hit the slopes! Hopefully, we get some more snow this week! I love going up to Tahoe to ski, especially when the sky is blue and the snow is powdery. But, unlike many who probably prefer Northstar, Squaw and Heavenly, I love Mt.Rose! It is where I learned to ski growing up, it is a local’s resort and it has some great runs, especially if the chutes are open.

Mt. Rose is the highest peak in Tahoe and usually gets the most snow every winter. But it’s also just a cool place to hang out! Most of the mountains in Tahoe have villages, bars, restaurants, ice skating rinks, and other things to help you relax and recover after a day on the snow. And Mt. Rose is no exception, but it has a more casual local vibe with fun activities on the mountain and just some great runs (“Northwest” is my favorite), including a few with a view of Lake Tahoe!

In fact, they have some unique events like the Santa Crawl, where you can get heavily discounted lift tickets by dressing up as Santa for the day while you’re on the mountain. They also do a Beerfest, New Year’s Eve spectacular, poker runs and many other events throughout the year. Recently, they also added a “Magic” lift, a dual conveyer belt for one of their hills (it’s the 1st one in North America and only the 2nd one in the world!).

I always have a great time when I go to Mt. Rose. Usually, I stay in Reno and then it is just a 20-minute drive up the hill, but it is also easily accessed from Incline or Kings Beach; even from Northstar. They have a newer lodge on the old Slide side of the hill and many locals on a nice day will tailgate in the parking area. The Mt. Rose lodge is more crowded, but the bar is my favorite, with no kids allowed and a taco/burrito bar.

Are You Doing the Things That Are Most Important to You?

I periodically send out the American Lifestyle Magazine alternating to past clients, friends and potential clients. I decided to share the introduction I wrote for the latest issue in this blog post. The theme is about the ways in which people go to great lengths to relax. Each pursuit is noble and all the tales are interesting, but you don’t need to ride across a desert or build a boat, like some folks do in American Lifestyle, to find your path to a happy, healthy life. In fact, for me, it’s much simpler than that.

We’re all busy, so sometimes just taking a moment to breathe is helpful. I work a lot of hours and juggle many responsibilities, so lately I have found yoga to be a big stress reducer with its emphasis on breathing. It allows me to disconnect, take a deep breath and just relax for a while.

At one point in my life, when I was trying to work on my marriage, we attended a weekend retreat and they asked us to write down five things that were important to us. I wrote out my list and skiing was one of the things on it. Then they asked us how often we did those things, and when was the last time? I was astonished to realize I had not done something I was so passionate about for more than two years. I made a change; I love to ski, and this year I hedged my bet with El Niño and got a pass to Squaw Valley. (note: picture to the right is taken on 1/15/16, my ski birthday weekend, bluebird day, waiting to ride up Siberia for fresh tracks at Squaw)

As I get older, I find it is extremely important to take more time to disconnect and get away from everything in order to regroup and start fresh the following day. As we approach Valentine’s Day, I’m sending out my love with a reminder to share yours with the people you care about, and take the time to disconnect, relax, breathe and do those things that are most important to you.

I would love to hear some of the things you do to disconnect and relax! Please e-mail me your ideas, and they could be featured in one of my next blogs here on WalnutCreekLifestyle.com.