Happy Valentines Day!!

Yes, this is a commercial holiday where companies bank on the fact that we will go out and buy things (chocolate, cards, jewelry, flowers, etc) for our loved ones. We can all look at it that way and shrug at the fact that this is a made up holiday. Or... we can look at it as a day to celebrate our LOVE. Love for our loved ones (family, friends, animals or our life in general.) I consider myself a romantic and I definitely believe in love. So, no matter how much I try not to care about the commercial Valentines, I still care about the fact that this is the day to celebrate love. I hope that everyone has a very Happy Valentines Day and is able to spend some part of the day with someone or something that they love.

Nana, I had a wonderful time with you yesterday and I was so happy I could spend some time with you. That was a great Valentines Day gift. 

Oregon Friends come to Tahoe

What an incredible weekend. Nik's friends from Portland came down to Tahoe for some good ole' winter skiing. We had a great time skiing at Heavenly on Saturday and Sunday, then heading over to Squaw Valley on Monday to finish off the trip. On Saturday, it dumped all day. We were getting fresh tracks every run, so we skipped lunch and skied the entire day without a break. We were pretty tired and wet by the time we finished. Heavenly was great though, they had FREE hot chocolate and cookies for everyone getting off the hill. It really made for a perfect ending to an epic day. They are all very good skiers, so I had only one option this weekend with my skiing skills and that was to get good quickly. I really feel I improved exponentially. 

We all stayed at Nik's cabin in South Lake. It was a little tight with six people, but we all got along great and had many laughs. For the Super Bowl, we got back in time from skiing to make our bets at the casinos (no winners), throw together chili on the crock-pot, make some appetizers and crack some beers. Later on that night we made a shotski out of an old ski and six shot glasses (it is a necessity to have at any ski cabin) and we played card games. 

It was an incredible weekend with great people and great snow. One I will not soon forget!

Prep for The Great Race

Viewpoint on the trail of Lake Tahoe

One month and counting before the annual Great Race. The Great Race is a skate ski race that runs from Tahoe City to Truckee (30 km a little over 18 miles). It will be held on March 7th.  Last year I did the race with only skate skiing 3 times ever before and I was on rental equipment. This year I am a little more experienced (I still consider myself a beginner), but I have my own gear. Today I went about 25 km at Tahoe XC and did pretty well. Although very tired from the hard work, I am confident I will do better than last year. Also, this year I will not be alone. Sarah, Zach and a few of their Idaho friends (Jenna, Willie and maybe some others) will be joining me on this adventure. 

Skate skiing is such an amazing sport. Every part of your body is used, meaning it is an incredible workout. You have two little toothpicks (skis) attached at your feet and exceptionally long poles to help you along. The sport is more about technique and form than anything else. The point is to skate along using your legs and arms (with poles) to push. The skis don't have edges, which makes downhill a whole different type of challenge. Today, I had to mentally remind myself I could make it up the large hills, even though my heart was pounding out of my chest from being so tired. Then, going downhill I had to hold tight and try to keep as much control as I could. Like I said before, there are no edges. 

Thanks Mom for going with me, I look forward to this challenge!