Ski weekend at Squaw

(Brenden and Phi with the thumbs up)

For our last weekend of freedom before the grind started for all of us interns (I am back on L and D as of yesterday... don't expect any more posts anytime soon!) , we headed up to North Lake Tahoe for a ski weekend! It actually all started with Erin and TJ planning to join me and head up there, but we figured the more the merrier, and it was neat getting to introduce all my friends to eachother! Erin, TJ, and Sylvia drove up to Sac (about 2 hours) on Friday night, and then we left on Sat a.m. for Tahoe (about 1.5-2 hours from here).

I was improved from the last time we went skiing (New Year's @ Heavenly) but still a bit tentative. I did fine on greens, but tended to get very scared on some of the blue slopes. By the end of day 1 I had gotten better at turning (or so I thought... until two different complete strangers approached me on the slopes on Sunday to ask, "could I give you some advice? [on turning]" which was kind of funny) but still have trouble keeping my skis parallel and weight forward. The worst moment of the weekend was on day 2, when I ventured to try some more blues and, although I did fine on some, I got caught in panic on a couple of too-steep hillsides where I couldn't see over the edge. I had great encouragement from Phi and Arash but was paralyzed in fear and, on one slope, somehow got off track and ended up in (what seemed to me!) a forest with too many trees to dodge. After standing in place on the hillside for about 1/2 an hour, frozen in fear, sobbing and panicking that I would die alone on the the mountain, kind Arash came and rescued me to guide me back to the actual slope.

I have mixed feelings about this skiing business. I'm so terrified that sometimes it isn't all that enjoyable, and it's frustrating to see people who are so darn good at it zip around so easily. It's also dangerous!! I didn't get hurt, put poor Sylvia (Erin and TJ's friend from Stanford) dislocated her knee on her first time skiing and missed out the second day. Hmm. Maybe practice does make perfect. We'll see how I do next time. If there is a next time :)

Here are some pics... (thanks, Brenden!)

Sierras

Gettin' ready in the parking lot

Phi probably trash-talking :)Jeremy and Noelle riding the lift
View from the Funitel (gondola)Phi and me on East Broadway lift

Noelle in action, her first time snowboarding! She did GREAT!
me trying not to fall...

Amy, boarding like a proJeremy and Noelle

me and Sylvia (pre-dislocation)with Amy (so squinty b/c it was so sunny!)Laughing about things after the fact

So how did we do this as a two-day trip?! Brenden's brother has a cabin in Truckee, the town in North Lake Tahoe about 20 min. from the slopes! He said that we were all welcome to stay there, and 12 of us ended up crashing there with ample space on Saturday night! How cool and generous is that? After Saturday of skiing, we made dinner, played Time's Up, and were cozy by the stove.

Brenden pointing out kitchen features

Arash and Ben opening wine bottle w/ a screwdriver
Erin and TJwith Phi, Amy, Arash

I still cannot get over how, on Friday, I was running around in a t-shirt and shorts and, on Saturday, was skiing in the Sierras less than 2 hours from my house. California rocks!!!

Fun times! Now, back to 14-hours days.