Night Boarding

I took a few pictures during a heavy snowstorm in Mammoth. Here is my favorite shot I took of my friend Kris at the Long Beach State Team House.

Mono Lake Panorama

I took this Panorama a few weeks ago at a vista overlooking Mono Lake. It is such an incredible place and I plan to spend some time traveling around the lake taking photos. I'm off to Mammoth to link up with some of the local pros so I'll check back in a few days.

Over and out.

Matt

Don't leave your wipers down.

So now we begin to understand what true mountain living is all about. On Monday, I spent most of the day shoveling snow out of our driveway. It can be a miserable chore at times, but for some reason I enjoy it. You get in this weird focused rhythm and it's done before you know it. I've been taking Heather to work most mornings so she doesn't have to stress about driving in the snow. The roads are plowed regularly but it's still kind of sketchy with these drastic temperature fluctuations. I usually have to start the car 15 minutes before we leave so the windshield can de-ice. Don't even think about leaving your wipers down when it's snowing. They freeze to the windshield and are a pain in the ass to get working.

Yesterday the storm brought us really wet snow, which for skiing, is very unfavorable. Since Squaw hasn't issued me a season pass yet, I've been stuck inside staring out the window watching the snow fall and figuring out new ways to take creative pictures of the dog. I'm nursing a cold so I guess it's a good thing that I'm confined to our small little mountain cottage.

Today it's a bit cooler and dumping big white dry snow flakes. I got the call this morning that Squaw is going to issue my pass today. Game on. This is mountain living.

Over and out.

Matt

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Tis the season to chop down trees, fa la la la la, la la la la! Earlier today while the men went to buy a saw, Nicole and I took a walk just up the street in search of the perfect tree. No Christmas tree farms here, just our own backyard! As the snow began to fall in light little flurries our search began. After a few "maybes", we came to a clearing in the woods and there she stood...a 15 foot White Fir. Perfection! She now stands tall in our living room at right around 10 feet. Thanks to Joe for putting in all the elbow grease needed to chop and trim the tree down to size! With Christmas music blaring and hot toddies brewing, we decorated and lit our beautiful tree. Speaking of hot toddies, I think mine is getting cold...

Long time no post

I know it's been a while since we posted, sorry about that. Heather and I were back in LA & SD for Thanksgiving and then went to Mammoth for a few days to shoot some snowboarding. Mammoth has a ton of snow right now and their terrain park is really nice. One big jump and tons of rails to slide. By next week I should be working hard building jumps and setting up rails at Squaw Valley.

This week we are expecting our first big winter storm. Temperature's are expected to drop into single digits (maybe even below 0) on Tuesday. It's gonna be a cold one. Over and out....

Welcome to Squaw Valley

Today was opening day at Squaw Valley. This year is kind of a big deal because it is the 60th anniversary of the mountain, and the 50th anniversary of the winter Olympics. Jonny Mosely threw a party on the KT Sundeck and JT Holmes base jumped off the cable car. It was also Heather's first day at work. She looked quite good in her Squaw Valley USA uniform.

Tahoe in High Dynamic Range...

Quick Mammy Trip

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. On Thursday, Heather and I skipped town to go meet up with some friends in Mammoth. The snow was epic and we were fortunate to get blue skies both days. On Saturday, we attended the Mammoth Mountain Video Premier for "Hot Laps" in the Village. All in all it was a great trip and one we will likely make again soon.

Today, Joe and I put on our flannels and chopped wood like lumberjacks. Talk about hard work!!! We broke two sledge hammers and two axes during the assault. Our backs hurt, our hands are raw, but our house is going to be warm for the winter. Welcome to the mountains...

350 Pioneer Way

Welcome to 350 Pioneer Way. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is located in beautiful Tahoe City and features a large sun deck, wood burning stove, storage shed , stomp-room, 500 sq. ft loft with 3 beds for guests, washer/dryer, and a really cool dog named Boone that eats spinach. Call for pricing. Just kidding, everyone is welcome to come visit. Hope to see you soon!

Donner Summit

This afternoon we checked out Donner Summit. It has some of the best climbing in the area and we decided to go explore. The crag is located about 25 minutes from our house and overlooks Donner Lake. The scenery is exquisite, the rock is phenomenal, and the climbing is HARD! Here are a couple shots of Heather's first Trad Climb.

Our town, our street...

After a late night in South Lake, I was surprised how Matt's eyes shot open around 7 am this morning. After peeking through the blinds and discovering it was another beautiful day, we decided to walk in to town for a cup of coffee. At the moment, Tahoe City is a quiet, sleepy, little town but soon to be bustling with thousands of snow-seeking tourists. Matt and I are very excited to call ourselves "locals"; can you say that after one week of living somewhere? Either way, it's nice to answer the question, "So are you visiting from out of town?" with a confident, "Actually, we just moved here." :)

A preview of what's coming...

Heather and I just wanted to give a quick shout out to everyone who has subscribed to our blog this week. Here is a preview of what's coming next...

1. Introduction to Tahoe City
2. Tour of our house at 350 Pioneer Way
3. Welcome to Squaw Valley
4. HDR in Lake Tahoe
5. The wood choppers

Thanks again and we'll post again soon!

Heather and Matt

Early morning bike ride.

While cleaning out the shed earlier this week, I stumbled upon an old mountain bike that had been abandoned by previous renters. After a quick tire change and a few minor repairs, I was ready for a photo mission. It was a cool morning, so I grabbed some warm clothing and set out through town to hook up with the bike path that runs along Highway 89 out to Truckee. I was moving fast to keep the blood flowing so I only stopped for a few pictures, and unfortunately I missed the best photo opportunity of a coyote crossing the river. I couldn't get my camera out of my bag fast enough so he got away undocumented. I'm pretty sure he won't be the last one I see. Next time I'll make sure to bring my telephoto lens too. I made it out to Alpine Meadows and back which ended up being an 8 mile ride round trip. It was a good morning. Now Heather and I are off to Reno to run some errands...