Journeys›Photograph

First Lifts of the Season Above Tahoe

·Placer County, California·#winter#skiing#snow#lake tahoe#sierra nevada
A bright sun illuminates a snowy ski slope with ski tracks, pine trees, and a ski lift on the left.

Up in Placer County for a ski day, and the mountain delivered. Early runs came off freshly groomed snow with only a few sets of tracks cut into it, sun still low over the ridge, trees along the lift line holding a full load of snow from whatever came through before we got here.

Rode up through a narrow gap between snow-caked firs, empty chairs swinging past in the other direction. Higher up the clouds burned off completely and the top of the mountain opened out — Lake Tahoe sitting flat and gray-blue below the far ridgelines, close enough that it felt like you could ski straight down into it. Runs cut through the trees on the neighboring peaks in every direction. Stood at the top of one lift for a while just turning in a circle before dropping in.

Snow stayed good most of the day. Some of the shaded pitches were still firm, but the open faces softened by midday. Legs got a full season's worth of turns in one go. Last ride up, the chairs ahead threw long shadows across the cat track and the lot below was already starting to empty.

A ski lift ascends over a snowy mountain slope with pine trees under a bright, cloudy sky.A panoramic view of snow-covered mountains with pine trees, ski slopes, and a large lake under a blue sky.Vast snow-covered mountains and evergreen forests with a ski lift under a clear blue sky.Snowy mountains with pine trees and ski slopes overlook a large lake under a blue sky with wispy clouds.Panoramic view of snow-covered mountains, a ski lift, skiers, and a large lake under a clear blue sky.Snowy mountain landscape with dense pine forests under a clear blue sky, a cable crosses the upper frame.View from a ski lift over snow-covered mountains with dense pine forests under a clear blue sky.Empty ski chairlifts ascend a snowy slope lined with evergreen trees under a clear blue sky.

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