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March 30, 2006
Wine, dogs & paddling
The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.
Last Saturday Lisa and I went to Napa and we did the usual wine tour, which was a first for me. It is important to know that my attention span is fairly short and I hardly ever drink, so maybe a whole day spent tasting wine isn't the ideal situation for me. It was however a lot of fun for a few hours.
After that all of the wines started to taste the same to me, I was feeling a little bit tipsy, and I was pretty much ready for a nap. That night we headed toward the coast so that we could be at the beach early the next day.
Sunday we spent a couple of hours walking on the beach while the two dogs were absolutely flipping out. Porter, the older of the two, was running up and down the beach at top speed harassing anything living or dead that he felt necessary, and he must have found it necessary to harass everything. I wish that I had half of the athletic ability of that dog. Cash, our 4 month old pup wanted to find and eat every dead thing on the beach, and I mean everything. He also was obsessed with the seagulls and a couple of times chased them right out into the surf, with no fear at all of the water. Very cute!
We left the beach at around noon, and after a quick stop at In-And-Out-Burger we were back in Reno at around 4 o'clock, just in time for me to get a quick paddle in down town.
This week I have been paddling with Macy a bunch. He is all fired up to compete in the River Festival, and is paddling really well. He will hurt the feelings of many invited athletes.
At feature number 5 on the white water course there is a really good mystery move spot right now. I have never been very good at mystery moves, probably because I never practice them, so it is a bunch of fun to spend 15 or 20 minutes at the end of a session doing them. Macy is really good at them, and to be honest, it really motivates me to get it figured out as well.
This weekend we are having a bachelor party here in Reno for our best friend Taylor Robertson. It should be a wild couple of days. I am actually kind of scared, as I feel like I should have trained for such an occasion. My alcohol tolerance is at an all time low, and I am in bed by 9:30 at the latest anymore. It could be a ruff one!
Posted by Nadia at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
BEST SNOW IN YEARS!
It seems like the snow just keeps getting better. With new powder coming nearly every couple of days, we headed back to Galena Creek Park, located south of Reno via the Mt. Rose Highway, for some sledding.
The snow-covered hills are packed with great white stuff, which makes it ideal for the kids to toss down a sled and let gravity do the rest.
We hiked a bit into the park and found an awesome spot that boasted lots of snow, a good incline, a previously-smoothed area for sledding, and no other people. My 18-year-old son, Hank, went first. He ran down the hill, jumped on his stomach, and began his slide. He skimmed across the slick surface like a puck on an ice hockey rink.
After a lengthy ride, he slammed into a pile of soft snow and collapsed in a laughing heap, the sled shooting off to the side.
After watching him, my 11-year-old daughter couldn't wait for her turn. Julia climbed up the hill to a spot even higher than where my son had started. After taking a short running start, she followed his lead by jumping onto the snow on her stomach, lifting up her legs, and then taking the ride of her life down the hillside.
As she floated across the ice, her hat slid down over her eyes, but that didn't keep her from continuing. Since she weighs less than my son, her ride was a little slower but lots longer. In the end, she slammed into the snow pile at the end of the run, flipped over, came up laughing, and was ready for more.
And on it went. I think we're going to have to consider buying another sled since the only time they stopped sledding was when they argued about who should have the next ride. It took me about two hours to finally get them off the hill. And I had to promise them we'd head back later in the week.----Richard Moreno
Posted by Rich Moreno at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2006
Bluebird day in the Sierras
Saturday was stormy and windy so we decided to work on taxes and work out at the gym -- while Sunday was a true bluebird day and we took advantage of it!
We left the house around 1:30pm and got to the Mt Rose Wilderness area shortly after that. To our surprise, we found awesome powder --yes! although it was so warm, there was still powder from the storm the day before. Some areas were a bit crusty due to the high winds the day before, but for the most part -- if you stayed in the trees you got good powder! Spring skiing with powder in late March is just an amazing combo.
Here's my six-month pregnant belly, enjoying the warm spring day:
Posted by tele girl at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2006
ENJOYING ALL THAT SNOW
Snowboarding at Mt. Rose
It's been an incredible year for snowboarding. It seems like every other week brings another storm, usually during the week, that dumps fresh powder on the mountains just in time for the weekend.
With all that in mind, last weekend I took my teenage son and some of his buddies to the closest skiing to Reno, which is the Mount Rose Ski Resort, for a little snowboarding. Mt. Rose is only 25 miles southwest of Reno (via U.S. 395 and the Mount Rose Highway).
During this visit, they wanted to check out the Slide Lodge, which is a second base facility for Mt. Rose skiers and boarders located east of the Main Lodge. The Slide Lodge is the gateway to Slide Bowl, a kind of secondary skiing area at Mt. Rose.
The reason they wanted to hit Slide Bowl is that it's the location of Mt. Rose's two terrain parks designed specifically for boarders. The parks, called "Doubledown" and "Badlands," offer a wide variety of boarding features including tables and rails.
"Doubledown" is designed as the primary "go big" course and has a roller, lots of rails, a couple of 40 to 45-foot step downs and a 250-foot table spine. "Badlands" has mostly medium-sized elements and consists of several rails, boxes and rollers, as well as two tables.
While I don't board, it was fun to watch them race down the runs, goofing on the various features--and eating some snow more than a few times.
With only a brief break for lunch, my son and his pals played on the slopes for most of the day. I saw them catch a bit of air, skate down the rails more than a few times and, in general, have a great time enjoying all the snow we've been blessed with in recent months.
I wonder if it will last until Memorial Day?
Of course, another nice thing about Mt. Rose is that it's affordable. The adult day rate is $54 ($44 for a half day), with the lifts running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.----Richard Moreno
Posted by Rich Moreno at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
Taxes & Tricks
The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.
It's tax season, and "the man" has got me down. I know that I am not the only person in the world with complicated taxes, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. I have dedicated this week to the idea of hammering it out and getting them done. I think that I would rather go kayaking in the snow with no top on then work on taxes. Skin to win, baby!
Other then that, I have been paddling a ton. I have some new moves dialed, like the reverse Mcnasty, both ways, and have relearned some older moves, like the Phonix Monkey, both ways. Oh, it is pretty!
My favorite local training partners, Macy Burnham and Jason Craig, have been out on the water with me most every day. It has been really cold, but once you are on the water it feels just fine. Macy is paddling like the Macy of old and it is really awesome to see. I am trying to talk him into competing at the River Festival, so fellow competitors beware. Macy's got skills!
And Jason Craig is paddling awesome as well. The other day I told him that we should work on some move combinations, like the Back Loop to Mcnasty. He stuck it on his second try, and to be honest, I thought my eyes might water up. It kind of hurt my feelings, and made me proud at the same time.
Kayaking has been really fun for me this winter, despite the cold. This is something that I haven't experienced in a few winters, and it is really refreshing.
Posted by Nadia at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)
Backcountry
The snow just keeps coming! Last week it was a full moon so a few of us ventured out in the backcountry up around Mt Rose Wilderness. The snow was light and deep and beautiful in the moonlight. Couple of days later it snowed again and we were right back out there touring around, dropping in, and having an absolute blast. Here are a couple of pics from Saturday.
Posted by rpayne at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2006
Too pregnant to ski??
No way!
Especially when it has been snowing non-stop for the last I don't know how many weeks. There is powder everywhere, so getting hurt is not a concern at all!
We went backcountry to the Tamarack Peak area on Saturday and enjoyed the awesome powder. And then again on Sunday with our friends Erik and Michelle who are also expecting a baby!! The snow was a little bit crusty but we still had a blast. Check out our pictures:
The pregnant girls
The six of us
View of Washoe Lake
Posted by tele girl at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2006
SNOWMOBILING AROUND AND ABOVE LAKE TAHOE
There are few things more exhilarating than racing around on a snowmobile---and this year's great snow pack has produced some awesome snowmobiling conditions.
One of the best ways to enjoy snowmobiling is to take a guided tour at Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center of Lake Tahoe. There, you can rent everything you need from the snowmobile to the helmet, gloves, boots, parka and snow bib. The company has more than 100 Ski-Doo snowmobiles.
After registering at the Zephyr Cove Resort, you're taken by bus to a spot above Tahoe where you're fitted onto a machine and given basic instructions about its operations.
Riding a snowmobile is easy. A button starts it up and all you have to remember is that the brake is on the left side, the gas is a thumb-lever on the right. It only takes a few minutes to get comfortable with the machine.
As with a motorcycle, the guide instructs you to lean into a turn rather than away. You're also told how to use hand-signals to instruct other drivers of your intentions, such as slowing, turning or stopping. For safety purposes, taking your thumb off the gas immediately kills the engine.
Once you get started, you soon find yourself racing through snow-coated pines and groves of skinny, bare aspen trees sprayed with frost. The trail gradually climbs higher into the mountains, twisting and turning through the trees. Eventually, the road reaches the crest of the mountains and you're riding parallel to the lake, enjoying one of the most magnificent views in the world.
During our tour, the guide parked at a place that allowed us to just sit on our vehicles and enjoy the bright blue sky, deep blue water, brilliant sunlight and pure white snow. Writer Mark Twain was right about Lake Tahoe---it is the fairest picture the whole earth affords.
After stopping, we began the ride back down the mountain, which was even more fun than going up. Since I've only ridden a handful of times, I found that the longer I rode, the more confident I became with the vehicle. In fact, I found that if I lagged back a little, I could create a gap between my vehicle and the rider ahead, then, on the straight-aways, pour on the speed to catch up.
These thing are so fun that maybe I'm going to have to buy one.....
Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center is located 25 miles west of Carson City at the Zephyr Cove Resort, 760 U.S. 50. Guided tours are offered daily at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $99 for a single rider and $145 for a double rider. Clothing rental is $15 for everything or $5 per item. For more information, call 800-23-TAHOE. A $7 discount coupon is available at www.laketahoesnowmobiles.com/coupon.php.
Posted by Rich Moreno at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)
March 07, 2006
Cross-Country at Tahoe Meadows
It's been years since I went cross-country skiing but with the abundant snow this year it seemed like a good opportunity to give it a try. So last weekend, my teenage son, Hank, and I headed to Tahoe Meadows (at the top of Mt. Rose, about 15 miles south of Reno via State Route 431) for a little Nordic father-son bonding.
Conditions were ideal. The meadow was layered with about four or five feet of packed snow and the skies were bright and sunny. After parking beside the road, we climbed the four-foot berm and set off across the meadow.
Even though I hadn't skied in a long time, the gliding movements soon came back to me as we plowed through the fresh powder. My son, who downhills and boards, quickly got the hang of it all and was, in no time, easily following the trail.
Since I'm not in the shape I was in 20 years ago when I used to cross-country more regularly, we only stayed on the snow for a short time. But the scenery was magnificent, the powder felt nice and soft under our skis, the smaller moguls were fun to ski down, and it gave us a chance to hang out and talk.
What more could you want on a Saturday afternoon?---Richard Moreno
Posted by Rich Moreno at 01:29 PM | Comments (0)
March 06, 2006
Backcountry skiing while pregnant
So have I mentioned that I am 20 weeks pregnant??? But that doesn't keep us from skiing and getting out every weekend. It's been a blessing because I have been feeling great and full of energy!
This Saturday we went to Proletariat and had the best run of the season -- we drank some mate at the top while enjoying the view, then met another tele guy and shared some stories and mate with him, and then we got to practice some great tele turns on our way back -- since the powder was amazing!
Sunday we took our friends Caro and Sam (who are learning how to snowboard) to the Galena Creek Drainage area and we also had a blast. We decided to go there because the area is protected by the trees, so the wind wouldn't drive us crazy. And that was the case! It was perfect!
Climbing up the mountain
Our friends taking a little break
Me and hubby talking to the belly
Our return trip almost dark (it was around 6pm!)
Posted by tele girl at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
March 01, 2006
Board Games at Boreal
Boreal Mountain Resort caters to boarders.
A Boreal boarder.
Catching air at Boreal.
Riding a rail.
It's no surprise that snowboarding is hot. Just look at the recent Winter Olympics. Who were the biggest stars of the games besides the medal winning speed skaters and Tahoe's slalom queen Julie Mancuso? It was the boarders led by Seth Wescott, Shaun "The Flying Tomato" White, Danny Kass, Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, and Lindsey Jacobellis.
Fortunately, Reno-Tahoe has plenty of places to shred the slopes including Boreal Mountain Resort, which is home to the region's only all-mountain terrain park, meaning it offers not only downhill skiing but also lots of snowboarding turf and a sledding area.
For years, Boreal has been one of the Tahoe area's top snowboard spots. Boarders can ride the resort's superpipe (with 18.5-foot walls) as well as Jibassic Park, a snowboard park with more than 100 features including rails, jumps and funboxes.
The focus on all things boarder means the resort has something for every skill level. For instance, the Jibassic Park (www.jibassicpark.com) offers small ride ons, medium and large-scale features, a superpipe cutter and more. The park is also very popular with freeriders, which are boarders who kind of surf around the mountains without trying to race or perform technical tricks.
Boreal's ski and snowboard instructors, available on weekends and holidays, specialize in training first-time and novice skiers and boarders and boast of having taught more than 300,000 beginners over the years.
During a recent visit, it was clear this wasn't the average ski resort. The slopes had a variety of jumps, mounds and rails for boarders as well as nice stretches of challenging open terrain for the downhill skiers. We saw several folks catch some good air on a few of the jumps. The thing that was most obvious was just how many boarders enjoy Boreal. More than half of those in the lift lines packed a board rather than skis.
Additionally, Boreal has roped off a section of the mountain for sledding. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Playland Sledding Area is open to children who are at least 42 inches tall. Cost is $15 and snow saucers are provided.
Skiers and boarders will find that Boreal has 9 lifts and 41 open runs. The resort's base elevation is 7,200 feet and summit elevation is 7,700 feet.
Lift ticket prices are $38 for adults, $10 for children (5-12) and free for those under 4 years old. Boreal also has special night rates (it's one of the few resorts with outdoor lights for night skiing) of $22 for adults, $10 for children, and free for those younger than 4.
The resort's newest attraction actually has little to do with snow. Earlier this year, Boreal opened an indoor skateboarding bowl. Sessions begin at $5 for 30 minutes.
For more information, go to www.rideboreal.com or call 530-429-3666.
Posted by Rich Moreno at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)