Hot Toddy

Todd is either preparing for the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver or cross country ski trips are the red sports car to his mid-life crisis. Which works out great for me because I'm always looking for an excuse to ride four or five days in a row. Also beneficial for me, Todd is a yoga guru trained under Mr. Bikram himself. He formerly owned a studio in Texas where he stretched the likes of Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, and the Dallas Cowboys. Credentials I wont argue with when he's leading a post-riding stretch sesh.
Todd had his man-nurse action figure in tote when we had great days at Northstar, Alpine Meadows, & Sugarbowl followed by a chilly night at Boreal. He always seems to miss the powder by about 24 hours, but we had fun tag-teaming some HUGE kickers the resorts have been sculpting out of their snowpack. Todd hit his first rainbow rail and I landed my first 360s of the year. I also learned if you drop the P word on him there aren't too many cliff littered chutes he won't brave.

~Walking the path of life is like the journey of the tight-rope acrobat. Neither affords the opportunity of absolute certainty, each being constantly in, and out of balance. The objective lies in minimizing the impact of the relentless waves of chaos and creating serenity amidst undulating challenge.
-A Wise Man Nurse

First Runner Up

My little cousin made it out just in time for the biggest storm to hit the region in decades. The Weather Channel even came to Northstar to set up operations for broadcasting during the duration of the blast. Starting the first week of January three storm systems dumped over 11 FEET on Lake Tahoe. Driving through the passes the snow next to the road was well over SUV roofs. Gabrielle got to see tons of the white, but not too many scenic views due to the constant barrage of Sierra Cement. Gab and I snowshoed into some nearby Mt Rose backcountry for short runs and a chance to hit some atypical wilderness rails (Warning: they may hit back). She was a bit frustrated by the quicksand like powder at first (very justifiable when it's up to your waist), but by the end of the week she was seeking professional sponsors. We had epic days at Heavenly & Mt Rose and a less than thrilling trip to Northstar in torrential rain. After our week of travels Gab and I agreed that my Element might as well be a Sherman tank cause it can plow through anything. And fair warning to all you compulsive bet-takers, Punk is a bowling maverick... but more importantly never ever challenge her to a snowman making contest. All in all we had a great time together that I bet will leave a lasting impression. So, even though Gab is knocking down A's at WVU I bet she's thinking about knocking off tree runs in Tahoe.

Prize Winners

After much delay, I must recognize my first group of tourists. The Hopkins NCCU team. I have no idea who was holding down the unit because Todd, Angela, Amanda, Jess, and not least of all Molly were holding down Reno. Luckily Tahoe got one big storm or the activities would have been sans snow. We had three in a row at Northstar, and even found some stashes of powder. It was a week flavored with faulty air mattresses, belly laughs, people sleeping in closets, ice skating, and fine mexican cuisine. I think we all may be barred from Bonanza Casino for winning too much...or for asking the dealers too many questions, I'm not sure. Angela even captured some priceless video footage of Todd showing his passengers how to cross (i.e. jump) Galena Creek in his rental Dodge Nitro (Which was returned lacking a piece or two of factory plastic). By the time they left I felt at least two time zones closer to home;)