The AK with drawl is hard. I do not know if it is tapped adrenal glands or just the transition from the best lines of your life to summer time. Whatever it is I find myself wandering aimlessly through the day staring off into the distance lost in my thoughts.
The other harsh reality is that for 6 months I have brushed away all outside responsibilities and have been totally consumed with snowboarding, weather and mountains. My desk is over flowing with unopened mail, half full boxes fill my spare bedroom. The whirlwind of winter is over and it is time to pick up the pieces.
The best part however is the spring riding. It is the only time I can be 100% stress free and just a regular snowboarder. Especially on the sunny days. In AK the sun is gold and most be taken advantage of. In Tahoe sunny days blend together getting warmer everyday. It feels more like being at the beach then the mountains.
It is this time of year that is truly special in Tahoe. In one day you can easily swim in the pool, ride perfect corn chutes, play a round of golf and barbeque at the beach.
All the lower lifts are closed in the spring but the North Faces are still smooth corn to the bottom. This turns half of Squaw into a backcountry resort. I wish the bottom lifts were always closed.
Scott Tenyke is one of my favorite people to ride with. He has a mean back hand hack both on the mountain and in the surf. This is our last run of the year at Squaw.
Reggae pool party at High Camp. This day I mixed two pool sessions in between laps on the Pallisades, (the long flat ridge in the sky line.
Celebrating a long, cold winter with my long lost friends that I never see because I am on the road all winter.
Sand Castles and snowmen.
The other thing I like to do after AK is hike Mount Tallac. It is the highest peak on the lake and has some of the longest chutes in Tahoe on it.
It is hard to find people stoked to hike this late in the year but Chris Edmends(My Own Two Feet Producer) has never turned down an opportunity to spend day in the backcountry.
