Full of Hot Air (at the Reno Balloon Races)

Every year, at the tail-end of summer, Reno hosts an air balloon race for a weekend.  The best time to go is very early morning, at dawn.  "Dawn Patrol" is timed so because the flair of these hot air balloons are exhibited at their most dramatic in the dark.  I've seen pictures of when these massive balloons glow in the dark.  It must be such a magnificent thing to photograph!  I have not seen it myself and perhaps one day, I could be bothered to yank myself from bed at 4AM on a Sunday and wrestle with ugly parking situations.  Although that didn't happen today (yet), I roused myself at 6:30AM (on a Sunday) to gawk at hot air balloons and snap a few photos.

While I'm exactly not sure how the races work, how one wins, what one wins, where the "race track" is, etc., I am a (very distant) spectator out there to take pictures.  And it doesn't look like I'm the only one!

And I ended my morning with a fritata, an excellent cup of joe and the Sunday NewYork Times al fresco at Coffee Bar (where the rustic farmhouse table was just gorgeous - just like the weather this morning was!).  

Happy weekend, everyone!  Enjoy the last remaining days of summer and here's to hoping we get the polar vortex this winter!

Love Where You Live

When I came to this mountain town in Northern Nevada to live, I was part miserable, part steeped in regret.  I would plaintively lament: "What have I done and where did I end up"?  I've retold this story many times, but I clearly remember thinking what is there to do in a mountain town of 300,000.  I mean, where's the nightlife and the shopping?  Having grown up in cosmopolitan Manila, my only options for recreation then were clubbing and midnight madness shopping at its abundance of malls.  I could not handle big wide open spaces.

But I suppose our human survival instincts have taught us to fight or flight.  Either love your situation or get the heck out.

I fought.

And here are just a few of the reasons why I stayed and loving it, truth be told.  All of these photos were shot today after a late snowstorm dumped over a foot of fresh snow.

 And yes, I splurged on a 29er also.  I took this capricious beauty home today and you wouldn't believe my giddiness rolling over curbs and sidewalks (for now).  I can't wait to take it out on the trail!  But we're skiing tomorrow, so she's staying clean.  For now.

I Must Have a Thing for Dutch Guys

I’m still reeling from a phenomenally epic night watching Tiesto perform live at the local university stadium.  It is quite surreal and I’ve had dreams all night of still thumping to the beats machinated by this Dutch genius.  I didn’t think I would be, but I was starstruck seeing him, the #1 DJ in the world for years.  Some dispute that David Guetta is #1, but seriously?  In terms of longevity, artistry, and track record, in my partial view, Tiesto rises on top among anyone around today.  And seeing him perform live proves why.

The other astounding thing is that he came to my little town for a one-night only show where the big global names rarely pay a visit.  I paid $50 for a ticket which is not a preposterous amount in a stadium large yet small enough to have a somewhat intimate feel.  From where I was, I could see Tiesto’s facial expressions.  It is cool that I did not have to resort to watching him from a screen.  What I did not come prepared for was what a total extraordinary production it was – laser lights, vivd colors, fog and smoke, fireworks shooting from the stage, confetti dropping from the ceiling – all synchronized with the music set.  I cannot help but think how this guy really knows his sh*t.  I probably would not have noticed otherwise, but in retrospect, I’m glad he didn’t come half-assed, because all that effort made it much more than a show.  It’s suddenly transformed into an experience (so much so that it merits a blog post!).

Electronic dance music is an interesting genre.  Some people don’t have the tenacity for it.  I know I didn’t up until half a decade ago.  It’s music that has so many subtle complex layers.  There’s a whole gamut of undertones left to be revealed – jazz, hip hop, Latin, rock, ballad.  It started appealing to me because in the midst of what is seemingly monotonous and formless, you tune in to it with all you’ve got – ears, mind, soul, and then finally the body - until you find IT.  And when you tap into it, it’s a glorious release that compels you to do nothing but move mindlessly.  Dance music, extremely great dance music, literally blows your mind away.

It’s music that is alive.  It can be tender, romantic, innocent, heartbroken, sad, happy, sappy, intense - but always alive and free.  I think it takes a great skill and tuning in to the collective human energy to know when to bring these elements in.  And geniuses like Tiesto are geniuses because they have that rare quality to know exactly how to do it.  Scientist?  Artist?  Both? 

And then there’s the buildup.  If I really allow myself to think about it, it amazes me how powerful music in this sense.  It’s incomprehensible.  Great DJ’s  weave and build this tension – slow, fast, super-fast, no matter.  Sometimes it’s torture that leaves you breathless and longing for what lies on the other side.  And you know it when you hear it.  You know when it is about to come.  And when you hear it, for a nanosecond, you, along with everyone around, hold your breath waiting for what will be revealed.

Then the beat drops.

And it’s mindless madness.

It’s utter unbridled chaos.

It’s beautiful.

Electric Daisy Carnival 2013, anyone?

Cabin Fever? Never.

When I signed up to snowshoe to the top of a ridge on New Year's Eve, I didn't think it would be very literal that snowshoeing would be what I would get in to a lot this year.  In the figurative sense, I thought it was a metaphor for climbing up to greater heights, better vistas, more indelible experiences, etc. Or here's another one that I came up with - the world can be a cold place, and it will be cold at times, but what's important is you're warm and toasty inside.

Yeah, I know.  I a little bit on the incomprehensible side.

I swear, REI is my favorite local spot nowadays.  I went in tonight to pick up a yoga mat (and I did - I went for a Manduka eKolite - it's biodegradable!) and at the counter, I noticed advertisements for this weekend -

Did you know that 

Saturday is National Winter Trails Day?

Neither did I!

The Dutch is away this weekend so it will be great to still get out there and keep doing the stuff I love regardless.  Tahoe Rim Trail will have a roster of snow activities that run from 10am-3pm at Mount Rose Meadows including gear demos, snowman making (fun!), raffles,food, and I can only suppose, and a slew of activities that celebrate nature and that white stuff.  There are were also a few guided snowshoe hikes throughout the day, but I apologize - I took the last remaining slot.  I was hoping to snag a 3-mile hike, but I had to settle for a 1-mile hike since that was all that was left of the slots.  I will hike the meadows *insert pomp* to "learn about the social and economic value wilderness brings to our communities. Enjoy pre or post hike festivities in the Tahoe Meadows before you embark on your easy, 1 mile journey."

If you're sick of being cooped up in this cold weather, come out and play this Saturday!

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

October Surprise

I'm so behind on posting pictures and there's nothing like some airport downtime to motivate one to upload some aging photos.

They've been tapping their feet in impatience at me, "Let's go!"

Nature has yet taunted us with a significant snowfall in the autumn.  The first snowstorm of the Tahoe area happened in October again.  Instead of reading this as an indication of perhaps a great winter season, I'd defer the weather predictions to the meteorologists.  If we base it on last year's snow results, we know, "in like a lion" is not really a promise of anything.

But what is good about snow in autumn, other than the obvious water supply argument, is that it is a beautiful time to be outside.  The ground is blanketed in snow (and in the case of Mount Rose Meadows, at least six inches of fresh powder) and coats the woods in whimsy.  It's not quite freezing yet so that means, it's the perfect and rare chance for a hike in the snow.

A Dutch boyfriend with an adventurous spirit, a Garmin EDGE 800, water, a Toblerone, loads of sunshine, crisp mountain air (and proper technical gear for me this time around) and we are rockin'.

Except for the occasional chirping of birds who sounded as happy as we were to be alive at that moment and the muffled crunch of snow under our feet, the meadows were so quiet - not at all in an unnerving way, but in a solitary, almost sacred way. We occasionally passed a cross country skier or a couple on their way back from their own hike, and if it were not for some dog and ski tracks, one would think the rest of civilization had vanished and left all this wild, white beauty to ourselves.

We ascended in silence, me trailing behind the Dutch. It was not a time to talk. It was not a time to make plans.  It was a time to let the world be.  It was a time to revere nature's cycles and marvel at the unseen hand that painted a scene so idyllic. We had no real plan of where we're going or where we're supposed to end up. I followed the Dutch and the Dutch, I suppose, followed his gut.

I watched the interplay of light and shadow all around me as the late morning sun illuminated dry pine needles on the ground you otherwise would not take notice of. And I think how light is part of shadow in as much as shadow is part of light. There is no summer without winter, no heat if we don't know what cold is.

I am unaware of exactly how long we had been hiking.  When asked if we should climb this steep hill, I did not hesitate.  Little did we both know, the pay off would be magnificence like this:

Lake Tahoe, in all its splendor, as blue as the blue, blue sky, opened up before our eyes and jaws as wide as discs.  We did not seek this view, yet we were rewarded with it.  It was like waking up on Christmas morning and finding a big surprise under the tree.  

We sat on a rock, tore open the Toblerone we've been saving until we know we've earned something and shared a milk chocolate nougat goodness with the best view in the world at that moment.

The seriousness didn't last very long since a snowball fight was just too irresistible.  

After a dozen or more (failed) attempts by the Dutch to hit me with a snowball, we started our descent back, cheeks flushed and hearts bursting with those unspeakable things.  

It is often said that in one's last few moments of life, our life flashes before us.  I am certain - CERTAIN - that when my time is up, this day will flash before me, and right here and now, as I write this, I am happy that I put on those snow shoes and went out in the woods that cold October morning.

Basecamp South Lake Tahoe: Why Stay Elsewhere?

We're in the last throes of summer and although that thought evokes a little melancholia, for those who like year-round playtime in Lake Tahoe, that means, ski season is in sight!  There's much speculation, supposedly backed by the Farmer's Almanac, that this winter will be nothing like the last.  Meaning, it will be epic. 

Norah Jones brought us to South Lake Tahoe this summer.  I personally resist any urges to stay in a casino establishment, especially in a place as beautiful as Lake Tahoe.  There's just something very counter-intuitive in trying to make a home out of a place where smoking is permitted, of bright gaudy lights, and just generally a domicile devoid of any character. Especially in a place where nature is at its most beautiful, it's almost awkward to even be near a casino.

Enter Basecamp in South Lake Tahoe, a relatively new boutique hotel in South Lake Tahoe, literally a few steps away from the Harvey's Outdoor Ampitheater where we saw Norah Jones perform.

I loved everything about this place and you probably can't coax me to stay elsewhere next time we're in South Lake again.  The place was oozing with warmth and intimacy.  The staff address you like you're an old buddy visiting from out of town.  The decor is very thoughtful, modern yet rustic.  I love the fun pops of color everywhere.  The lobby is so very inviting and in the mornings, there's a breakfast spread of toast and cereal.  It was a pleasant surprise that after returning from the concert, we could make smores (my first in my life!) on the fire pit in the patio.

For all your play gear - summer or winter!

The front desk

Espresso bar-slash-bar

Smores-ing and meeting fellow travelers after a great Norah Jones concert

They say the function of a hotel room is merely a place to rest your head at night after you're spent doing the fun stuff outside.  It doesn't matter what the hotel looks, much less, feels like, some claim.  I tend to differ big time.  Places like Basecamp give you an experience.  It has the capacity, and in my opinion, should extend and complement your experience of the place outside the hotel.  Basecamp did just that and if I were a hotelier in Lake Tahoe, actually, anywhere, I'd model my establishment after these guys.

Basecamp Hotel is steps from the gondola at Heavenly and the Harvey's Outdoor Ampitheater.  Coincidentally, there's a pizza place across Stateline also called Basecamp.  Try the Thai curry pizza - it's delish!