Climb Every Mountain

I've done some pretty cool things in my life. Many of them during Phase Five, of course. This past weekend I added another one to the list.

Don't get me wrong. Lying on a towel in a bikini atop sand at the Jersey Shore is a great way to celebrate the arrival of summer. And if you can upgrade from the Jersey Shore to a locale clad with Palm Trees - well, GO FOR IT. (Unless you happen to be from Philly and absolutely LOVE overcrowded beaches, 60 degree water, duplex housing, and REAL Boardwalk Fries. In that case, to hell with Palm Trees, I'll see you at Mack and Mancos.)

But this year, I did Memorial Day Norcal style, by heading out to Lake Tahoe. I had never been to Lake Tahoe before this weekend; and already, I can't wait to go back! We left early Saturday morning crossing the Bay Bridge and heading out I-80 East. We said good-bye to the San Francisco Bay, setting our sights on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our only stop was for Tasty Teriyaki Burgers from Ikitas. (Hmm... this IS a Tasty Burger...) Ikitas has GOT to be the coolest little store ever. Burgers, produce, pies, and mango salsa. Topped off with complementary salsa sampling!

Our cabin was in Norden, CA - North Lake Tahoe. Most of the ride was beautiful, however during the last half hour of the drive we went through both snow and hail storms. And I did panic a LITTLE about not having snow chains. But it wasn't bad at all, really. Our cabin was near the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, and my car only got stuck in the lot where we parked our cars. Nothing two big guys and my roommate KT couldn't push me out of, though. And now I can say that my car got stuck in the snow in May!

After parking, we started to unload the car. We had to hike about a half mile to our cabin from the parking lot. Not an easy feet when it's snowing, there is no trail, there's already a good foot of snow on the ground, and 5 girls must figure out a way to carry $500 worth of food and beverage for 15 people for the weekend. Luckily, I have the following going for me: 1) Marathon Legs of Steel, 2) An amusement of snow on Memorial Day, and 3) A brand spankin' new BACK PACK! Like, a REAL back pack. So it wasn't too bad. The food, the beverages, and the girls made it to the cabin after only a few trips.

And of course, the men showed up right after our hard work was done. Smart men, don't you think? We put them to work in the kitchen whipping up drinks and planning the night's meal. Good food plus good wine and some really intense gaming made for some really effing good times.

A pankcake brunch started our Sunday, and then we set off to hike - IN SNOWSHOES! I had never done any snowshoeing before Sunday. And though this weekend marked the start of summer, in some ways, I am already looking forward to the return of winter so that I can do some more snowshoeing again. We started at the base of Mount Judah, part of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, and headed around the lake and up what normally is a pretty decent ski trail. I will brag and mention that despite being a snowshoe novice, my Marathon Legs helped me trek up most of the mountain (really - The Mountain - this was NOT a dinky hill) in record time.

It took about an hour to get to the point at which the ski lift would normally drop off skiiers. But we weren't satisfied with only making it to the Ski Lift. We could SEE the summit at that point, but we wanted to see FROM the summit. So the real fun started. Because our mountain had turned into more of a wall, and there was no way to get up it without serious arm involvement. There was a lot of digging and toepicking. And gritting as I pulled myself up the mountain, a few tiny inches at a time. Cheers when it went well and little screams when I'd fall back down. A moment of doubt with, "JWC I don't think I can DO it!" Followed by squeals of delight to emit the RUSH of exuberance that flows when you dig in, clench your entire body, and CLIMB...

All the way to the top. A little bit of research leads me to believe the change in altitude from the base to the summit was 6883 feet to about 8383 feet for a change in elevation of about 1500 feet, and a top 5 on the ever-growing list of Top Life Accomplishments, for sure.

The trip back down was great, too. Lots of sliding down on our butts, which was still kind of scary for me, and a reminder of why I let the New Year's Resolution to Ski/Snowboard slide by the wayside. By the time we made it back to the cabin, it was time for Happy Hour. It had been warm hiking up the mountain, but by now it was getting chilly. Still, being from San Francisco, we know how to layer. So we sat out by the (frozen) lake, getting way too competive over Catch Phrase to stay warm.

More good eats, plus a dance party with fantastic beats. The crowning of Flip Cup Champions and WE LOVE YOU, JWC, YOU ARE NOT MOVING hugs. It was morning again before we knew it.

I remember crying as a little kid while my family packed up the house Down the Shore at the end of a summer vacation. I wanted to cry as we cleaned up the cabin and hiked back to the car with our belongings on Monday afternoon. The weekend was THAT GOOD. But, it was nice to get home and a) shower for the first time in two and a half days and b) pee in a toilet instead of in the snow.

Thankfully, we're going back in two more weeks. Can't wait! This East Coast Girl just can't get enough of the West Coast Outdoors! (Be sure to check out the pics!)