A conference on either side of Memorial Day made an excuse to spend a weekend in the Californian mountains. After flying in from LA on Friday morning I, plus most of the Bay Area, made my way toward Lake Tahoe on Friday evening. The drive was long, but especially the last hour through the mountains was pretty. Over the Donner pass the volume of snow at the resorts was astonishing given it was nearly June.

At dusk, I arrived in Tahoe City. More a village than a city. Strictly a ‘linear settlement’. It is squeezed between Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Mountains behind.

On Saturday I had intended to hire a bike but the road biking on the lakefront was busy and the roads were potholed and narrow. I was advised against riding a lap of the lake. Mountain biking, usually a great option in the summer, was not yet open due to flooding from snowmelt. Given this, it seemed like skiing might be a better option and so I headed up to Palisades (previously Squaw Valley) to check it out. Unsurprisingly the snow was soft (it was warm) but plentiful (they had an insane winter). From Palisades, I ran a 10miler on the Truckee River trail. The gentle inclines were a timely reminder that Tahoe is up at ~6200ft altitude - higher than most European resorts and some altitude training locations.

On Sunday I rose early and paid up the $$ for a day lift ticket at Palisades. Open from 8 am till 2 pm I was on the first lift and cruising groomers for the first hour. The snow was sticky in places as it hadn’t refrozen. I developed a new technique of ‘pushing’ the snow around rather than the usual holding an edge. As the day warmed and the snow softened skiing on steeper terrain was most enjoyable. Squaw is spoilt for quality terrain. KT-22, of GNAR fame, and the competition moguls set were particular highlights.

In the afternoon there was plenty of time for a long run. Chris Olley and I ran along Billionaire Row in Nevada, and then the full East Shore Trail. It was a delightfully rolling path with beautiful views.

By Monday it was time to travel back to the Bay. Before the journey I ran an out-and-back on the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), turning around when the path was lost over a snow field. My new North Face trail shoes coped well with the terrain. I also went out on the lake on a SUP.

Lastly, the conclusive proof that everything is bigger in the US. Giant pinecones!