2. Northstar
January 2026
This year, the two main conferences in my line of work are in Olympic Valley, CA in the winter and San Juan, PR in the spring. As a non-skier who had never been to Puerto Rico, I was disappointed when my job assigned me to the winter conference. My wife used this to her advantage by finally convincing me to learn how to ski, which I did last December (see Utah set #4). To my great surprise, I was hooked right away, and all of a sudden I was looking forward to skiing at Lake Tahoe.
The conference built six hours into every day’s agenda specifically for skiing, so I am thankful to my wife for convincing me to learn. Though the meeting was at Olympic Valley, we had free passes to Northstar 30 minutes away. She skied there all day and I joined her on my breaks.
Just like in Park City, crowds were minimal because we went midweek. We only waited longer than two minutes for a lift once. And unlike Park City, the snow was in wonderful condition. I could feel my skills progress with every run until my hubris hit a mogul that sent my knee into my chin, my teeth into my inner lip, and my humiliated self into the base clinic for a few stitches.
I was back on the slopes the next day with a swollen lip and a newfound respect for my helmet. Cautious but no less joyful, I am grateful for a learning curve that includes resilience as well as technique. These photos are less about mastery than momentum: To capture the quiet of midweek runs, the confidence earned one turn at a time, and the satisfaction of getting back up after a fall.
Recipes: Reggie’s Portra, Summer Chrome, Newspaper B&W
Reno/Northstar Photosets:
Reno
Northstar
