Let's kick start the US Tales with Lake Tahoe! It was chosen because it was where we could experience snow! There is North and South Lake Tahoe but South was taken because it's nearer. The lake is very big. Singapore's total area is 710 square kilometers while Lake Tahoe's area is already 496.21 square kilometers! That's more than half of our island!
We were there from 29-31 December 09. It was really cold. In San Fran and LA, I could walk around with just a t-shirt, a long sleeve piece and jeans on. The nights will get colder but it was still manageable. I got down from the bus at Lake Tahoe with exactly what I mentioned above. And then I started to shiver just standing there so I decided to put on the gloves and beanie. I just had to test the temperature! :P
That evening we took a walk around the shops. We entered this shop named 'Heavenly' to enroll ourselves for a day's lesson on snowboarding. The mountain was called Heavenly too so I conclude the shop is the official school for that mountain. It cost us each USD $160 + GST. Not to mention the rental of waterproof pants and my jacket. But it was all worth it!! I was totally excited and happy!
The next morning, we actually wanted to go earlier so that we can stop at the first stop of the ride up the mountain to look at scenery, but grabbing our boards and putting on the boots took some time so that didn't happen. The ride up on the gondola takes 25 minutes which means plenty of photo time! :)
The picture above shows very little bit of the mountain. I initially thought that was all the mountain that snowboarders and skiers had but I was wrong! There is a lot more mountain behind it! It snowed lightly and temperatures reached -7 degrees Celsius. Because of the low temperature, it was tough to take out your camera to snap pictures. The cold would start biting your hands. If you put your gloves on, you won't be able to use it properly with the fat fingers.
Up there, we met our instructor, Michael Gutman. He gave me a cool impression of himself. He wore a helmet, sunglasses and mitts! Always smiling as he explained how it works. He would remind us about going back to our proper stance by showing off an action. And everytime he did that, it made me smile. The action was just very funny!
Down the mountain we surfed. It certainly was tiring climbing up the mountain to go for another try. But why not use the ski lift? There was a long queue and i think I can climb faster. Just pant more! The ski lift ride was nice. The seat and structure was so simple, steel tubes around you like a roll cage and a cushioned seat. :)
Snowboarding is easy to learn. Just have to get used to it and keep reminding yourself on the good practices. I will definitely go for a second round if given the chance. If you get the chance, go for it! May he be an inspiration for you! :D
