The splendiforous Sierra Nevada

We spent a couple of nights in Truckee, at the north end of Lake Tahoe. Another place I could live.

Totally Board. I love the combination of this building and the snowboard benches outside.

Donner Memorial State Park would be my ideal camp spot. (Except over the winter after crossing the Oregon/California Trail.)
Squaw Valley had one chairlift and two rope tows when it was awarded the 1960 Winter Olympic bid. It's still a reasonably sized resort, given its popularity. Nothing like the sprawl that's overtaken Whistler/Blackcomb. We loved it.
Some people claim it's worth $12 to bungee tramp for 5 minutes. They spend the first minute getting the hang of it; the next three attempting all manner of gymnastic feats; and the last hanging like rag dolls, wondering when the 5 minutes will end.

The gondola ride is so worth it. Totally different landscape from the Cascades and hard to believe this is a couple thousand feet higher than the ski area at Baker.
On top of the world with Lake Tahoe in the background.
A pool at the top of the mountain. Does it get any better than this? I think not.