Robert Payne’s Blog

I was recently contacted by Turner Publishing with the offer to receive a complimentary copy of “Historic Photos of Reno” by Donnelyn Curtis. All they asked of me in return was that I provide an honest review of the book here on my website. I replied that I would be happy to do so, and the book appeared at my doorstep just a few days ago.

As an amateur photographer and writer, a graduate of the University of Nevada, and a former resident of Reno, I assumed I would find great pleasure in combing through the composition of someone who has made a career out of compiling and organizing historical information about the area. I was not disappointed.

Donnelyn Curtis is the Director of Research Collection & Services and head of Special Collections at the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries, where she has been a librarian since 1998. She embarked upon the painstaking task of compiling some of the most poignant and compelling black and white photographs, complete with text and captions, that Reno historians have meticulously gathered over the years. The combination of context and imagery provides a window into the raw soul of a city that has weathered a a rich and sorted past.

The images, text and captions are organized in distinct periods:

• Hub of the Mining Boom (1868-1909)
• Emerging Playground (1910 - 1949)
• New Approaches to Economic Development (1930-1949)
• Growing and Thriving (1950-1979)

The “Biggest Little City in the World” has always taken an unconventional approach. Long before Las Vegas, Reno, Nevada was referred to as “sin city.” Gambling, prize-fighting, prostitution, and divorce were prevalent. There was a certain lawlessness that attracted people to Reno. Adversely, since Reno’s beginning a strong, moral community of men and women have carved out their lives against the beautiful backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Truckee River which rolls through the center of town. These lawless and law-abiding factions contributed to a menagerie of people and pursuits that have defined the course of Reno’s creation and expansion. There are so many facets to Reno, Nevada, and “Historic Photos of Reno” brings that to light.

It is eery, exciting, and educational to follow your way through the pages and see the history of the city of Reno, Nevada unfold. Curtis digs up forgotten people and places that stare up at you from the pages and remind you all things change and human time is fleeting. The photographs project personality and feeling that speaks a thousand words. You will look into the eyes of both ordinary and exceptional individuals that contributed to the uniqueness of Reno’s identity. You will learn for whom the city was named after, how it got its start, and what carried it forward into the modern age.

What is it about us that loves to peer into the past? I for one saw so many similarities to where Reno was and is now. Entrepreneurs and motivated minds working hard to reinvent the city and carry it forward into the future. A relentless desire for a new and improved identity, and yet, a strong connection to a proud history and the land it was built on.

Curtis will be doing a book signing at signing at the Meadow Wood Court Barnes & Noble on June 14th from 2-4pm. Get out and pick up a signed copy. It is the good storytellers who give us greater context.

The rash of recent earthquakes in Reno, Nevada reminds me of my own experience with this particular fault line. About three years ago, I was driving my brand new Subaru Outback up the canyon of Highway I-80 towards Truckee, California to go whitewater kayaking when an earthquake struck. I was moving along at about 70 mph just past the Floriston exit when a large boulder arced off of the steep hillside to my right, struck the adjoining lane, and quickly began tumbling towards me. It looked like something out of a cartoon, and my disbelief was only cut short by my sudden realization that I was going to die. In a split second I slammed on the brakes and immediately impacted with the boulder.

Anyone that has ever been in an accident knows when an air bag deploys it can be a lot like getting punched in the face. As I began to collect myself and determine whether I was severely injured or not my first thought was - I’m going to be hit from behind! Fortunately, the other cars behind me had been able to stop in time. The inside of the car smelled strongly of gun powder, the windshield was smashed, and the entire passenger side was caved in.

I got out of the car half expecting to not be able to stand, or for blood to suddenly start spurting forth from some area of my body, but I was fine. I nervously scanned the hillside wondering if any other boulders might suddenly decide to dislodge themselves but none came. I took note that my kayak was no longer on top of the car, not that I particularly cared at that moment, but my eyes soon fell upon it on the other side of the road. It had shot off the top of the car, careened across the oncoming lanes of traffic, and somehow managed not to cause another accident.

The police soon arrived, and the first comment I received was, “Boy, you are lucky to be alive.” The  second thing they told me was that there had been an earthquake of a magnitude 5.0. I never felt it.

The section of I-80 between Reno and Truckee is a dangerous one for many reasons. As the area continues to experience more tremors, and even faces a potentially much larger earthquake, keep this story in mind if you are driving this section of road. There are a lot of exposed hillsides containing countless boulders that are precipitously placed for a quick fall, and trust me, you don’t want to hit one.

The High Sierra Ski Tour is often described as one of the most spectacular ski tours in the world.  It is certainly an awe-inspiring journey through California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and is composed of towering peaks, incredible vistas, and vast terrain. You will encounter steep traverses, long ski descents, and various mountaineering challenges one would expect in remote, snow-covered mountains at elevations upwards of 13,000 feet.

This undulating, high-altitude journey starts outside of Independence, California at Symmes Creek, follows the boundary line between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, and culminates 45+ miles later in Wolverton and the giant sequoias. Before you finish you will have crossed at least 8 mountain passes with half of them serving up steep ascents, and half of those potentially requiring ice axes and even crampons if it is icy.

Most guide services rate the tour as Class III-IV, and the preferred length of time is 5 nights and 6 days. However, keep in mind that ratings and time can be elevated because of difficult conditions such as blinding snow, bulletproof ice, or if you are simply not prepared to carry a heavy pack over the course of several days at high altitude. Furthermore, if you are not familiar with the route, and relying on a topographic map to guide you, this can also make the trip more difficult.

Coordinating the shuttle is no easy exercise either. We commandeered a ride from Lake Tahoe south on Highway 395 to Independence, and then scheduled a shuttle pickup through Sequoia Tours to be picked up at the Wolverton trailhead and driven to Visalia, California. As an aside, we also shipped a box of clean clothes and toiletries to the tour company, and managed to work out a shower in the Park. Larger groups can schedule a flight out of Visalia to take them across the Sierras either before or after their trip, and it runs about $1400 for an 8-passenger plane.

The Tour

This is by no means meant to serve as a complete guide. Before attempting this trip purchase John Moynier’s, Backcountry Skiing: California’s High Sierra, as well as the appropriate topographic maps. A permit is also required.

Starting at the base of the Eastern Sierras, the trail meanders quickly up through the sagebrush along the creek bed and soon enters the John Muir Wilderness Area. It is possible to see Big Horn Sheep, for their meandering trails are evident in several places. It is quite a push to make it in the first day, approximately 5,000 vertical feet, but the recommended place to reach for the first night is Anvil Camp. That way you are poised to tackle Shepherd’s Pass the next morning, and it sets you up to cross the remaining passes during the most ideal conditions before the snow has the potential to get icy.

Shepherd’s Pass is quite steep and will no doubt require boot-packing to get to the top. If it has recently snowed or sun-affected you should be wary of avalanche danger. From the top you will ski a gentle, westerly descent until you are skinning again and making your way towards Milestone Peak.

Milestone Basin is absolutely beautiful, and Milestone Peak is unmistakable with its chimney tower. The key thing to know about crossing Milestone Peak is that you will proceed left of the summit even though it appears as if you want to go right. There is some exposure here, for you will be crossing above a cliff, so it is a good time to make use of that ice axe you’ve been carrying.

From the top you will ski down Milestone Bowl towards Colby Pass. Here is where we made the mistake of going too far and dropping down to the Kern River. Make sure you head right before the last drop down through the trees to the river basin. For us, this is where the weather turned and it began to snow. Visibility became poor, and it was definitely a challenge navigating the confusing terrain. That night we set the tent up in the snow and wind, but by morning it was clear and beautiful with several inches of fresh snow on the ground.

After you cross Colby Pass your next challenge will be the long traverse around and up over Triple Divide Pass. The Pass is further than you think, so continue to the far end past the prominent peak to your right. You’ll know you are headed in the right direction because the juncture is aptly named. The three divides that separate the Kaweah, Kings, and Kern Rivers come together at this point, and it is impressive to see with breathtaking views all around.

It is at this point that you ski down towards the Glacial Divide. The beauty of this place is inexplicable, and the size and distances of the mountains are enormous. Traverse across the Divide towards the obvious Fin Peak, and cross over Fin Pass.

Things get  a little confusing here and the guide book nor the topographic map are all together helpful. After skiing down it seems natural to head immediately right with Hamilton Dome on your left, but you actually traverse around the left side of the dome and its neighboring peak, cross over Coppermine Pass, then the Horn, and into the Tablelands.

The Tablelands tempt you to ski down into the midst of them, but it is best to stay high and traverse around them. I am quite sure there are other ways to proceed through this chaotic jumble of rock outcroppings and snow, but I am not aware of the route. Eventually you will reach Pearl Lake.

From Pearl Lake it is a fun descent down past the Pearl Lake Hut. It is possible to reserve the Hut during the winter, and it comes complete with a pellet stove, bunks, and tons of great skiing and beautiful scenery all around you.

From the Hut you are faced with the last ascent of the trip called, The Hump, but before you know it you are meandering down through the woods towards Wolverton.

Here is a little video to encapsulate the trip. It was interesting to see how quickly the video camera degraded in performance due to the extreme conditions. In fact, I was able to capture very little because the battery and other parts simply could not handle the cold temperatures. At one point in the video where I am being interviewed, you can actually hear the gears grinding in the camera. Either way, I think it definitely gives you some sense of what to expect. Parts not captured are the steep ascents and some of the good skiing. I’ll leave it to your imagination to fill in those blanks.

  Gear & Tips:

• Skis - Karhu Jak BC
• Bindings - Fritschi Diamir Freerides
• Ski Boots - Scarpa Alpine Touring Boots
• Take only that which is necessary for a light pack is crucial. Backpack items included:
  • Ice Axe
  • Crampons
  • Mountain Hardware Skyview Tent (fly, drop cloth, and poles only)
  • Mountain Hardware 20 degree sleeping bag
  • Therm-a-rest (No Chair Kit!)
  • 1 Stainless Steel Cooking Pot
  • MSR Superfly Stove
  • 3 MSR IsoPro fuel canisters
  • 2 lighters
  • 1 Spoon
  • Plastic mug with lid
  • Headlamp and 4 extra batteries
  • Mammut Barryvox Tranceiver
  • Metal Shovel
  • Black Diamond Probe
  • Skins
  • Skin wax (take a small block; the spray will freeze)
  • Wide-mouth water bottle
  • First Aid kit
  • 70 spf sunscreen (still got roasted)
  • Patagonia clothing
    • Das Parka
    • Shell
    • Ski Pants with side zips and gators
    • Mid-weight Capilene Bottoms
    • Mid-weight Capilene Top
    • 2 Silkweight T-shirts
    • Silkweight boxers
    • 3 Superlite ski socks
• Depending on the time of year (Trip date: April 5-10, 2008), you very well may discover thin to non-existent snow for the first 4,000 feet. Unless you really enjoy wearing your ski boots, you might consider taking an old pair of tennis shoes to wear for the initial climb up towards Shepherd’s Pass. The most responsible course of action would be to pack them all the way to the end; however, some skiers do opt to leave their shoes at Anvil Camp in hopes that someone coming from the other direction will pack them out and throw them away.
• The ski route is often called the High Sahara Route because of the lack of liquid H20. Nevertheless, it is important to stay hydrated. Whenever you pause for a break take time to mix snow in with the water in your water bottle. If the sun is out and air relatively warm, do your best to melt snow in your water bottle on the outside of your pack. Keep your water bottle in your sleeping bag at night.
• Food
  • Dried noodles & soups
  • Dried potatoes
  • Jerkey
  • Cheese
  • Dried cranberries & blueberries
  • chocolate
  • Clif - bars, shot bloks, luna moons
  • EmergenC

Spring in Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite seasons. Snow still blankets the mountains of the Sierras, and the lower elevation rivers rise as the days grow longer and warmer. It is this time of year that I find myself having to make the difficult decision of skiing vs kayaking.

As I prepare for an upcoming California road trip, I can tell you that the gear I am planning on taking is getting a bit overwhelming. Just thinking about trying to fit it all into a little biodiesel powered VW TDI has me wondering if I need a semi-truck.

No matter what the weather dictates, I inevitably find myself catching up on whitewater community sites like boof.com and americanwhitewater.org, as well as looking through old kayaking photos to remind myself that I still know how to boat. Here is a little slideshow  of some kayaking photos I have accumulated from years past. Can you tell which ones I took with an old 35mm camera and slide film and then scanned?

Anyone that knows me or visits this blog from time to time has a pretty good inclination that I like to ski. Fortunately for me, I also get involved with a certain amount of ski resort marketing as part of my job. One resort in particular that I work closely with is Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Heavenly has a great team of individuals over there who are busy pushing out a lot of great content in the form of blog posts, Flickr photos, and video. Why? To bring as much of the mountain experience to you as possible. I can tell you that it works, and if you want some more education as to why it works you can read this post and the post it links to as well.

Another cool example of social media comes from another one of my favorite Lake Tahoe ski resorts - Alpine Meadows. They have put together a really cool social media page that lays out all of the various places you can interact with them. Sites include:

• Twitter
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Eventful
• Broadband Sports
• del.icio.us
• Facebook

Why so many? Because people are individuals with individual preferences. They want to learn, experience, and interact with a brand in the channel they see fit and enjoy the most. Alpine and Heavenly are simply doing their best to satisfy those preferences, as well as understand their customers better. They will probably add more, for there are more.

You can find me on all of these sites. Unfortunately, I can’t be on the hill all the time, but the next best thing is hopping online to interact with the mountain, finding out what is going on, and getting stoked for the next time. The social media tools these two ski resorts are making use of help me do it.

In my last blog post I took the liberty of complaining about my irregular writing schedule of late and the significance, or insignificance, of it. Some of you called me to task in the comments, while others preferred to bring it up in private with me. Either way, it got me thinking.

If I could get this Chinese woman to quit her day job at Epcot, maybe she could do dictation for me? I bet she can type faster than me, and it would certainly make my life easier when it came to regular blog postings.

Actually, I remember sitting there filming her, watching her hands, and I began to consider all of the tourists around her and the fairly faux surroundings. I wondered if she ever imagined as a young woman that this is where her talent would be directed? She captivated me for a moment, and then I went out and bought something plastic. Then I returned and realized that she was creating greater awareness about her culture, and it was up to those that wanted to listen and feel it; or not.

My frequency of blog posts has been utterly pathetic as of late.

It is not like I haven’t been getting out and about. In fact, in the past three weeks I have surfed in Sebastian, Florida, attended an art show and an oyster roast in Charleston, South Carolina, and worked and skied in Reno-Tahoe.

Certainly plenty to write about.

In fact, as I type I am getting ready to leave for Salt Lake City in the morning for additional work related activities, as well as some long overdue skiing in the Wasatch Mountains with good friends.

Still, that is little excuse for not writing.

Maybe it is because I am often busy allocating words to my company’s blog, press releases, web copy, marketing plans, and magazine articles?

I suspect that still doesn’t warrant my flagrant inattention to my own personal pursuits.

Or, is it because I don’t think you really give a damn about all of that, and believe you’d rather poke your eyes out with a burning stick than read all this nonsense about how I think I am significant to anything meaningful in your life?

Instead, how about a ski picture I took in Tahoe on Saturday while backcountry skiing? Yes, that’s better…

The one thing the Tampa Bay area is in no short supply of is good music.

Friday night I took in a little bluegrass at Jannus Landing in downtown Saint Petersburg, Florida. Lots of crunchies and self-indulgent ragers running around, but Yonder Mountain String Band laid it down and it was well worth going.

On my way to the bar I took a special interest in this sign and decided to snap a photo. I made a few more trips to the bar, and then some time later found myself in front of Photoshop.

In the animal kingdom certain colors say poison, others say sex. We humans are creatures of color with response dictated by a combination of nature and nurture.

What is interesting to me is that each image has it own decidedly different feel. The composite might be an onslaught for some, but either way the combination of message and hue draws the eye.

What do you see after a few of the old Makers Mark?

Test your knowledge of geography by giving this widget a whirl. Also, you probably want to click over to play the larger size on their website. I’ve only got so many pixels here to play with here, and they don’t make it easy to size proportionately.

Despite all of my comings and goings, one particular pastime I am quite fond of are the slow Sunday mornings where I sit about the house and catch up on magazines and my favorite bloggers. It is inevitably and ironically fueled by an excessive amount of coffee, and an equally heart-wrenching amount of high-cholesterol food - yummm yummm bacon.

It was just this past Sunday that I happened to be flipping through the Asheville School Alumni Magazine, “Achievement” when what should appear before my eyes? My own self…sort of.

It is a common misconception that I paint the web with my own form rather than those of others. I have an ego, but maybe not quite as large as one might expect. The picture is one that I took of a friend of mine, not me. But it is no matter; I was pleased to see it. I hold a special place in my heart for the Asheville School. Incidentally, here is a picture of me. Okay, ego resolved.

The blog post the caption below the picture refers to is here.

And a special thanks to what I do. Twelve Horses, your reach is far and wide! :~)