On Saturday it was cold, snowing, and the light was flat, but I still managed to begrudgingly pull my hands out of my gloves, and fire off some video of backcountry skiing in the Mt Rose Wilderness Area.
Despite the fact that it did not make for very good video conditions, I am absolutely overjoyed to see some snow finally descending in the Lake Tahoe region. I am praying for more!
I would also like to give a shout out to the Mt Rose Ski Resort patroller who broke his leg doing avalanche control in the Chutes on Monday. I appreciate the work that he was doing and recognize that there are inherent dangers in this type of work.
I absolutely love the Chutes and it is the primary reason why I have a pass at Mt Rose. The ski patrollers do a great job of managing a notorious area and getting it open for people to safely enjoy.
Hopefully the team was able to learn from the situation and apply that knowledge to avoid similar situations in the future. However, it could be that it was simply unavoidable.
Here’s to a quick recovery.
Another video consistent with the Reno-Tahoe brand. The area just keeps pumping them out.
F*%& the RENO-TAHOE BRAND. Commercialize the things you love and there will not be anything to love…… Tourism is not sustainibility. When’s the next Whitesnake show? Whewwww, time to gamble!
First off, I am not commercializing anything. I do not accept ads on my blog. I do it for fun and fun alone. I enjoy writing and taking photographs and video. I really do. I wish I could have worked for National Geographic, but that hasn’t worked out yet.
Sounds like the “Not on Web Guy” has found a convenient little perch upon which he can caste his broad perspectives on economy and environment. I’d really like to see what would happen to his or her job if tourism completely ceased in the Reno-Tahoe area. How many residents in this area were at one time tourists? I know I was. Now for 10 years my hard earned dollars have been combined with tourist dollars to aid in education, upkeep of roads, and the redevelopment renaissance that is occurring in places like downtown Reno.
Because the Not on Web Guy is commenting on a ski post, I wonder if he or she has a pass at one of the ski resorts in Tahoe? How would that industry fair without tourism?
If you are only a backcountry enthusiast, I wonder if you are using any commercialized equipment, or did you carve a few planks out of some wood?
Because this is my blog about things that I love, I think the comment would have been more accurate if it had said, Express the things you love and there will be things to love. Just today on rgj.com there was a story about the compromise that backcountry skiers and snowmobilers came to in Alpine County. If one of those groups had not expressed what they loved then they would have lost it.
If Not on the Web Guy is mad that I am drawing attention to particular areas that he or she believes belongs only to them and those they think should be there, then read that story and recognize that it took an informed group, not an individual to set aside that land for protection from snowmobiles. The last time I checked it still takes a majority.
So, to all of you that have ever published a book on the outdoors, led hikes in the wilderness, built trails, created a map, or shown someone the way, look out for the Not on the Web Guy. He is apparently “On the Web Guy.” Maybe he is online checking snow and weather conditions at various ski resorts right now!
Hmm, for being “Not A Winter Guy” I can say that I relocated to Reno becuase of Tourism. I met my, now, wife on a ski trip, one of few because i hate the cold. I ended up visiting many times before I decided to move.
Quote “first off I am not commercializing anything”
Bullshit. This site exists to market yourself so you may be personally searched, googled, to see your local and marketing prowess in one.
What you commercialize and exploit are the nook and crannys that you more claim as your own than I. I do not limit any persons use, nor do I have the power to do so. You however, seek to gain personal exposure from something that is not yours to market. Do not more people equal more impact? I just ski there, why can’t you?
Yes I ski on brand new skis. How does that make selling something that’s not yours to sell right? Nice try.
Your complete grouping of statements is a common tact. Your arguement is based upon the assumption that someone must be a zealot to be righteous in what they speak. Trust me, I am painfully more aware of my impacts than is healthful. Unfortunately, that cannot change what is truthful and what is not.
Hear the words “Tourism is not sustainible” for that matter “Recreation is not sustainable”. Because I do both, does not make the above statements untrue. Sorry.
what’s your point not on the web guy? if you’re saying that there’s too many people…..get used to it…..there’s more coming. we all have places that used to be “secret” & now they’re not. get up earlier or go find another. if you’re saying that anyone making a living in tourism & recreation is bad…..there’s far dirtier ways to make it. if you’re worried about the sustainability of the tahoe economy…..then you’re happy…..that will keep all the people out for ya. it’s not a perfect world, the choices are tough & if you ask me it’s better to have more people supporting the value of wild places than it is to leave it to those who don’t. if you’re saying blogs are bad…..then quit participating.
If I wanted to demonstrate my “marketing prowess,” would I let your comments stand? I can easily delete them. No, this blog serves as a vehicle for my self expression. I talk about what I experience, and I get to use cool technology to do it. I do blog in other places to demonstrate a certain grasp of marketing, but that is not the purpose of this blog.
I am not sure you understand the pleasure I get out of taking a great photograph, or capturing a moment on video, and then getting to tell the story. I have grown up idolizing Lewis & Clark, Magellan, and the great explorers of old. But you couch it as marketing.
Information is power, and only through further communication and sharing can we possibly become better people and better stewards of the land. People long before you utilized the land, and because no one knew what they were doing it was often taken advantage of. Would it be a problem if in the future I used my blog to highlight certain places where snowmobilers were entering wilderness areas illegally?
Let me also explain a little bit about search. The power of search and the use of the web is such that it requires an active user who is looking for specific information. This means they want to go “backcountry skiing” or want to know more about “Sierras” or whatever other keyword you can think of. It is no different than me going to the book store and searching by section for one that covers my interests. If I find that one does not exist then hey, what a great excuse to write a book! And the sharing of information continues.
Do you read books about places you want to go and visit? You are clearly irritated by the influx of people into the Reno-Tahoe area. I am curious to know where you are from?
I think the whole argument is silly. Do you think they build high speed lifts and open new terrain solely for locals? Without tourism, the area might support two or three resorts (and they would have to be packed before more would open). Whether Robert is marketing for the destination intentionally or not, marketing drives tourism which drives the awesome plethora of resorts we have to choose from.
If you don’t like tourist or you don’t like these resorts relying on tourists, go hike up the side of a mountain and take the freshies in your solitude.
Either way, I commend Robert for having a forum to have this discussion. If he didn’t take the time to share his passions, Not on Web Guy wouldn’t have anyone to anonymously criticize.
Nice video Robert. I’m jealous. You owe it all to me, tho’ I washed my truck and went to Mexico for the first time in 10+ years just so it would snow for you. I got an SMS powder alert literally as we crossed the US border. Powder all gone this weekend 🙁 Mostly hardpack and death cookies…
Funny thread with someone giving you (of all people) crap about sustainability. Guess the lack of snow has everyone a little icy and on edge (pun intended) 😎