Working in a rental shop in Tahoe has it's ups and downs, Up:  you get to ride fresh powder at an amazing mountain for free. Down: the people you want to leave the most are the same people who pay for your liveihood. Up: you get to learn about all the great local hikes and spots that the tourists would never hit. Down: you work for local wages while paying tourist prices.

 After working in different tourist environments for the past couple of years I have noticed some serious paradoxes. The biggest one being that you end up disliking the people who essentially provide you with work and the means to continue the ski bum lifestyle. But during weeks like this one they are a serious downfall and a blessing. It's a blessing that we received a huge storm during another vacation week, but a serious downfall that they track out the mountain before you get a ride break.

So here we are the semi locals trying to make a living off of the finicial scraps of wealthy bay area socialites, while eternally searching for the best line to hit to make the broke ass ski bum lifestyle worth while. But during days like we had last week when you hike along the ridge and float down the mountain taking powder hits in the face the whole way down, money seems trivial and the beauty of the massive mountain is all you remember as you drive home jonesing for more of that deep white powder that makes being poor seem completely worth it.