The Line of the Week
Cascade, Lake Tahoe
It’s definitely time to make up activities. We all know the situation is dire here in the Basin. It’s good thing there’s always something to do if you find yourself in the mountains, especially on beautiful Spring-like day. I always wonder, “Is there a protocol as to what is considered a good breakfast?” When I find myself waking up before dawn and preparing for a sunrise shoot, I have a tough time figuring out what to eat at 5 a.m. Oatmeal? The easiest answer is clearly leftovers but is that nutritious? Does it really even matter?
I ran into local legend and arguably the funniest man in Tahoe, Todd Offenbacher the other night and we decided to go on a mission. Along with Andrew Eisenstark, we headed down to Emerald Bay to check out the ice. The weather was crisp and clear as the sun began to rise. My breakfast questions were quickly answered as I watched Todd snarf down a chicken wing at 8 a.m. This is clearly how the pro’s eat.
The next thing I know, I’m strapping on a set of Todd’s crampons and rappelling off of Cascade Falls. I could hear the water flowing underneath the ice as I gave myself a quick crash course in ice-maneuvering and jumaring. Andrew and Todd kicked and picked their way up the falls with ease as I hung and snapped away. We sat around, shot the shit and definitely made the best of a Spring day in December.
“Ice climbing in California has always seemed counter intuitive to me. Like being a suicide bomber. I guess I could understand being a suicide bomber if it was for avalanche control on a perfect powder day above a burning orphanage. I had swore I would never climb ice in California again after seeing an entire ice feature fall to ground (2 hours after we climbed it in CA!) Then this December happened.”
“I seem to always return to the ice in these type conditions because I’m bored and need a “ffix”. So this time we headed to Cascade waterfall where the ice was fat and moderate. In the past I would not have brought a rope. I would have simply soloed everything without batting an eye. But this time was different. I brought a rope and three ice screws. It was not because I felt more scared (I’m always scared) but because of our baby daughter was born less than a week ago. Kinda cool. My daughter’s first lesson to me- Dad act responsibly. We are all counting on you.” – Todd Offenbacher
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The Line of the Week is a weekly photo piece by Ryan Salm featuring some of Tahoe’s finest athletes doing whatever we deem rad. We will be using the term “Line” loosely to describe anything resembling chutes, big airs, pointers or any general madness. All images are the property and copyright of Ryan Salm Photography. All images are only to be used in conjunction with the Line of the Week. Any other usage must be cleared in writing by Ryan Salm.
