Locale
In Great Company Around Lake Tahoe
Jim Morrison and I were driving down the west shore of Lake Tahoe, CA, blaring “Heart Like a Truck” by Lainey Wilson. It isn’t a typical “get fired up for the day” song, but it was what we always sang on our way into the mountains. I was sitting on the passenger side of Jim’s truck when he turned the radio down and said, “You know that goal of yours? The one about skiing around the lake? I think we should do it.” To which I answered, “Are you serious? You want to do that with me?” It was early March and Jim was training for his upcoming expedition to the Trango Towers in Pakistan. In my mind there was no way that he would actually agree to this silly idea of mine. But here he was, proposing that we ski around Lake Tahoe—this week.
We pored over maps at Jim’s house to come up with a route we believed we could accomplish in four days. To complete the 100-plus mile route, we would have to ski roughly 25 miles every day, further than any ski tour I had been on. But Jim’s confidence was enough to convince me we could do it, so I packed my bags and called my mom to let her know the plan. We arranged to have our close friend Ming Poon link up with us to take photos and restock our snacks.
At 5 a.m. the next day, we walked out my front door in North Lake Tahoe and jumped onto the Nordic center’s groomed trails that would take us all the way to Tahoe City. This silly little goal of mine, rooted in my desire to keep it close to home while caretaking for my dad, Greg, through dementia and Parkinson’s disease, had begun. I felt lucky to have Jim at my side. As we cruised along, I thought about all of the days I had taken care of my dad when Jim insisted on showing up at my doorstep the instant I dropped my dad off. He knew that I would be sad, so without invitation or hesitation, Jim was there, ready to put a smile on my face. He became a steady source of support this past winter, a friend I desperately needed.