Medium-Core, Human-Powered: Lassen Peak

'The End of the Road'

SD is our map guy. We count on him to get us there and back. He sends us this one in March for our trip in May. Where are we headed? Lassen Peak, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA. When are we going? mid-May. Why there? To ski down it, of course.

Our timing for this trip is perfect. Lassen receives two feet of fresh snow the week of and the rangers keep open the North entrance to the park. We finalize logistics over the phone, two days before, and agree to meet "where the plowing stops, at the end of the road."

SD picks up Nate at SAC, who flies in from his home in Denver. EP packs his gear seconds before departure and only makes me wait long enough to finish my beer. He makes up for the delay by driving, of course, and transports us from Tahoe to Reno and safely across the state line into Susanville, CA. We nearly stop at the Pioneer Bar but save it for another time. We whiz past the coniferous forests on Rte. 44 east and arrive at dusk to find SD and Nate hanging out with a quintessential NorCal local, Don Snyder.

Don, an ER doctor in Marysville who drives a VW bus, skied the volcano earlier in the day. He shares beta on conditions and the skinny on camping. "Get up and out early, before the ranger arrives, and it's no problem." Under a blanket of low lying clouds and darkening sky, the five of us share laughter, stories and an appreciation for the mountains we ski. With his charisma, local knowledge and willingness to share it, Don weaves his way into our story.

We've planned for an early start, so we take Don's advice. We camp off the snow but nearby him, his four-legged friend, Chelsea, and his home away from home. As SD climbs into the bed of his truck and Nate tucks himself into his cocoon, EP resuscitates his sleeping pad (EXPED) like he's giving CPR. But before he gets too comfortable, I shoo him away from my sleeping zone. I know his habits. He kindly moves his bag and pad to the other side. On his way, he chimes: "The more in shape I am, the less I snore."

I sleep intermittently through a warm night at 6,ooo ft. From the sounds I hear, I know EP is not in the best shape of his life.

We awake early, brew coffee and scarf down bacon sandwiches. Picking up the rear, which is normally Nate's position, I grab my Praxis Freerides head to the end of the road -- where my friends await and our ski day begins.