Weekend forecast: Partly cloudy with a chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30s, dropping to the mid-20s at night. Snow continuing into the following week.

My flatmates convinced me it was time I learned to ski. So for the next week I will be in stunning Lake Tahoe doing just that.

Tucked in the Sierras of Nevada, Epic Mountain and the surrounding valleys and basins were carved from glaciers... for those perfect sweeping slopes. The 1960 Olympics helped put Tahoe on the map, as the base of operations for the downhill ski events. In fact, Jean Vuarnet of France won the gold in downhill, being the first Olympian to use metal skis instead of the traditional wooden construction.

Don't worry: I only have plans to get down the mountain in a slow and steady pace all week. I'll report back March 4th with pictures and stories of diamonds, bunnies, snowplows, and hot chocolate. Cheers!

Update: Watch my Flickr photostream for new pictures daily...