Silver ore was discovered in 1859 under what is now the city. $400,000,000 in silver and gold was taken from the Comstock mines over the following 20 years. Much of the growth of Nevada and San Francisco was triggered by the wealth generated by the discovery. And the wood timbers that braced the deep, deep mine shafts came mostly from the Lake Tahoe Basin via Glenbrook and Carson City.

Several skiers were already on top, loosely cluttered, some already clicked into their bindings, alert but casual as they viewed the surroundings and shared a reverential quiet.

The sun began to break out of the dreamy foliage of dawn, its canopy exploding into an enormous sunlit corona of mist, which trailed across the azure water like a cape.

Now, almost on cue, skiers snapped to attention. Several peeled off the crest and arced with a low-pitched, ripping noise, as if the air itself had split open. Down they went into Tallac's huge bowl.

Climbers, skippers, and pilots internally want to hug the earth in difficult circumstances, but this is usually, exactly the wrong thing to do. Climbers need to push back from the rock face so their boot soles have the maximum traction. Skippers need to head offshore, away from the rocks, reefs, and solid earth. Pilots need to gain altitude, to give them space to maneuver and time.