For the first time in my 32 years, 8 of which have been spent in Northern California, I got to see real snow. I took a trip to Lake Tahoe at the weekend. We were visiting a family friends’ cabin, but when we got there, the key wouldn’t open the lock. It looked like there was something stuck in the keyway, but we were unable to clear it. Not to let any of this get in the way of our fun, we planted beers in the snow, opened a couple and started playing in the cold white stuff. I certainly enjoyed it, but we started scheming on ways to get into the cabin. Fortunately for us, the cabin in question was built many years ago with security not being a top priority. It was a pretty straightforward task to take the hinges off the back door and get in that way. We secured it back up when we left.  The fireplace was certainly appreciated, even if only for the ability to dry out some clothing and footwear before heading down the mountain again. It’s an experience that will have to be repeated sooner rather than later.