This is the fourth installment of my informally and personally judged awards for the past ski season. Late summer/early fall is a nice time to reflect on the previous winter. Nippy morning air flowing through the house reminds my body of what it feels like to shiver, and my brain inevitably begins to paint pictures of falling snow, alpine peaks, and grinning friends.

Our web of go-getter companions here in Reno was spun wider and stronger over the course of the last several months. Of note, it seemed like Will Boyer and I tapped into some Great Basin magic as we sought out peaks for Skiing the Basin: The Nevada Prominence Project.

I felt a certain pre-nostalgia sifting through photos with the knowledge that by this time next year Fred, Lisa, Fraser, and Addy would have all departed for greener pastures (quite literally).

Around Tahoe and the Eastern Sierras it was a grim snow year sandwiched between awful wildfire seasons...a rather in-your-face example of our future climate reality. Yet, even with snow totals well below desirable, the snow that did fall was often spectacular. In particular, the Basin absolutely delivered. More than once, as dry air amassed over California, cold storms slipped in from the north, dropping light desert powder on far flung summits.

Season photo-journal here.

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