From 9,000 ft, Squaw Valley’s Granite Chief is a stunning place to snap into bindings and give gravity a run for its money. Every time I visit Lake Tahoe’s winter summits, I am overwhelmed by the power of White - all colors of the spectrum coating an otherwise rugged terrain, dotted with evergreens that boldly survive the cold winter months. Though I’ll readily admit the emotional associations with color are subjective, the feelings of cleanliness, freshness, and purity associated with first powder to me are a powerful reminder of the emotional impact of color. If not for the abrupt contrast of a cluster of trees, a protruding rock, or a human silhouette, the power of white takes on a more whispered statement, a shroud of harmless mystery on a foggy morning.

In a design era where “clean design” is center stage, the cold chill of the Sierra Nevadas remind me that clean does not need to mean boring. Clean can also make the heart beat faster.