The Schneider Sisters and the End of Summer

Words and Images By Jonathan Sadler

There are three months of the year that tend to get favorable treatment over the other nine. The three favored months are collectively known as summer, and depending on your hemisphere, they are also known as December, January and February or June, July and August. It is Labor Day as I write this and Summer is effectively over in the Northern Hemisphere. This summer I did some of what I always do – spent as much time in the mountains as I could. I grew up spending the summers in the Sierra Nevada, that long mountain range that traverses California from Red Rock Canyon (east of Bakersfield) in the south to somewhere south of Mt. Lassen in the north. My part of the Sierra, the part I am most familiar with, is the northern part of the range and includes the Lake Tahoe region.

A few weeks ago I was doing one of my favorite things at my favorite place, a place often referred to as Tenspeed Hero West (see photo) when I got word from HQ. “Skylar Schneider is racing Junior Nationals at North Star.” I packed up my equipment – just the essentials: The medium format camera, film, a digital camera, a Chihuahua named Diego, and some snacks then headed to Truckee.

I spent a delightful morning with the Schneider sisters, Sam and Skylar. We dipped our toes in Donner Lake, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (ok, not the whole thing) and had a greasy breakfast in Truckee.

The race was an out and back, not the easiest to view but fun to watch all these strong juniors finish. Skylar finished in 8th place. She was hoping for better. I was impressed and she will be at Worlds in Richmond, VA in a few weeks! If you see her there, root her on!