Doug Carr

With 15 ski areas and 183 chairlifts attracting three million skiers every winter, Lake Tahoe is one of the most iconic ski zones in the country. But while scenic beauty and numerous ski celebrities have always kept it in the limelight, the people and communities you don't see are what maintain the area's authentic skiing character.

This is their Tahoe

Matt Hansen

 

When I turned 16, I sold my truck to pursue the life of a ski bum. A lot of my friends were really partying hard and not going down a very good path. Skiing kept me out of trouble and it motivated me.

Doug Carr