Puke and Rally | Aurel Baker Mind the Track

In the wake of The Crippler – one of the biggest snowstorms to hit Tahoe in the last 5 years – the boys sit down with Reno-native core lord @aurelbaker, a Pediatric ER nurse who crushes it skiing as an ambassador athlete for @atomicski @rab.equipment and @lebent_ . Always the adventurer, Aurel covers a variety of topics including her “puke and rally” sailboat to ski adventure in British Columbia, her path to becoming a nurse, enduring as a nurse through the pandemic, her five different knee and ankle surgeries over the years and the psychological struggles associated with being an injured athlete. We recap the 10 feet of snow that shut down Lake Tahoe for three days, talk about skiing pow in Reno, Snoop gives the Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report and shout outs to listeners.

1:30 – Introducing Aurel Baker – Pediatric ER Nurse, Skier, Mountain Biker, Fly Fishing, Climber.

6:30 – All about fly fishing.

10:00 – The challenges of surfing.

12:15 – Shout Outs – Michael George – Lebron James and JJ Reddick starting a new podcast called Mind the Game. Jed Ritchey – Washington Post story about record ocean temps and Hunga Tonga.

17:00 – Jonathan Irwin – wondering how to gain real backcountry experience not living full time in the mountains.

23:00 – Sendy Send of the Week - Zak Mills and Nick Russel ski Banner and Ritter Mountain in the same day.

24:10 – THE CRIPPLER – The aftermath of the March 1 snowstorm. Interstate 80 closed for three days. Hundreds of cars stranded on Donner Summit. A three day blizzard warning. Palisades Tahoe closed for three days.

31:30 – Backyard pow slashing in the wake of the storm. Skiing pow in Reno and Virginia City on Mount Davidson.

34:00 – Winter of 23-24 in a word: awkward. Seeming like a light winter, yet we are almost at season average for snowpack. Months of dangerous snowpack.

39:00 – Skiing Peavine Mountain in Reno.

40:25 – The Snoop Pow Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderrrific Snow Report

43:00 – Spring Equinox – Mind the Track has made it a full four seasons!

47:00 – Aurel traveling to Sitka, Alaska for a sail to ski trip. Looking back on last year’s sail to ski trip in British Columbia. Learning the concept of Puke and Rally.

55:00 – Aurel has had five orthopedic surgeries on her knees and ankles over the years. Struggling with injury and recovery. The bicycle is the best tool for physical therapy.

1:02:00 – Dealing with loss of identity when the thing you love most you can’t do because of being injured.

1:05:00 – PowBot is dealing with early osteoarthritis in his knee.

1:10:30 – Delux Landscape in Lake Tahoe – PowBot’s new job as a project manager.

1:15:10 – Aurel grew up in Reno, and learned to ski and snowboard at Mount Rose. Going to University of Nevada, Reno and becoming a nurse.

1:19:10 – Enduring through the COVID pandemic as a nurse in a hospital.

1:27:30 – Leaving Reno, but coming back to Reno because of how good the access is to so much adventure.

1:32:00 – What was the closest call Aurel has ever had with avalanches?

1:37:00 – PowBot almost drowns in a creek crossing on the Sierra Buttes.

1:38:45 – Random historical tidbit: Sierra City compared to Downieville.

1:40:45 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?