The Yuba River is this secret little spot about an hour from Tahoe, down in the foothills where the sun shines brightly, the water is turquoise and the huge boulders glow blindingly white. In other words, it's a little piece of heaven when you've just about had it with winter. Despite having a great time going snowboarding and cross country skiing in Tahoe, this day of warmth and water was just what my awesome friend Sam, her dog Ziggy, and I needed. Now we just need some spring here on the East Coast.

I just got back from a much-needed trip to Lake Tahoe to spend some quality girl time with one of my best friends, snowboarding, cross country skiing, soaking in the sunshine, and lounging by the turquoise Yuba River on a 70 degree day.

I've been learning how to shoot with large format film with an old Graflex 4x5 press camera, warming up the shutter, measuring light with a meter, lugging around heavy gear, getting one and only one shot, and then dipping and dripping the print in the dark room with the smell of the chemicals, a dog roaming at my feet, and a patient dad to teach me. It's been fun, challenging, and sometimes confusing. It sort of reminds me of when he tried to teach me to drive a manual car. To this day I still don't know how, so I'm determined to make sure I learn this from him instead. This is my first photograph and first print of a cold day along the Rappahannock River.