My to do list was overwhelmingly long: Make a dinner reservation for a party of 15; help the stylists unpack dozens of boxes of clothes; deliver hot coffee and pastries to the photographer and his staff; pick up an athlete from the Reno airport; and a handful of other far less exciting duties. If you thought magazine work was a glamorous job, think again.
Every year, Outside magazine selects a destination ski town to shoot their annual winter style package. In recent years, they’ve highlighted towns like Jackson and Aspen.
Last winter, sitting around a large conference table in the magazine’s Santa Fe, New Mexico headquarters, several editors decided on Truckee. There was no particular reason, it just sounded right. I was on staff at Outside at the time and having grown up near Tahoe and spent time ski-bumming as a reporter for this paper post-college, I volunteered to track down some hard-working athletes who’d be willing to pose for photos.
After a few weeks, I had recruited a good-looking team of models: Squaw Valley ski patroller Dan Robichaud, Alpine Meadows freeskier Jeremy Benson, Squaw Freeride coach Jason Dobbs, X Games superstar Michelle Parker, Truckee snowboarder Ally Carroll, and a ringer from Salt Lake City, Grete Eliassen.
It was mid-March when we flew to Reno for the shoot. Temperatures had risen and the snow was rapidly melting. On the first day, our crew — which included the photographer and his two assistants, the stylist and her assistant, a makeup artist, Outside’s photo editor, the six athletes, and me — drove to Sugar Bowl for some ski lifestyle photos.
The hours ticked by as the athletes changed clothes, got their hair and makeup done, and hammed it up for the camera. Jeremy graciously agreed to wear a ridiculous-looking woolly bomber hat (which ended up getting published. See page 61 in Outside’s November issue). Michelle and Dan played with Sugar Bowl ski patrol’s golden retriever (see page 66). I made a lunch run and returned with sandwich platters and side salads.
The next day, we visited a few locales around Truckee — Cottonwood, Dragonfly, the Cedar House Sport Hotel, and a trip out to the Cal Neva Casino. Dan, Jason, and Jeremy played slots and pretended that they’d won the jackpot when the camera flashed (see page 64). Ally stood in front of the fireplace wearing boots and leggings.
I watched from the back of the room, feeling secondhand embarrassment when the stylist made Dan wear a pair of form-fitting, dark-washed Levis. Then I left to fetch more sandwich platters.
The November edition of Outside magazine with the photo shoot mentioned above is currently available wherever Outside is sold.
After a few weeks, I had recruited a good-looking team of models: Squaw Valley ski patroller Dan Robichaud, Alpine Meadows freeskier Jeremy Benson, Squaw Freeride coach Jason Dobbs, X Games superstar Michelle Parker, Truckee snowboarder Ally Carroll, and a ringer from Salt Lake City, Grete Eliassen. 
The next day, we visited a few locales around Truckee — Cottonwood, Dragonfly, the Cedar House Sport Hotel, and a trip out to the Cal Neva Casino. Dan, Jason, and Jeremy played slots and pretended that they’d won the jackpot when the camera flashed (see page 64). Ally stood in front of the fireplace wearing boots and leggings.