There are indeed benefits to living in Reno. Today I climbed Mt. Rose, one of the highest peaks around here (10,778ft). It was a long hike, but just another afternoon around here. The view from the top was amazing, you could see Mt. Lassesn 115 miles away, and of course Lake Tahoe, pictured above. It was so windy on top my water bottle flew out of it's holder and sailed off into the sky. Feeling guilty, I picked up someone else's trash later.

Here is a MASSIVE 360-degree panoramic view from the top. You can see all of Reno, all of Lake Tahoe, and most of the northern Sierra. The Sierra Buttes stick up in part of the photo, and tragically you cannot see Lassen in the photo (shaking because of the wind i guess), but it was quite clear to the naked eye. [Check it out - but only if you are on broadband!]