Sparks resident wins Nevada Magazine’s 2010 Great Nevada Picture Hunt

A year after a Texas man won the grand prize in Nevada Magazine’s annual photo contest, a Sparks resident has delivered the gold back to the Silver State.

Sean Kukowski, who captured a thrilling 2009 summer lightning storm over the Reno area, is the Grand Prize winner of Nevada Magazine’s 33rd annual Great Nevada Picture Hunt—the feature story in the publication’s September/October 2010 issue.

The winning image (above), titled “Reno Lightning,” was taken from a hillside off of State Route 445, known as Pyramid Highway. “This storm took me by surprise,” Kukowski says. “It had some of the most impressive lightning I have ever seen.”

In addition to the Grand Prize, photographers were judged in five different categories: City Limits, Wide Open, Adventure, People, and Events. All the 2010 category winners are Nevada residents, including Las Vegas’ Bill Gerrard, who won the City Limits category and took Runner-Up in Events. Gerrard’s winning photo is of the tram that connects CityCenter to other Strip resorts.

Ellen Sargent, from Indian Springs, swept the People category with sepia images taken at the Overland Ranch in Ruby Valley. The subject of the winning image, Len Wines, was captured during his final branding at the 137-year-old ranch. The Runner-Up image is that of Len’s grandson, Pat, from the same branding.

Other winners are Reno resident Michael Horsley (Wide Open, “Incline Night Shot”) for his nighttime winter overview of Incline Village; Reno’s Krista Williams (Adventure, “Hidden Beach Paddle Surfers”) for her intriguing photo of two paddle surfers taken from the shore of Lake Tahoe; and Ralph Willits of Las Vegas (Events, “Shot Show”) for capturing a leaping dog at an annual hunting and outdoors trade show.

To view the winning images, pick up the latest issue (at right) at national bookstores and where magazines are sold in Nevada, or visit NevadaMagazine.com. Look for an ad in a future 2011 issue covering rules of submission for the 2011 contest, or check back regularly at NevadaMagazine.com.

Also in the September/October issue, Nevada Magazine highlights some of the state’s more accessible ghost towns, visits Virginia City’s Mackay Mansion Museum, Lake Tahoe’s Thunderbird Lodge, and Reno’s Freight House District, covers two fabulous Fallon restaurants, and continues its Tour Around Nevada in Boulder City.

A Powdery Day at Diamond Peak

My uncle's a Republican. Republicans listen to Rush Limbaugh. So, on the way to Diamond Peak on a recent Friday, as a passenger I had the privilege of listening to Limbaugh rant about how Obama is failing us and how global warming is a farce.

For the record, I don't consider myself Democrat or Republican, but I do like to think of myself as logical. Global warming is pure science, a non-debatable truth that can be proved with data, despite what Limbaugh or anyone else says.

My point, though, as far as this blog is concerned, is not at all related to global warming. Rather, on my way to Diamond Peak, it occurred to me that we (not just skiers and snowboarders, but anyone who depends on a faucet for a drink of water or a hot shower) have to appreciate the decent snow years just a little bit more nowadays, and 2010 has been just that — so far.

On this day, February 12, there was plenty of powder to go around from myriad storms that have passed through the Lake Tahoe area recently. Combine it with the fantastic views of Lake Tahoe (see photo above), and Diamond Peak in Incline Village contends with any of the major resorts in the area. Yeah, you're going to get more terrain at some of those other resorts, but you're also going to pay nearly double for a lift ticket.

If you haven't been yet, give Diamond Peak a try. You just might find that it has everything you're looking for at a reasonable price (plus the main lodge — see photo below — just underwent a significant renovation). And don't wait, because you never know what Mother Nature has in store for next ski season. Then again, if you believe Limbaugh, maybe you can afford to be patient.

Check out more Diamond Peak photos at our Flickr account.



Photos by Matthew B. Brown