Mt Rose
The Peak is 10,776 feet high.
It’s located in the Mount Rose Wilderness and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
It’s an extinct volcano resting between Reno and Lake Tahoe, anchoring Lake Tahoe’s eastern rim of the ridgeline.
In the Book
Mt Rose is especially important to Ciara, as the Guardian for Capricorn who wields earth magic. Ciara has always been drawn to the mountain even though she didn’t understand her destiny.
The mountain also has a secret clearing where the 12 Guardians meet once a year when the Zodiac Wheel turns into the house of Capricorn. This clearing is the same place where Ciara receives her ritual to become the Guardian of the Capricorn birthstone.
A cave located on the mountain contains the portal that leads to Polaris, the home of the Zodiacs.
Because of its importance to the Zodiacs, the mountain is also a target of the mages.Â
Inspiration
I love Mt. Rose. Plain and simple. You can see her beauty from anywhere in Reno. When I chose to set my series in Reno, I knew that I couldn’t write anything that didn’t involve the mountain. In fact, driving through town and seeing the peak is what helped inspire the story.Â
The Zodiacs each rule over one of the 4 elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. That was one of the many reasons that I chose Mt Rose as a primary location in the series. The earth from the mountain itself and air from the height of the mountain and all the trees providing oxygen. Fire because it is an extinct volcano and water because of how close it is to Lake Tahoe.Â
One other reason I chose Mt Rose is because of the mountain’s profile. It’s often described as the profile of a woman with her head tilted back, and some even think that’s how the mountain got her name. Being able to see her face everyday, and knowing that my main character would have Earth magic and essentially be the embodiment of Earth, I knew that would be the perfect place!
The Beauty
The three photos in this section were all taken by me. I’m a hobby photographer when I’m not writing!Â
The above and to the right is the Reno skyline. It is the photo that I used to design my cover for The Tenth House. I did add some elements to the picture, like snow and the rock, but otherwise it’s the same stunning view.
The picture directly above is from the mountain itself. Mt Rose is to the south of Reno and the peak you cross to get to Lake Tahoe on one of the routes. This photo is a look on Reno coming down the mountain.
The photo to the right was taken during the stunning beauty of the fall on Mt Rose. Fall is my second favorite time of the year, behind winter, but the colors on the mountain are stunning. Being able to drive up to the mountain and seeing the natural beauty she has to offer, gave me so many ideas for my series I don’t know how I’ll get them all in!
