Avery persuades Alisa to approve one final controlled public outing: a photo opportunity at the lodge at the base of the mountain. Oren dislikes the idea but appears experienced at managing Hawthorne trips there, and Avery travels down with Xander, Max, Thea, and Rebecca.

During the SUV ride, Xander explains an old Hawthorne game called the Drop, which Tobias Hawthorne banned after too many injuries. The game involves jumping from a ski lift and racing to the bottom, a dangerous tradition Xander insists he wants to revive after the lodge visit.

At the lodge, security escorts Avery’s group to a private alcove overlooking the slopes. Alisa’s plan is simple: Avery will sit, drink hot chocolate, pose for photos, and leave quickly. Avery’s real goal, however, is to identify the unknown boy in the old photo found at True North.

Because Oren stays close to Avery, Max, Xander, Thea, and Rebecca take the lead. Oren allows them to leave for the bathroom with one guard, and they return ten minutes later having clearly overwhelmed him. Max credits Thea and Rebecca with successfully drawing information from staff.

The group learns that the young man in the old photograph once worked on the mountain as a ski instructor in his early twenties and was popular with women. Xander reveals the man’s name: Jake Nash. The surname immediately registers with Avery, suggesting a new and potentially important connection to Nash.