January 11-24, 2023

Upcoming Events

Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series— Brette Harrington

January 19th

CMH Heli-Skiing Virtual Reality Activation

January 20th–22nd

Core Bar Sampling

January 21st

Whiskey Dinner Series

High West Distillery

January 21st

Women of Winter Camp

January 29th–31st

Ikon Pass Holder First Tracks

February 2nd

Athletic Brewing Co Sampling

February 4th

Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series— Anna Pfaff

February 9th

Sunset Happy Hour

February 18th–25th

Palisades Tahoe Cup

February 24th–26th

TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ALL

Most Tahoe Weekly readers likely spend most of their time in the Tahoe Sierra skiing and riding at a local downhill or Nordic ski area where the parking is ample and access to the trails is included with a lift ticket, which are groomed nightly. But the same is not true for backcountry users who choose to ski, snowshoe and snowmobile into the further reaches of the Sierra Nevada. They choose to skin or snowshoe up mountain peaks to enjoy skiing down untouched powder or snowmobile deep into the wilderness to explore even more untouched terrain. They do so on public lands that are collectively owned by all U.S. citizens that have been designated for the public’s use (and managed using public tax dollars).

The public’s use of these lands, however, is severely limited in the winter by a lack of public parking to access these lands, the lack of alternative transportation available to reach them, a lack of public facilities like trash service and restrooms at the trailheads, and at times conflicting uses between motorized and nonmotorized users.

The public’s right to access these lands is an important issue to me, and one that we’ve devoted countless pages in Tahoe Weekly to covering. This edition features our 2nd Annual Backcountry Guide, covering a number of these winter access issues, along with tips for backcountry users.

Sean McAlindin has long covered backcountry access issues for us and gives an update in this edition on efforts to increase parking access, including increased microtransit to backcountry trailheads, by the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance in his story “State of the Backcountry.”

Sean also has an update on the over-the-snow vehicle (OSV) plans all Forest Districts must complete in his story “State of snowmobile access.” It’s not surprising that a suit against Stanislaus – the first in our region to complete its plan – is still making its way through the courts, while many other plans have stalled. The good news is that Eldorado, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Tahoe forests expect to make progress in 2023.

Whether or not you use the backcountry in the winter, it’s your lands and your tax dollars at work. It’s important to be aware of these issues and to have your voice heard for how you want these lands managed on your behalf.

P.O. Box 154 | Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 (530) 546-5995 | f (530) 546-8113

TheTahoeWeekly.com @TheTahoeWeekly

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making it happen

Publisher/Owner & Editor In Chief Katherine E. Hill publisher@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 102

Sales & Marketing Manager Anne Artoux anne@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 110

Art Director Abigail Gallup production@tahoethisweek.com

Graphic Designer Lauren Shearer graphics@tahoethisweek.com

Website Manager LT Marketing Entertainment Editor Sean McAlindin entertainment@tahoethisweek.com

Food & Well Being Editor Priya Hutner priya@tahoethisweek.com

Copy Editor Katrina Veit

Delivery Manager Charles Zumpft

TAHOE WEEKLY is published bi-weekly year-round with one edition in April and November by Range of Light Media Group, Inc. Look for new issues on Wednesdays.

TAHOE WEEKLY, est. 1982, ©2007 Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Please recycle your copy.

on the cover

Jamie McJunkin and Jillian Raymond climb for more turns in the early morning light overlooking Lake Tahoe. “Sometimes mornings with friends, professional or not, land covers. I love it even more when the friends aren’t pros, just out for a good time,” said photographer Ming Poon. Read Tahoe Weekly’s annual Backcountry Guide in this edition for the latest on the State of the Backcountry, OSV access and tips for traveling in the backcountry. | MingPoonPhotography.com, @Ming.T.Poon

Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years

Fed By: 63 streams and 2 hot springs

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

Average Water Temperature: 42.1˚F (5.61˚C)

Average Surface Water Temperature: 51.9˚F (11.1˚C)

Average Surface Temperature in July: 64.9˚F (18.3˚C)

Highest Peak: Freel Peak at 10,881 feet (3,317 m)

Average Snowfall: 409 inches (10.4 m)

Permanent Population: 70,000

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

Email anne@tahoethisweek.com for details

Lake Tahoe is located in the states of California and Nevada, with two-thirds in California.

LAKE CLARITY:

2021: 61 feet avg. depth (18.6 m)

1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet (31.21 m)

AVERAGE DEPTH: 1,000 feet (304 m)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 1,645 feet (501 m) Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S. (Crater Lake in Oregon, at 1,932 feet, or 589 m, is the deepest), and the 11th deepest in the world.

VOLUME: 39 trillion gallons (147.6 trillion liters)

There is enough water in Lake Tahoe to supply everyone in the United States with more than 75 gallons (284 liters) of water per day for 5 years.

NATURAL RIM: 6,223’ (1,897 m)

Lake Tahoe sits at an average elevation of between 6,223’ and 6,229.1’. (1,897-1,899 m) The top 6.1’ (1.8 m) of water is controlled by the dam in Tahoe City and holds up to 744,600 acre feet of water (91,845 m).

SIZE: 22 miles long, 12 miles wide (35 km long, 19 km wide) Lake Tahoe is as long as the English Channel is wide.

SHORELINE: 72 miles (116 km) Lake Tahoe has a surface area of 191 square miles (307 km). If Lake Tahoe were emptied, it would submerge California under 15 inches of water (.38 m)

Sources: Tahoe Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, “Tahoe Place Names” and David Antonucci (denoted by 1).

SIGHTSEEING

EAST SHORE

CAVE ROCK

This iconic sight is part of an old volcano. Take in the view from Cave Rock State Park.

NORTH SHORE

GATEKEEPER’S MUSEUM

(530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org

Featuring historic photos, the Steinbach Indian Basket Museum and historical memorabilia in Tahoe City.

KINGS BEACH northtahoebusiness.org

Kings Beach is a popular spot for dining and shopping with the North Shore’s largest sandy beach located in the heart of town. Free parking at North Tahoe Beach, Brook Street, Minnow and the Christmas Tree lot on Hwy. 28.

NORTH TAHOE ARTS CENTER

(530) 581-2787 | northtahoearts.com

Featuring works by local artists with locations in Kings Beach and Tahoe City.

TAHOE CITY visittahoecity.com

Popular for shopping and dining with historical sites. Visit the Tahoe Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and Fanny Bridge. Peer into Watson Cabin (1908) for a glimpse at pioneer life. Free parking at Commons Beach, Grove St., Jackpine St. and Transit Center.

TAHOE SCIENCE CENTER

Tues.-Sat. by reservation (775) 881-7566 | tahoesciencecenter.org

University of California, Davis, science education center at Sierra Nevada University. Exhibits include a virtual research boat, biology lab, 3D movies and docent-led tours. Ages 8+.

WATSON CABIN (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org

Watson Cabin, built by Robert Watson and his son in 1908, is the oldest building in Tahoe City and on the National Register of Historic Places (summer tours).

OLYMPIC VALLEY

HIGH CAMP (800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com

Aerial tram rides with views of Lake Tahoe, Olympic Heritage Museum, events and more. Ticket required.

OLYMPIC MUSEUM (800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com

Palisades Tahoe, host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games in 1960, celebrates its Olympic History with the Tower of Nations with its Olympic Flame and the symbolic Tower of the Valley at Highway 89. The Olympic Museum at High Camp features historic memorabilia and photographs. Tram ticket required.

SOUTH SHORE

EXPLORE TAHOE (530) 542-2908 | cityofslt.us

Urban Trailhead at base of Heavenly Gondola with local exhibits and programs.

HEAVENLY (775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com

Enjoy a 2.4-mile ride on the gondola to the top with panoramic views. Ticket required.

LAKE TAHOE MUSEUM

Sat. (closed holidays) & by appt. (530) 541-5458 | laketahoemuseum.org

Washoe artifacts and exhibits on early industry and settlers. Pick up walking tour maps.

TAHOE ART LEAGUE GALLERY (530) 544-2313 | talart.org Featuring works by local artists & workshops.

TALLAC HISTORIC SITE (530) 541-5227 | tahoeheritage.org Once known as the “Grandest Resort in the World” as the summer retreat for three San Francisco elite families with the Baldwin Estate, Pope Estate & Valhalla. Grounds open year-round. Tours in summer.

TRUCKEE

DONNER SUMMIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY donnersummithistoricalsociety.org At Old Hwy 40 & Soda Springs Rd. 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40.

EMIGRANT TRAIL MUSEUM (530) 582-7892 | parks.ca.gov

The Emigrant Trail Museum features exhibits and artifacts on the Donner Party (1846-47) at Donner Memorial State Park. See the towering Pioneer Monument.

KIDZONE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Tues.-Sat. | (530) 587-5437 | kidzonemuseum.org Interactive exhibits, science & art classes for kids up to age 7. BabyZone & Jungle Gym.

MUSEUM OF TRUCKEE HISTORY Fri.-Sun. | (530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org Housed in the original Depot, built in 1901. Exhibits cover different eras in Truckee history.

OLD JAIL MUSEUM (530) 659-2378 | truckeehistory.org One of a few surviving 19th Century jailhouses used from 1875 until May 1964 (summer tours). Closed for winter.

TOWN OF TRUCKEE truckeehistory.org | truckee.com Settled in 1863, Truckee grew quickly as a stagecoach stop and route for the Central Pacific Railroad. During these early days, many historical homes and buildings were built including The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868). Stop by the Depot for a walking tour of historic downtown. Paid parking downtown.

TRUCKEE RAILROAD MUSEUM Sat.-Sun. & holidays truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com Learn about the historic railroad. Located in a caboose next to the Truckee Depot.

WESTERN SKISPORT MUSEUM

Closed this season (530) 426-3313, ext. 113 | auburnskiclub.org Showcasing the history of skiing, exhibits include antique ski and snowshoe equipment, and a pair of 8-foot-long skis used by legendary mail carrier John “Snowshoe” Thompson. On Donner Summit next to Boreal.

WEST SHORE

EAGLE

ROCK

Eagle Rock, one of the Lake’s most famous natural sites, is a volcanic plug beside Highway 89 on the West Shore. Trail to top is on the south side.

FANNETTE ISLAND (530) 541-3030 | parks.ca.gov

Lake Tahoe’s only island is in Emerald Bay & is home to an old tea house. Boat access only. (Closed Feb. 1-June 15 for nesting birds.)

HELLMAN-EHRMAN MANSION

Parking fee | parks.ca.gov

(530) 525-7232 Park | (530) 583-9911 Tours

Sugar Pine Point State Park is home to the historic Ehrman Mansion. See boathouses with historic boats and General Phipps Cabin built in the late 1800s. Summer tours.

VIKINGSHOLM CASTLE (530) 541-3030 | (530) 525-9529 ADA parks.ca.gov | vikingsholm.com

Tour the grounds of Vikingsholm Castle (interior tours closed for season), see Eagle Falls and Fannette Island (the Lake’s only island), home to an old Tea House.

Find more places to explore at TheTahoeWeekly.com

TRANSIT

North Tahoe & Truckee (TART) | laketahoetransit.com South Tahoe | tahoetransportation.org

ROAD CONDITIONS

California road conditions quickmap.dot.ca.gov, (800) 427-7623

Nevada Road conditions nvroads.com, (877) 687-6237 or 511 (while in Nevada)

VISITORS’ CENTERS

East Shore

Spooner Lake State Park (775) 831-0494

Kings Beach

Kings Beach State Rec. Area (Thurs.-Mon., July-Aug.)

Incline Village 969 Tahoe Blvd. (800) 468-2463

South Shore At Heavenly Village. (530) 542-4637

Tahoe City 100 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 581-6900

Truckee 10065 Donner Pass Rd. (530) 587-8808

U.S. Forest Service | Incline Village 855 Alder Ave. (775) 831-0914 (Wed.-Fri.)

U.S. Forest Service | South Lake Tahoe 35 College Dr. (530) 543-2600

U.S. Forest Service | Tahoe City 3080 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 583-3593 (Fridays)

U.S. Forest Service | Truckee 10811 Stockrest Springs Rd. (530) 587-3558

National Forest access info fs.fed.us/r5/webmaps/RecreationSiteStatus

Snowshoeing at Skylandia Beach on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe with Geno Brager. | Anne Artoux

Boots McFarland by Geolyn Carvin | BootsMcFarland.com

GET outside

A.K.’s tips for downhill skiing

BY MIKE A.K. AKAY

Ilove winter sports, especially alpine skiing. Starting at the age of 7, I learned to ice skate and then luckily my family made a Tahoe trip to go skiing when I was 9. After that trip, in spite of the hardship of being a novice, I was hooked for life, eventually learning to jump off cliffs and then race on the World Cup tour.

For me, the most wonderful pleasure derived from skiing is the feeling of the wind in my face. That simple pleasure is what makes skiing so much fun for me and with it comes the uninhibited freedom of travel and that is accompanied by the exhilaration of flying down the side of a mountain. This same freedom has given people confined to wheelchairs a new and wonderful outlook on life.

Skiing in the trees, whether on downhill or cross-country skis, brings peace to the mind and has helped many a soul move to the mountains to make that pleasure a way of life. Other sensations of fun in skiing come in the enjoyment from utilizing techniques that blend the rhythmic movements of the body together to propel oneself forward almost effortlessly across the snow or

the satisfaction of something as simple and necessary as a cup of hot cocoa or piece of chocolate. You will need nutrients and water after the massive energy expended getting from your car to the lifts or careening down an endless black diamond chute.

Learn the code

In spite of the social nature of skiing, the Skier’s Responsibility Code doesn’t mandate that you ski with a buddy, but it is a good idea so you have help in an emergency. Even though you’re skiing with a buddy, it’s ultimately you against nature and the mountain and you have to be ready for that solitude of thought, experience and self-reliance.

Be prepared

Before you arrive, save time and money by finding the best deals on tickets and equipment; get to the resort early to avoid a long walk from the parking lot to the base area or shuttle stops. Besides warm layers of clothing, bring tinted eye protection, sunscreen, lip balm, food, water, neck tube, hat and gloves.

easier for everyone else. Even though we are surrounded by world-class ski resorts, one of my favorite simple ski indulgences is booting up at work and skiing on my snowblades (Google that) down the plow hills that accumulate in parking lots by the lake.

It’s the simple things that make ski life so fun. See you on the slopes. n

After all that exhilaration, the lines of people you will inevitably encounter on a holiday week, whether it’s on the highway, at the rental shop, cafeteria or chairlift, is all tempered by the people you are with. Skiing is a social sport and the shared experience bonds us together and gives great stories to tell around the nightly fire.

Take a lesson from a pro

If you’ve never skied before or haven’t had success in the past, get a lesson from a pro. And by pro, I don’t mean your friend who is an expert skier and knows everything about skiing. Believe me, that person will not help you at all. Educate yourself on the Skier’s Responsibility Code to make your life safer and

ABOVE: Courtesy Heavenly Ski Resort. BELOW: Skier’s Responsibility Code | National Ski Areas Association

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

Skiing is a social sport and the shared experience bonds us together and gives great stories to tell around the nightly fire.

PAVED MULTIUSE TRAILS

CHECK CONDITIONS AT TAHOEBIKE.ORG

• Keep dogs leashed

• Pedestrians must yield to bikes

• Don’t stop on the trail; move to the side

• E-bikes allowed on most paths; check in advance

• Cyclists call out when passing pedestrians

• Limited service in winter. Pack out all trash, including dog waste bags.

EAST SHORE

EAST SHORE TRAIL

Easy-moderate | 6 miles RT | tahoefund.org

Runs along Lake Tahoe and connects to Hwy. 28 from south end of Incline Village, Nev., to Sand Harbor State Park. Parking near Ponderosa Ranch Road. Electric assist OK. Paid parking. TART

NORTH SHORE

INCLINE VILLAGE Easy | 7.4 miles RT | washoecounty.us Walking path runs along Hwy. 28 through Incline Village. Access to shopping and parks. Paved between both intersections of Southwood Blvd. Boot packed between east intersection of Southwood Blvd. and Country Club Drive. TART

LAKESHORE BOULEVARD

Easy | 5 miles RT | washoecounty.us Runs along Lake Tahoe Boulevard and connects to Hwy. 28 at each end of Incline Village. Park at Preston Field on Hwy. 28. Electric assist OK. TART

NATIONAL AVENUE

Easy | 1.8 miles RT Starts on shore of Lake Tahoe at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area and continues up National Avenue past Grey Lane. Parking at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area. TART

PINE DROP TRAIL

Easy | 3 miles RT | northtahoeparks.com Located at North Tahoe Regional Park the trail connects to Pinedrop Lane off Highway 267. Parking fee.

TAHOE CITY TO CARNELIAN BAY

Easy-moderate | 8+ miles RT | tcpud.org

First 2.5 miles mostly level with a half-mile climb up Dollar Hill. Cross Highway 28 to access 2.2-mile section to Fulton Crescent above Carnelian Bay. Public parking at 64 Acres, Commons Beach, Jackpine and Grove Streets, and Dollar Hill. Electric assist OK. Section from Dollar Hill to Fulton Crescent boot-packed only. TART

TRUCKEE RIVER CANYON

Easy | 9+ miles RT | tcpud.org

4.5 miles from the Tahoe City wye to Alpine Meadows Road, with trails continuing to Olympic Valley. The trail is scenic, separate from the highway, and is mostly flat terrain with a few short, gentle grades with trout fishing, river rafting and picnicking along the way. Connects with Olympic Valley Road or continue to Truckee. Public parking at 64 Acres and Olympic Valley Park at Olympic Valley Road. Electric assist OK. TART

OLYMPIC VALLEY

OLYMPIC VALLEY

Easy | 4 miles RT | tcpud.org

A 2-mile trail runs beside Olympic Valley Road to the ski area with views of the meadow and surrounding peaks. Public parking at Olympic Valley Park or Village at Palisades Tahoe. Electric assist OK. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

AL TAHOE BOULEVARD

Easy | 3.2 miles RT

Connections Lake Tahoe Boulevard (Highway 50) and Pioneer Trail with access to Lake Tahoe Community College.

CAMP RICHARDSON BIKE PATH

Easy | 6 miles RT

The trail parallels State Route 89 (Emerald Bay Road) for more than 3 miles, offering access to a number of local historic and recreational amenities. Limited parking.

SAWMILL TO MEYERS

Easy | 7 miles RT

Section cleared along Sawmill Road starting at Lake Tahoe Boulevard then connects to run along Highway 89 to Meyers ending at Luther Pass Road.

SIERRA BOULEVARD

Easy | 1.2 miles RT Connects from Lake Tahoe Boulevard to Barbara Ave.

SKI RUN BOULEVARD Easy | 1.2 miles RT Connects from Lake Tahoe Boulevard to Pioneer Trail.

SOUTH SHORE BIKE PATH

Easy | 7 miles RT | cityofslt.us

Follow the bike trail along South Shore, with sections along Lakeview Commons, Reagan Beach and playgrounds. Public parking at Parks and Recreation lot on Rufus Allen Boulevard.

TRUCKEE

DONNER PASS ROAD

Easy | 5.4 miles RT

Runs through the heart of the town of Truckee from the west end to historic downtown Truckee.

DONNER PASS RD. TO MOUSEHOLE Easy | 1.8 miles RT Runs along Highway 89 connecting Donner Pass Road to the Mousehole.

JOEGER DRIVE

Easy | 1.2 miles RT

Connects from Soaring Way and runs along Joeger Drive to River View Sports Park.

STEVENS LANE TO ALDER DRIVE

Easy | 2 miles RT

Runs from Stevens Lane along Donner Pass Road, turns down Rue Ivy to connect to Alder Drive. Park at U.S. Forest Service office on Stevens Lane.

TROUT CREEK TRAIL

Moderate | 3 miles RT

Wooded path from Trout Creek Park (paid parking) in downtown Truckee to Northwoods Blvd. (parking free).

TRUCKEE LEGACY TRAIL

Easy | 10 miles RT | tdrpd.org

Stretches from downtown Truckee to Truckee River Regional Park, River View Sports Park and Glenshire. Park at either park or East River Street. Electric assist OK. TART

WEST SHORE

TAHOE CITY TO MEEKS BAY

Moderate | 25+ miles RT | tcpud.org

Mostly separate from the highway, the trail includes a few miles of highway shoulder and residential streets. Terrain is varied with a few steep sections. Access to picnicking, beaches and playgrounds. Public parking at 64 Acres. Electric assist OK. TART

SKI TOURING, SNOWSHOEING & SNOWMOBILING

CISCO GROVE

RATTLESNAKE

LOST SIERRA

YUBA PASS

Easy to advanced | fs.usda.gov

The route north from Yuba Pass off Highway 49 is popular for snowmobilers, and shares the trail system with Nordic skiers for the first mile before branching off. For skiers and snowshoers, the route goes north for 2 miles with views of the Sierra Valley, then leads west for 1 mile and rejoins the snowmobile trail. For a short loop, go south (a left) on the snowmobile route back to Yuba Pass. Alternately, you can continue west through a meadow for 1.5 miles, then head south (a left) onto the Lunch Creek Ski Trail 1.25 miles, then north (a left) on 3 Knobs Trail for 1.5 miles. 3 Knobs Trail ends back at the snowmobile trail. Snowmobilers can head north from the branch 1 mile in and travel through Gold Lake Highway. Then, head south to Bassett’s or north to Gold Lake. This route offers a variety of terrain and beautiful views of the Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin. More than 100 miles of trails. Take Highway 89 north of Truckee, and then take Highway 49 to Yuba Pass. Trailhead parking is 6 miles east of Bassett’s Station.*

NORTH SHORE

BROCKWAY SUMMIT & MARTIS PEAK

Easy to advanced Brockway Summit off Highway 267 offers an abundance of areas to ski with turnouts on both sides of the highway where Nordic skiers and snowshoers can follow logging and utility roads. For snowmobilers, the best access and limited parking about one-quarter mile north of Brockway Summit below the top of Highway 267 on the Truckee side. No groomed trails, but many old lumber roads exist. Take a good map, as it’s easy to become turned around.

PAGE MEADOWS

Easy to moderate Ski or snowshoe along an old road that meanders through a forest and into a cluster of meadows. Take Highway 89 south from Tahoe City, then turn right on Pine Avenue and right on Tahoe Park Heights Road. At the crest of the hill, take the middle fork, which becomes Big Pine Road, then take a left on Silver Tip. The parking area is at the top of the road.

TAHOE MEADOWS

Easy to advanced On Mount Rose high above Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Meadows offers an expansive area where skiers can stretch their legs. Head up Highway 431 from Incline Village until you reach the meadows before the summit. South side designated for skiers and snowshoers, while the north side is designated for snowmobilers. Heavy weekend use.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

HOPE VALLEY

Easy to moderate Sno-park on the south side of Highway 88 at Blue Lakes Road. Much of Hope Valley is open to snowmobiling, but some areas are not; stay in designated areas. Ungroomed routes to Willow Creek (8.5 miles) and Tamarack Lake (1 mile) and groomed routes to Blue Lakes (11.5 miles) and Forestdale (3.5 miles). Stage from Hope Valley Sno-Park.*

TAYLOR CREEK

Easy | (530) 573-2600 or fs.usda.gov

Developed for beginners, this well-marked series of trails allows skiers to explore the area. Terrain is mostly flat and is good for the entire family. Take Highway 89 to Cathedral Road and park in the Sno-Park. Marked trails start at the parking lot with three trails near Fallen Leaf Lake. On the lake side of Highway 89, follow the road to access the Tallac Historic Trail.*

TRUCKEE

CABIN CREEK TRAIL

Easy to moderate

Marked route follows old logging roads and Cabin Creek Road for 3 to 6 miles. The terrain has gentle, rolling slopes. Cabin Creek Road south of Truckee on Highway 89. The unmarked trailhead is 1 mile from the highway. Limited parking is available in a road cut, when plowed.

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK

Easy | (530) 582-7892 or parks.ca.gov

The park is mostly flat and open year-round. Skiers can enjoy the forests and boulder fields, glide down to the lake and meander through the park. Unmarked, 9.6-km, skierpacked trail starting near the Emigrant Trail Museum. For the more adventuresome, glide over the hills into Coldstream Canyon. Parking fee. TART

LITTLE TRUCKEE SUMMIT

Easy to advanced | (530) 994-3401 or fs.usda.gov

Marked routes with 110 miles of groomed trails follow roads to Webber Lake and Yuba Pass, Rim and Ridge Loops, Bald Ridge Loop and Treasure Mountain, Pass Creek Loop, Independence Lake Loop, Meadow Lake Loop and Jackson Meadow. Trailhead at Jackson Meadow Road, 14 miles north of Truckee on Highway 89. Overnight camping OK in parking area. Heavy use.*

PEAK

& CASTLE

PETER GRUBB HUT

Moderate to advanced | clairtappaanlodge.com

A marked Nordic ski trail begins at the Castle Peak/Boreal interchange on Donner Summit off Interstate 80, west of Truckee. Take the Castle Peak exit and follow it for onequarter mile to the intersection for the trailhead to the north. Follow unmarked trail to Peter Grubb Hut. Overnight parking available at the Sno-Park*. For overnight stays at the hut, call (530) 426-3632 for reservations.

POLE CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM

Easy to strenuous

Unmarked trails follow roads along Pole Creek and Silver Creek Drainages. Trailhead 6 miles south of Truckee on Highway 89. Some parking on west side of highway.

SAGEHEN SUMMIT

Easy to moderate

An unmarked route follows the road to the creek bottom. Lateral roads offer many side trips. Trailhead at Sagehen Summit on the west side of Highway 89, 8 miles north of Truckee. Limited parking.

WEST SHORE

BLACKWOOD CANYON

Easy to advanced

The meadows in Blackwood Canyon offer a great place to get into the wilderness off Highway 89 on the West Shore. Follow Highway 89 south from Tahoe City and park at the Kaspian Recreation Area. Skiers can glide along the road (not plowed) or through the meadows. Snow-mobilers should follow the road about 2.5 miles, then take a left across the bridge and continue up Barker Pass Road to large open areas, steep bowls and many roads. Limited parking.*

MEEKS MEADOWS

Easy | fs.usda.gov

Meeks Meadows on the West Shore off Highway 89 offers a vast area to ski. The trailhead is across from the Meeks Bay Fire Station; look for the log cabin with red trim. Follow the U.S. Forest Service road or meander through the meadow and down to Meeks Creek.

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

Easy to moderate | (530) 525-7982 or parks.ca.gov

The Ed Z’berg/Sugar Pine Point State Park is a spectacular spot to cross-country ski or snowshoe among the dense forests of the West Shore or along Lake Tahoe’s shores. The park offers more than 18 km of marked ski trails. Three groomed trails begin at the campground, 9 miles south of Tahoe City, with two skier-packed trails on the lake side of the park, accessed from the Day Use entrance. Winter camping available. Guided tours and programs. Parking fee. TART

Easy to advanced Steep canyon and side slopes at lower end of trail with 7 miles of groomed access. Upper elevations feature ridges and bowls. Route follows Rattlesnake Road to Magonigal Summit. Trailhead at Cisco Grove exit north off Interstate 80.*

vis Tahoe Science Center available Tuesdays to Saturdays. | RSVP tahoe. ucdavis.edu

Enjoy the Glowstick Parade followed by the fireworks show starting at 6:15 p.m. Warm up next to the outdoor firepits and enjoy hot toddies, hot cocoa and more.

Preregistration is required in advance online for skiers and riders who want to participate in the parade. It is open to those ages 10 and older who can ski or ride unassisted in the dark on Race Course run. | tahoedonner.com

events

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11

Volunteer Litter Sorters Needed

Clean Up The Lake, Zephyr Cove, 9 a.m., (530) 5627131, cleanupthelake.org

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

Truckee Library, Truckee, 10:30-11 a.m., (530) 5827846, nevadacountyca.gov/336/Truckee-Library

Storytime

Zephyr Cove Library, Zephyr Cove, 11 a.m., (775) 588-6411, library.douglascountynv.gov

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

Family Storytime

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

TERC UNVEILS NOAA SCIENCE EXHIBIT

The NOAA Science on a Sphere Explorer system has been installed in the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village, Nev., and is available upon request in the 3D Theater. The system was additionally added to a large monitor available to visitors outside the 3D Theater.

Science on a Sphere Explorer use datasets, models and animations of earthquakes, atmospheric storms, climate change data and more to explain environmental processes in a way that is simultaneously intuitive and captivating. UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) will show these videos, data sets and various interactive content to enhance or expand regular Tahoe Science Center tours open to the public.

TERC currently uses the Science on a Sphere Explorer content for school field trips, engaging students with visualizations and data presentation that augment existing programs focused on earthquakes, landforms and changing Earth temperatures.

Advanced reservations are required for docent-led tours of the UC Da-

LONGBOARD RACES ON TAP

The Plumas Ski Club host longboard races on Jan. 21 on noon that recreate the first downhill ski races in the Americas at Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl at Plumas-Eureka State Park. The events are historical re-enactments of 1860’s era ski racing in the Lost Sierra. There is a shuttle available and food will be for sale on site.

Competitors are welcome and registration starts at 10 a.m. Races are also held Feb. 19 and March 19. | plumasskiclub.org

SNOWSHOE TOURS

AT SUGAR PINE

Sugar Pine Point State Park is offering guided snowshoe tours every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. along the Blue Trail through General Creek Campground, where the 1960 Winter Olympic Nordic Events were held. The 2-mile guided tours will feature the Olympic history of the park. Snowshoes are not provided. | RSVP bit.ly/sugarpineevents

Preschool Storytime (Tahoe City)

Tahoe City Library, Tahoe City, 10:30 a.m., (530) 5462021, placer.ca.gov/2093/Library

Paws 2 Read

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 4 p.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

FRIDAY, JAN. 13

Play Forever Friday

Boreal Mountain, Soda Springs, 8:35 a.m., (530) 426-3666, rideboreal.com

Mid Winter Bald Eagle Count

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, Incline Village, 9 a.m., (775) 298-0060, tinsweb.org

Baby Lapsit Storytime

North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, 10 a.m., (530) 546-2021, placer.ca.gov/2093/Library

Interpretive Mountain Tours

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com

Evening Snowshoe Hikes

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village, 5 p.m., (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com

Night Sledding

Granlibakken Tahoe, Tahoe City, 5-6:30 p.m., (800) 543-3221, granlibakken.com

Fall Movie Nights

GLOWSTICK PARADE, FIREWORKS AT

TAHOE DONNER

Tahoe Donner Downhill will host its annual Glowstick Parade and Fireworks on Jan. 14; the show was postponed from New Year’s Eve due to weather.

As well, Sierra State Parks Foundation is offering guided Sunset Snowshoe Tours this winter on Jan 20, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 14. | RSVP sierrastateparks.org

North Tahoe Event Center Big Screen, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, 6 p.m., northtahoeparks.com

Teen Night at the Tahoe City Winter Sports Park

Tahoe City Winter Sports Park, Tahoe City, 6-9 p.m., (530) 583-3796, tcpud.org

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

Old Skool Klassic Race

Tahoe Cross Country Center, Tahoe City, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., (530) 583-5475, tahoexc.org

Longboard races | Plumas Ski Club

Tahoe Donner Downhill

TERC

Sugar Pine Point State Park

Donner Snowshoe Historical Tours

Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, 11 a.m., (530) 583-9911, sierrastateparks.org

Snowshoe tours

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, 11 a.m., bit.ly/ sugarpineevents

Snowshoe Tour & Dinner

The Chalet at Alpine, Alpine Meadows, 4 p.m., (800) 403-0206, palisadestahoe.com

Night Sledding

Granlibakken Tahoe, Tahoe City, 5-6:30 p.m., (800) 543-3221, granlibakken.com

Rescheduled: New Year’s Eve Light Parade & Fireworks Show

Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort, Truckee, 6:15 p.m., (530) 587-9400, tahoedonner.com

SUNDAY, JAN. 15

Old Skool Klassic Race

Tahoe Cross Country Center, Tahoe City, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., (530) 583-5475, tahoexc.org

Historic Longboard Revival Race Series

Ski Area at Plumas Eureka State Park, Blairsden, 10 a.m., plumasskiclub.org

Donner Snowshoe Historical Tours

Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, 11 a.m., (530) 583-9911, sierrastateparks.org

Snowshoe tours

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, 11 a.m., bit.ly/ sugarpineevents

Snowshoe Star Tour

North Lake Tahoe. Specific trailhead based on snow conditions. , Tahoe Vista, 4:30-8:30 p.m., (530) 913-9212

Night Sledding

Granlibakken Tahoe, Tahoe City, 5-6:30 p.m., (800) 543-3221, granlibakken.com

Talk with JC Schoonmaker

Tahoe XC, Tahoe City, 6:30 p.m., tahoexc.org

MONDAY, JAN. 16

Old Skool Klassic Race

Tahoe Cross Country Center, Tahoe City, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., (530) 583-5475, tahoexc.org

Sock Drive: Share, Care & Give a Pair

Inside Incline, Incline Village, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (775) 354-9745, insideincline.com

TUESDAY, JAN. 17

North Tahoe Toddler & Me

North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, 10 a.m., (530) 546-7249, northtahoeevents.com

Family Storytime

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us/libraries/ incline-village.php

Preschool Storytime (Kings Beach)

Kings Beach Library, Kings Beach, 10:30 a.m., (530) 546-2021, placer.ca.gov/2093/Library

North Tahoe Golden Hour

North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, 11:30 a.m., (530) 546-7249, northtahoeevents.com

Reading Furends

Zephyr Cove Library, Zephyr Cove, 3:30 p.m., (775) 588-6411, library.douglascountynv.gov

Teen Tuesday

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 4 p.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

Play & Learn Program

El Dorado County Community Hub 5, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m., (530) 573-3185, eldoradocommunityhubs.com/hub-5

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

Volunteer Litter Sorters Needed

Clean Up The Lake, Zephyr Cove, 9 a.m., (530) 5627131, cleanupthelake.org

Wednesday +55 Ski Clinics

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village, 9:15 a.m., (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

Truckee Library, Truckee, 10:30-11 a.m., (530) 5827846, nevadacountyca.gov/336/Truckee-Library

Puppets With Chris Arth

KidZone Museum, Truckee, 11 a.m., (530) 587-5437, kidzonemuseum.org

Storytime

Zephyr Cove Library, Zephyr Cove, 11 a.m., (775) 588-6411, library.douglascountynv.gov

Jameson Tasting

Gar Woods Grill & Pier, Carnelian Bay, 5:30-7 p.m., (530) 546-3366, garwoods.com

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

Family Storytime

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

Preschool Storytime (Tahoe City)

Tahoe City Library, Tahoe City, 10:30 a.m., (530) 5462021, placer.ca.gov/2093/Library

17th Annual Winter Speaker Series

Olympic Village Lodge & Livestream, Olympic Valley, 7 p.m., (530) 583-6917, alpenglowsports.com

FRIDAY, JAN. 20

Interpretive Mountain Tours

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com

Sunset Snowshoe Tour

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, sierrastateparks.org

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Burton Mystery Tour

Boreal Mountain, Soda Springs, 8 a.m., (530) 4263666, rideboreal.com

Women’s Skate Clinic With Katerina Nash

Royal Gorge Cross Country, Soda Springs, 9 a.m., (530) 426-3871, royalgorge.com

Donner Snowshoe Historical Tours

Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, 11 a.m., (530) 583-9911, sierrastateparks.org

Snowshoe tours

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, 11 a.m., bit.ly/ sugarpineevents

Curling Open House for Public & Guests

Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, Stateline, noon to 3:30 p.m., laketahoecurling.com

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

Pass Holder Appreciation Sale & Pancake Feed

Tahoe Cross Country Center, Tahoe City, 8:30 a.m., (530) 583-5475, tahoexc.org

Donner Snowshoe Historical Tours

Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, 11 a.m., (530) 583-9911, sierrastateparks.org

Snowshoe tours

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, 11 a.m., bit.ly/ sugarpineevents

MONDAY, JAN. 23

Sock Drive: Share, Care & Give a Pair

Inside Incline, Incline Village, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (775) 354-9745, insideincline.com

Monday Night Learn to Curl Series

Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, Stateline, 6-8 p.m., laketahoecurling.com

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

North Tahoe Toddler & Me

North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, 10 a.m., (530) 546-7249, northtahoeevents.com

Family Storytime

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 10:30 a.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

Preschool Storytime (Kings Beach)

Kings Beach Library, Kings Beach, 10:30 a.m., (530) 546-2021, placer.ca.gov/2093/Library

North Tahoe Golden Hour

North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, 11:30 a.m., (530) 546-7249, northtahoeevents.com

Reading Furends

Zephyr Cove Library, Zephyr Cove, 3:30 p.m., (775) 588-6411, library.douglascountynv.gov

Teen Tuesday

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, 4 p.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us

Play & Learn Program

El Dorado County Community Hub 5, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m., (530) 573-3185, eldoradocommunityhubs.com/hub-5

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

Volunteer Litter Sorters Needed

Clean Up The Lake, Zephyr Cove, 9 a.m., (530) 5627131, cleanupthelake.org

Wednesday +55 Ski Clinics

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village, 9:15 a.m., (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

Truckee Library, Truckee, 10:30-11 a.m., (530) 5827846, nevadacountyca.gov/336/Truckee-Library

Storytime

Zephyr Cove Library, Zephyr Cove, 11 a.m., (775) 588-6411, library.douglascountynv.gov

WINTER FAMILY FUN

ICE SKATING

NORTH SHORE

NORTHSTAR (530) 562-1010 | northstarcalifornia.com

Open air rink. Free access. TART

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK 530) 583-1516 | wintersportspark.com

Ice skating & rentals. Clubhouse. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE EDGEWOOD TAHOE (888) 769-1924 | edgewoodtahoe.com

Open air rink. Daily 4-9 p.m.Rentals available.

HEAVENLY VILLAGE (530) 542-4230 | theshopsatheavenly.com Open air rink. South Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE ICE ARENA (530) 542-6262 | cityofslt.com

Indoor facility open year-round. South Tahoe

TRUCKEE

TRUCKEE RIVER REGIONAL PARK (530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com

Skate rentals, broomball leagues, ice dancing & hockey lessons. Skate rentals & season passes available. TART

SLEDDING & TUBING

EAST SHORE

SPOONER LAKE (775) 831-0494

State park open for snow play. Bring equipment. Parking fee.

HOPE VALLEY AREA

CARSON PASS (209) 295-4251 Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.*

HOPE VALLEY (775) 882-2766

Highway 88 at Blue Lakes Road. Bring equipment.*

MEISS MEADOW (209) 295-4251

Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.*

NORTH SHORE

INCLINE VILLAGE

Snow Play Area on Fairway Blvd., next to the Chateau, on the driving range. Bring equipment.

NORTH TAHOE REGIONAL PARK (530) 546-0605 | northtahoeparks.com

End of National Avenue off Hwy 28. Rentals not available. TART

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK (530) 583-1516 | wintersportspark.com

Sledding & cross-country trails. Rentals available. Clubhouse. Reserve online. TART

OLYMPIC VALLEY

OLYMPIC VALLEY PARK placer.ca.gov

Free snowplay area. Free parking to access cleared walking paths in Olympic Valley to Tahoe City. Bring equipment. TART

PALISADES TAHOE (530) 452-4511 | palisadestahoe.com

Tubing area. Disco Tubing with DJ & lasers at night; check schedule. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

ADVENTURE MOUNTAIN (530) 659-7217 | adventuremountaintahoe.com

On top of Echo Summit with machine-groomed sledding, tubing & snowplay. First-come, first-served.

ECHO LAKE (530) 644-2324

Highway 50 at Echo Lake Road. Bring equipment.*

HANSEN’S RESORT

(530) 544-3361 | hansensresort.com

400-foot-long groomed tube run on Ski Run Blvd. First-come, first-served.

HEAVENLY skiheavenly.com

Tubing at top of gondola with four lanes.

KAHLE PARK (775) 586-7271 | douglascountynv.gov Off Highway 207. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

SAWMILL POND

On Lake Tahoe Blvd. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE (530) 659-7453 | sierraattahoe.com

Blizzard Mountain offers two lift-accessible snow tubing lanes, snow play and sledding area.

TAHOE SNOWMOBILE TUBING (530) 542-3294 | tahoesnowmobiles.com

At Tahoe Paradise & Stateline, Nev. Reserve online.

TAYLOR CREEK (530) 543-2600 Highway 89, north of Camp Richardson Road. Bring equipment.* South Tahoe

TUBETAHOE (530) 600-2304 | tubetahoe.com

500 feet of machine-groomed tubing lanes in Meyers. Equipment provided. South Tahoe

TRUCKEE BOREAL MOUNTAIN rideboreal.com

Tubing open to everyone 42” and taller; smaller children are limited to snow play area only. Personal sleds not permitted. Night sessions available. Reserve online.

DONNER SKI RANCH donnerskiranch.com

Tubing hills with moving carpet.

DONNER SUMMIT (530) 587-3558

South side of I-80, Castle Peak exit. Bring equipment.*

NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA northstarcalifornia.com TART

Tubing lanes in the Village.

SODA SPRINGS skisodasprings.com

Mountain Adventure offers kids tubing with up to 10 lanes with a surface lift, Snow Jeep rides, Start Park, snow play area and mini snowmobiles. Reserve online.

SUGAR RUSH TUBING OPENS 12/17 | sugarbowl.com

10-lane tubing area at Sugar Bowl with 400-foot magic carpet. Kids snowplay area.

TAHOE DONNER (530) 587-9437 | tahoedonner.com

At Trout Creek Recreation Center. No personal sleds. Reserve online.

YUBA PASS (530) 994-3401

Highway 49 at Yuba Pass. Bring equipment.*

WEST SHORE

BLACKWOOD CANYON (530) 543-2600

Snowplay area off Hwy. 89, 3 miles south of Tahoe City. Bring equipment.*

GRANLIBAKKEN (530) 581-7533 | granlibakken.com

Machine-groomed snow play area; no tubes or toboggans allowed. All ages. Reserve online.

horoscopes

BY

FIRE EARTH AIR WATER

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Your mind is riveted on adapting practically and powerfully to our complex times. As you assess the results of previous efforts and focus to strengthen your overall foundation, managing worry and stress is a cornerstone focus. Mars turning direct in Gemini will push you to respond with realism and strategy.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20)

Despite a growing determination to identify and direct your focus and energies to every task on your list, you may be contending with obscured vision due to Mercury retrograde. It has about another week to go followed by the shadow period, so you are probably wise to slow down and trust the flow.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 21)

A new round of deep, inner change is underway. This will manifest as shifts in your attitude and priorities. Meanwhile, both cultural events and a growing determination to be as aware and alert as you can be is the counter theme. Patience now, the coming New Moon in Aquarius will uplift your spirits.

Cancer (Jun 22 – Jul 22)

A series of shifts and changes on relationship fronts are having a powerful effect on you. It may feel as though you are being transformed as old perspectives fade and new ones take their place. Positively you are sensing the new growth of wings: inspired feelings to embark upon new adventures.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 23)

By now you will be aware of feelings at least and perhaps also deliberate actions to create a healthier lifestyle. This includes strategy, focus, and determination. Replacing rebellious resistance with revolutionary vision to make the changes you know will be beneficial is a central theme.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 22)

A strong creative cycle continues. This is a good time to harness ideas, complete projects and generally direct your focus to creative accomplishments. You may be contending with complex thoughts regarding the deeper and darker sides of life. If so, use this energy by directing your focus to what you can change and achieve.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

New activations close to home and with family continue to unfold. The pace has likely been rather slow and tedious and has included complexities involving deep inner realizations and the changes they imply and require. In some respects, the answer is to surrender to the truth of how you feel.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

wishful thinking and fantasies is up for review. Chances are you are on the right track but simply need to make some key adjustments in your strategy.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Taking a more realistic and practical approach continues. The twist is that what is needed may require a holistic perspective to clearly understand. In other words, what is needed may be something other than money. Holistic implies body, mind, heart and soul; where do you feel you need to focus?

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

A pioneering impulse was activated by the New Moon in your sign late last year. It probably requires the paying of certain dues. These can come in the form of fees, investing in education, sacrifices of your time, extra efforts specifically directed, or discipline required to breaking habits. Think about it, then just do it.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 19)

A busy time behind the scenes continues, but you are coming to a turn that will bring about some changes and new activities close to home. Although these might be leaving you feeling a bit nervous, there are indications that they will prove positive and meaningful. Don’t worry, be happy.

Pisces (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

It is likely that many innovative thoughts and strategies are flowing through your mind. It is important that you bring your visions of possibility into clear view. It may not yet be time to fully implement them, however, so take note at least and establish a foundation for them. Focus on ideas, plans, strategies, and blueprints.

answers

(916) 324-4442 for vendor locations.

Seeds of change are germinating regarding your perspectives and interpretations. Specifically, what feels real and what might be better understood as

All activities are weather dependent & open as conditions permit

Are megastorms in Tahoe’s future?

BY MARK MCLAUGHLIN

Much of California, including the Tahoe Sierra, has a higher risk for catastrophic storms and flooding than any other region of the country, including the southeastern hurricane states. Experienced Tahoe locals know that extreme rain and snowfall events, floods and blizzards, are part of our mountain environment.

For the past decade, U.S. Geological Survey, Desert Research Institute (Reno) and other institutions have been assessing natural hazards in the United States. The California-focused portion of this national project is called ARkStorm, an ongoing research effort that aims to gain a better understanding of the risks we face from intensified weather systems in a warming climate.

ARkStorm utilizes new insight into the potent atmospheric rivers (AR) that regularly invade the West Coast with intense rain and snow. The colloquial term Pineapple Express has been used for decades to describe a stream of sub-tropical Pacific moisture, but this critical weather mechanism was first identified in 1998 when scientists flew instrumented aircraft into them.

Atmospheric rivers increasing ARs are conveyor belts of dense water vapor surging at elevations between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. A strong one can carry as much liquid as the discharge of 10 to 15 times the Mississippi River, the largest waterway in the United States. Virtually every major winter flood in the Truckee River watershed, which is among the most volatile in the country, has been triggered by an AR event.

California can expect about nine ARs annually, which bring beneficial rain and snow that provide up to 50 percent of a season’s precipitation over the course of just 10 days. Climatologists predict that in the future the average number of ARs will rise to 12 or so, which may mean more rain for the Golden State.

Unfortunately, supercharged AR weather systems have periodically inflicted destructive floods. To gauge present-day impacts from such an event, researchers used computer models to recreate a 500-year storm to assess the consequences on our region’s population, economy and infrastructure. A 500-year tempest at this level does not happen every 500 years but has a twotenths of a percent chance of occurring

in any given year. It can happen in back-to-back winters or not occur for many centuries. Climate change may accelerate these cyclical odds with warmer ocean and air temperatures that increase the atmosphere’s capacity to hold water to release as precipitation, thus concern regarding future megafloods.

There is precedent for such extreme hydrological events. Analysis of soil sediments indicate that during the past 2,000 years incredible superstorms have inundated California roughly every two centuries, the most recent being the winter of 1861-62, about 161 years ago. Statistically, the clock is ticking for the next megastorm.

43 days of rain, snow

The ARkStorm study highlights 1862 when it rained and snowed on and off for 43 consecutive days in California — historic flooding ranged from Canada to Mexico and into Nevada Territory and Utah.

The deluge produced a calamitous inundation of California’s Central Valley, creating an inland sea 30 feet deep that took months to drain into San Francisco Bay. Muddy flood water swamped the state capital Sacramento, forcing Governor-elect Leland Stanford to take a rowboat to his inauguration. During the early construction of Sacramento, local Native Americans warned the new settlers that in some winters the valley was engulfed by boundless overflow, but their sage advice was ignored.

The Alta California newspaper described the 1862 flood zone: “It extended from Tehama, 80 miles north of Marysville, to a point in the San Joaquin at least 50 miles south of Stockton, forming a lake 30 miles wide by some 250 miles long.”

On the San Joaquin River, ferries were swept away and thousands of sheep, horses and cattle drowned. Turbulence on the Feather and Yuba rivers washed away bridges, stores, saloons, restaurants and, tragically, a camp of Chinese miners. Geology professor William Brewer reported that the vast Central Valley was “a district of 5,000 or 6,000 square miles” where nearly every house and farm was obliterated. Household furniture such as chairs, sofas, tables and beds floated among the carcasses of drowned animals. The devastation forced Sacramento residents to raise

their business district by 10 to 15 feet and initiated development of a costly levee system on the Sacramento River. When it comes to precipitation, 1862 was a winter of superlatives. The epic rainfall was measured in feet by numerous observers equipped with gages. The unprecedented large-scale impacts suffered that winter rate the aggregate storms of 1862 with a cycle of return at 1,000 years. (Hence the acronym: Atmospheric River k [1,000-year] Storm.)

In 1862 San Francisco was deluged with 28.25 inches in 30 days — a rainfall event so severe that climatologists determined it should occur only once every 37,000 years. Down south in Los Angeles, 66 inches of rain hammered the city’s 4,500 residents that season — more than 400 percent above normal. Due to orographic enhancement of saturated air rising on the Sierra west slope, roughly 9 feet of rain and the water equivalent of snow pummeled foothill towns such as Sonora and Blue Canyon. An Army surgeon stationed at Fort Gaston in Hoopa Valley tallied 129 inches of rain that year, nearly 11 feet of water.

A bleak look ahead

The initial premise for the ARkStorm project was based on the extreme weather of 1862, a millennium event, but scientists dialed back the rainfall metrics about 50 percent to assuage critics who argued that the modeled scenario was unrealistic to expect today. To create a more reasonable ARkStorm framework, scientists retained the geographical extent of the 1862 megastorm in California, but combined January 1969 and

February 1986, two particularly robust months weatherwise, to more closely represent modern-day repercussions.

In 1969 snowfall reached 300 percent of normal at Lake Tahoe and 800 percent in the high country south of there, with 40-foot drifts on Donner Pass.

Multiple snowfall records were set in the Nevada portion of the Eastern Sierra. In 1986, the Tahoe Sierra watershed was inundated with torrential high-elevation rain. Reno was overwhelmed by the rampaging Truckee River and Tahoe-Truckee communities lost both electricity and natural gas for a week or more.

The 2011 ARkStorm analysis of weather, runoff, infrastructure engineering and economic modeling paints a bleak picture of the impacts from a weather event of this significance today: possibly 2 million people evacuated in California, damage in the hundreds of billions and widespread destruction of agricultural lands and urban infrastructure due to levee failures.

The simulation study did not predict death and injury, but one can imagine the scale of human suffering. Compared with similar research and projections based on a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Golden State, a major temblor poses less than a third of the financial impact caused by an atmospheric river-fueled megastorm.

Stay tuned for Part II in the next issue and at TheTahoeWeekly.com/winter. n

1862 Sacramento flood waters. | Bancroft Library

Official Sponsor of Good Times in North Lake Tahoe & Truckee!

TahoeDaves.com

Courtesy Kirkwood

Ty Dayberry airs out of the keyhole deep in the Lake Tahoe backcountry | Brian Walker, @brian.walker

State of the Backcountry 2023

USER NUMBERS DROP FROM PANDEMIC HIGH, MICROTRANSIT EXPANDS

BY SEAN MCALINDIN

“When we formed in 2015, we had a pretty narrow lane and that was trailhead access. As we’ve matured as an organization and tasted some success, we’ve expanded our vision of access. It should go beyond the trailheads. Access should also mean all people in our community should have access to winter backcountry recreation experiences.”

— Geoff Quine

Asskiers head into the backcountry this winter, Tahoe Weekly caught up with members of Tahoe Backcountry Alliance (TBA) to get the skinny on current developments in local winter recreation access.

“We are kind of in a holding pattern while Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Forest Service work on their regional trails plan,” says TBA executive director Anthony Cupaiuolo. “We are also engaging with Tahoe Conservancy as they are in the middle of creating a recreation access plan with some of these parcels that go up against Forest Service land and have the potential to be a trail access point. We want to see safe, legal parking, however it happens.”

It was changes to roadside parking near Jake’s Run overlooking Emerald Bay on the West Shore that prompted the creation of the Alliance in 2015. After gaining grassroots support, they were able to negotiate changes to the highway department’s plowing practices to increase winter parking access after an erosion control project along Highway 89 eliminated many parking areas once used by backcountry skiers.

Lake Run access success

Two years ago, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance partnered with Truckee Donner Land Trust, Visit Truckee Tahoe and Town of Truckee to expand winter parking on South Shore Drive for access to Donner Lake Run. This historic backcountry ski route descends from the summit of Mount Judah high on Donner Summit to the neighborhood surrounding the lake. TBA paid to have the West End Beach parking lot repaved and all agencies split the annual cost of snowplowing, which is more than $10,000. Last year, TBA installed signage with QR codes linked to online maps at the parking lot and directional signs along the main line of the run. These efforts aimed at minimizing conflicts between skiers and property owners have largely been

a success. The joint investment represents a win for backcountry access and the type of creative collaboration TBA is hoping to repeat in its ongoing meetings with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Conservancy and countless other land holders in the region.

Seeking more parking solutions

Some of the popular backcountry zones on TBA’s radar are Rubicon Peak, Trimmer Peak, Echo Peak and Flagpole Peak. What these trailheads have in common is they are all public lands that rise out of neighborhoods, which has led to ticketing and towing during storm cycles. Remedying these parking situations is not cheap. The estimated design and construction costs for a new Rubicon trailhead exceeds $250,000. Similar estimates at Ward Creek are north of $180,000 with maintenance and snow removal costs estimated to total $3,500 annually.

Like at Jake’s, Pole Creek and Deep Creek, parking for one of the Tahoe Sierra’s most iconic backcountry runs at Mount Tallac is set along the shoulder of Highway 89 without an officially designated parking area. Since the Forest Service started closing the gate at Spring Creek Road close to 10 years ago, safety issues have arisen for recreators and challenges for snow-plow drivers, not to mention nearly 2 miles of additional travel through neighborhoods to reach the trailhead.

“The Forest Service is doing a tree-thinning grading project, which I think affords us a chance for a new winter parking lot,” says Cupaiuolo. “We’d love to see parking at the end of the road, but we don’t think that’s realistic. It could be one of those things we don’t get exactly what they want, but we get something. Having safe and legal parking rather than no parking is still a net positive.”

ABOVE & OPPOSITE: Alexi Godbout and Josh Daiek on a backcountry trek | Ming Poon, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance

Trail counters map trends

Part of advocating for winter recreation access means having a clear picture of how our public lands are being used. In 2020, Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol began to install and monitor infrared laser-counter technology mounted to trees at the primary trailheads for Castle Peak, Incline Peak and later Deep Creek.

Castle Peak is by far the most popular trailhead of the three with a total of 9,961 users between December 2021 and May 2022. Incline Peak counted 995 users and Deep Creek 745 users during the same five-month time span. This is down from a high of 13,386 users at Castle Peak and 2,327 at Incline Peak during the 2020-21 winter season. Deep Creek counters were not installed until last year.

“While there definitely was a pandemic surge, I think some of this can be attributed to the fact that it wasn’t a great snow year,” says Cupaiuolo. While peak use occurs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends, the counters also recorded steady use on weekdays. Total user amounts are certainly higher than recorded considering those who do not directly pass counters when entering or leaving the area. The counters need to be moved up and down along the tree trunks throughout the season to adjust to changing snowpack levels.

“I feel like backcountry skiers and snowboarders fly kind of under the radar in a lot of ways,” says TBA board member Geoff Quine. “So having this concrete data that we can use to advocate for and push our policy initiatives is super helpful. After we have a significant sample size, we’d like to put together an analysis to be able to quantify how much of an economic impact backcountry skiers have in the area.”

Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol has obtained a grant from Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation to install counters at additional sites including Donner Summit, Pole Creek, Tamarack Peak, Tahoe Meadows, Johnson Canyon, Mount Rose Summit and alternate trailheads at Incline Peak and Castle Peak.

Creating backcountry access for all This year, the TBA has partnered with the Washo Tribe to bring 30 youth out for three days of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center and Chickadee Ridge on Mount Rose. The outings feature educational components provided by faculty of Tahoe Institute of Natural Science and University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe.

“When we formed in 2015, we had a pretty narrow lane and that was trailhead access,” says Quine. “As we’ve matured as an organization and tasted some success, we’ve expanded our vision of access. It should go beyond the trailheads. Access should also mean all people in our community should have access to winter backcountry recreation experiences.”

At the end of the outings, the kids get to keep the equipment so they can continue to pursue winter recreation on their own.

“Unlike the other things we are talking about, we can control this,” says Cupaiuolo. “Access should also be about who gets to get out there.”

Microtransit expands

In a bid to highlight the potential for innovative transportation solutions in the region, the TBA’s microtransit program that started in 2019 with three days has now expanded to 20 days.

“We want to showcase to the larger organizations in the region that there’s a need and desire for this and it will be beneficial,” says Cupaiuolo. “We’d love to see South Shore busing up the West Shore to Tallac and Jake’s. We just want to keep that conversation going and keep people thinking about it.”

It costs TBA $1,200 a day to run the free shuttle through Tahoe Sierra Transportation

As well, the free TART Connect door-to-door shuttle operates in Placer County, Washoe County and the Town of Truckee offering access to some trailheads in the region.

Another part of TBA’s mission is spreading the word about proper ethics and etiquette for backcountry winter travel. They hosted a Backcountry Awareness Week in December during which they collaborated with area nonprofits to spread the word about how to recreate safely and respectfully in the backcountry. TBA will also host cleanup days at popular trailheads in the spring.

“We’re pushing that ‘ski kind’ messaging,” says Cupaiuolo. “Park kind, hike kind, be respectful. When you’re parking at 6 a.m., don’t let your dogs run across people’s property. It makes it hard for us to win access when there are negative stories. Being good stewards goes a long way for us to be able to get more wins.” | tahoebackcountryalliance.org n

WEST SHORE SHUTTLES

Reservations (530) 550-5300, info@tahoesierratransportation.com

From North Shore Saturdays until March 25; Sundays Jan. 15 & Feb. 19

From South Shore Saturdays Feb. 4-25

State of snowmobile access

STANISLAUS LAWSUIT GROWS, LASSEN RELEASES PLANS AS OTHER DISTRICTS STALL

BY SEAN MCALINDIN

“We intervened on the side of the Forest Service, but also independently brought claims against the Forest Service. We think the snowmobiling groups’ claims are unfounded. But at the same time, we think the Forest Service didn’t do enough to analyze winter travel in Stanislaus ...”

—

Chris Krupp, WildEarth Guardians

Eighteen

months after its decision to update overthe-snow vehicle (OSV) policy in Stanislaus National Forest, the legal battle between the U.S. Forest Service, snowmobilers and environmental advocates is only just beginning.

Now the Forest Service finds itself challenged on two fronts as WildEarth Guardians have joined the fight, alleging Stanislaus’s 2021 decision did not do enough to protect endangered animals. The Forest Service was already defending itself against Sierra Snowmobile Foundation and others in a lawsuit claiming Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken went too far when he approved a 67 percent reduction in OSV access last year.

“We intervened on the side of the Forest Service, but also independently brought claims against the Forest Service,” says WildEarth Guardians public lands attorney Chris Krupp. “We think the snowmobiling groups’ claims are unfounded. But at the same time, we think the Forest Service didn’t do enough to analyze winter travel in Stanislaus, particularly in regards to winter wildlife. We are asking the court to keep the travel plan in place but direct the Forest Service to reconsider protections for endangered species.”

Stanislaus National Forest was the first forest in the Tahoe Sierra, and one of the first in the nation, to update its OSV policy as required by a 2013 federal court ruling. Now only 13 percent (119,104 of the District’s 898,099 total acres) remain open to snowmobiling and other motorized winter sports. The policy closed all terrain below 5,000 feet and imposed 12- to 24-inch snowpack minimums depending on location. The new rules took effect last winter.

50 years in the making

Stanislaus’ OSV maps are a court-ordered attempt at diplomacy between various public interest groups including snowmobilers; nonmotorized, backcountry travelers such as skiers, splitboarders and snowshoers; private landowners; environmental scientists and stewards; and more than a dozen government agencies. It is part of an ongoing process that began when a 1972 executive order required federal land-management agencies to minimize environmental impacts and conflicts associated with the use of motorized off-road vehicles on federal public lands.

While requirements were completed in the forests of Tahoe Sierra for dirt bikes, quads and other vehicles by 2010, that same analysis for winter machines was not performed. Three groups – Snowlands Network, Winter Wildlands Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity – subsequently sued the Forest Service in 2011 to perform that study. The result was a 2013 settlement to complete the analyses. Each National Forest that sees significant OSV use is now required by the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential environmental impact and release updated maps on where OSVs, including snowmobiles, snowbikes and utility terrain vehicles, may be used.

Since 2017, Tahoe Weekly has reported on this process for the six Forest Service districts that encompass the Tahoe Sierra — Eldorado, Humboldt-Toiyabe, Plumas, Tahoe, Stanislaus and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, as well as Lassen National Forest, which is a frequent destination for Tahoe locals and visitors. Follow our complete coverage at TheTahoeWeekly.com/access.

Hunter Schmikey in Truckee | Travis Alley

TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST

ELDORADO

What does the fox say?

The newest group to join the legal debate, WildEarth Guardians, is a nonprofit grassroots environmental organization headquartered in Santa Fe, N.M., whose mission is to “protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers and the health of the American West.”

Founded by a joining of several environmental groups in 2007, they’ve since worked to stop illegal grazing, halt fracking and coal mining, protect more than 21 million acres of forest in the Southwest and push for endangered protections for hundreds of species.

Its lawyers assert the Stanislaus plan did not adequately analyze the effects to four species of endangered or threatened wildlife: the Sierra Nevada red fox, Pacific marten, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and Yosemite toad.

Court filings cite a distinct population segment of Sierra Nevada red foxes known to live at Sonora Pass. Once thought to be extinct, the foxes were rediscovered in 2010. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while they previously ranged throughout the Sierra Nevada, there are now estimated to be less than 50 individual foxes in this region. This sub-species was granted federal endangered status in 2021, only three weeks after the Stanislaus OSV plan was released.

“This species is on the brink of extinction and impacts to individual members risk extirpation of the entire population,” states WildEarth Guardians’ court motion. “The best available science thus supports

a full closure of the Sonora Pass OSV play area to adequately protect the fox during its entire critically important breeding season.”

Under the new policy, OSV access at Sonora Pass has been limited to a relatively small area that now closes after April 15 each year.

Benjamin Sacks, director of Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit at University of California, Davis, an expert on Sierra Nevada red foxes has been studying the mammal since 2010. He says that dens are chosen in December with pups born between March and May and that OSV use throughout winter can impact the pups’ chances of survival by compacting the dens and allowing their main competitor, coyotes, easier access to the high country.

“Any activity in this area after February risks impacts to Sierra Nevada red fox reproduction,” Sacks wrote in his 2018 public comments to the Forest Service. “Our preliminary data suggests that coyotes actively used groomed or well-used OSV trails to access higher-elevation locations they might otherwise have been unable to access under those high snow conditions. Studies in the Rocky Mountains also suggest that snowmobile trails increase coyote access.”

However, available studies on the impact of snowmobiles on wildlife are less than conclusive. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management showed “the overall influence of snowmobile trails on coyote movements and foraging success during winter appeared to be minimal.”

“I think it’s a philosophical question,” says David Page, executive director of Winter Wildlands Alliance.

os V plan status

Eldorado

Decision expected in 2023 bit.ly/eldoradoOSV

Humboldt-Toiyabe

Not yet begun analysis | fs.usda.gov/htnf

LTBMU

TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST

Draft environmental assessment expected late 2023 | bit.ly/ltbmuOSV

Lassen

OSV plan in effect (released 2022) bit.ly/lassenOSV

Plumas

Decision expected late 2024 bit.ly/plumasOSV

Stanislaus

OSV plan in effect (released 2021) bit.ly/stanislausOSV

Tahoe

Decision expected in 2023 bit.ly/tahoeOSV

Follow

“These impacts are expensive and hard to prove. So, do we take action before we know or wait until a species is extirpated before we take action? Do we sit back and say we can’t prove it, so let’s not do anything differently? And then they’re gone.”

Both snowmobilers and wildlife advocates have pointed to inconsistencies in the Stanislaus plan. For example, while it requires 24-inch snowpack minimums in some wetland areas suitable for the endangered Yosemite toad and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog such as Stanislaus Meadow and Highland Lands, it only calls for 12 inches at others such as Summit Lake, Niagara Creek, Herring Creek, Tryon Meadow and Bear Tree Meadow.

Snowmobilers dispute Stanislaus plan

In their suit, snowmobilers claim Stanislaus’ new restrictions on OSV access to be arbitrary and capricious and that environmental studies have demonstrated no measurable effects of OSVs on the environment or wildlife.

“The decision will prevent me and numerous other SSF members from riding snowmobiles in areas of the Stanislaus National Forest we have historically accessed and visited,” wrote Sierra Snowmobile Foundation land use director Kevin Bazar in a court

U.S. Forest Service Districts | Alyssa Ganong, Tahoe Weekly

declaration. “Nor will I be able to legally access areas outside of the small, designated area on Sonora pass, which are all popular snowmobile areas. I will also no longer be able to access via snowmobile Lookout Peak between Pacific Valley and Highland Lakes Road. I will also potentially be subject to citation for traveling on ice-packed roads if the snow depth is less than 12 inches, even if there is no contact with the surface. These are all actual and imminent injuries to me.”

The case is working its way through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

“We’re approaching the time where it will go before the judge who will review the administrative record and evaluate whether Forest Service made a reasonable determination,” says Krupp.

Lack of signage

Meanwhile, the new policy has been in effect since last winter with paper maps and QR codes for digital maps available at Forest Service stations.

“We’re going through maps like they’re going out of style,” says Stanislaus spokesperson Benjamin Cossell. “Our message is to have that info before you load up your OSV and head to the sno-park. Last year, we weren’t in a ticket-issuing mode. It was more about educating people on the rules and boundaries and helping them make the right choices and be on the right path. I feel like the word is being heard that people need to have a better understanding of where they should and should not be.”

While maps are crucial, others argue a current lack of signage in the forest itself makes it difficult for users to stay in approved areas, especially when the boundaries don’t follow natural terrain features, as is the case with Pacific Valley. Stanislaus National Forest

was able to install some temporary signage along trails last year and hopes to install more permanent signage this year, says Cossell.

The forest’s general counsel and Sierra Snowmobile Foundation both declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Lassen releases new OSV maps

Lassen National Forest became the second forest in the region to update its OSV policy when forest supervisor Deb Bumpus released her final decision on July 19, 2022. The selected alternative allocates 747,192 acres as open to OSV use, which represents 65 percent of the total forest. This is a 216,838 acre, or 22 percent, decrease from previous access.

Twelve-inch snow-pack minimums off trail and 6 inches on groomed trails are now required. While OSV use along the Pacific Crest Trail is prohibited by the National Trails System Act, 12 crossing points are designated. The plan outlines six specific OSV use areas including Ashpan, Bogard, Fredonyer, Jonesville, Morgan Summit and Swain Mountain.

The new policy is in effect for this winter. Lassen National Forest did not respond to request for comment on the plan.

Other District plans’ status

According to Forest officials, Eldorado and Tahoe National forests expect a decision on their plans sometime this year with implementation for winter 202324. Plumas National Forest is aiming for a decision by the end of 2024, pointing to recent wildfires as the reason OSV policy changes have taken a back seat.

“While we didn’t have big wildfires this season, the forest priority right now is community protection,

reducing fuel around communities to reduce the risk,” says Plumas public affairs officer Tamara Schmidt. “There is also repair and restoration work tied to those fires.”

The 6.3-million-acre Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the largest in the lower 48, has yet to commence its OSV policy analysis.

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit hopes to release a draft environmental assessment with possible alternatives by late 2023. There will be another period of public comment at that time.

“For almost each letter received by the Forest Service supporting one approach, there were also comments supporting the alternate viewpoint to the issues raised,” states a Dec. 20, 2022, Forest Service press release. “The Forest Service will be developing alternatives that include balanced approaches. Alternatives that globally favor one user group over another are not being considered. This will ensure that any alternative available for the Forest Supervisor to choose from could be truly implementable, provides high quality opportunities for all members of the public, and conserves natural resources.”

Of course, things could always get pushed back again. After all, many of these forest releases said the same thing last year.

“We’re waiting like everyone else,” says Page. “I think as a community everyone is frustrated it is taking as long as it has. But the agencies are underfunded. They have other priorities they are trying to deal with. All these forests were sort of the guinea pigs.” n

Backcountry Winter Survival Tips

BY PRIYA HUTNER

It’s a beautiful day, a fresh layer of snow blankets the mountains and forests. It’s the perfect opportunity to get into the woods, skin a mountain or take a snowshoe hike. Going out in the backcountry offers a sense of solace, beauty and awe, but if you aren’t paying attention to the weather, it can be a life-threatening situation.

Weather in Tahoe changes rapidly and getting caught in a snowstorm can be problematic. Getting lost in a storm happens, whether one is at a ski resort, in the backcountry or taking a hike in the meadow.

Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue (TNSAR) is one of the local organizations at the forefront of searching for people who get lost in the winter or summer. They also educate people about what they need and what to do if they find themselves lost.

Tell someone your plan

According to Sarah Krammen, a board member of TNSAR and an A team skier for the organization, one of the most important things when venturing out into the backcountry is to tell someone. TNSAR volunteers go out in the worst conditions imaginable looking for people who get lost.

“Having a buddy, telling a friend or putting your plan somewhere is important. We end up going out to search for someone who generally told their wife what trailhead they were going to and we find their car, but then the question is, ‘Where did they go?’” says Krammen.

“Be prepared for not what you think is going to happen but be prepared for what you would have to deal with in the event of an injury or equipment malfunction.”

— Eric Petlock

Tahoe Nordic Searh & Rescue | TNSR

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Be prepared for any weather

Whether you are backcountry skiing, cross-country touring, snowmobiling, hunting or snowshoeing, it’s essential to check the weather and be prepared. Even when venturing out for a couple of hours in familiar territory, bad weather can quickly become a challenging situation.

“Be prepared for the weather. Make sure you have something that you use to get warm. Pack an extra puffy, carry hand and toe warmer packets and a lighter to start a fire,” says Krammen.

Krammen recommends carrying a mini Garmin that links to a satellite and is helpful in the event the cell phone dies or doesn’t work. TNSAR uses the tracking app, Cal Topo, which helps the team keep in touch with each other and track a lost person.

STOP if lost

What is the best approach if you get lost or injured while recreating? Krammen says that TNSAR uses the STOP acronym: Stop, Think, Observe and Plan. Stay put. Evaluate your options. Check the surroundings and equipment and formulate an action plan.

If you are stuck or lost in a storm, Krammen says, call 911. If you need to shelter, it’s important to know that it’s hard to find someone under a tree. Set up clear markers with branches making an X or tie a piece of clothing to mark where you are.

Krammen says that if you get lost, avoid assuming you need to go downhill. Follow your tracks back if they aren’t covered by snow. Look for lights to guide you back to the ski resort, road or house. Make sure to keep warm.

Avy courses, gear essential

Backcountry skiing has grown in popularity and with more people visiting the Tahoe region, it’s important to understand what to do when issues arise. For backcountry skiers, avalanche courses and proper gear are a must. Eric Petlock has been ski guiding in the backcountry for 30 years.

“There are a couple of really important things for people to be aware of. The first is to realize how easy it is to get disoriented when in the backcountry,” says Petlock.

He suggests using an app such as Gaia, onX, CalTopo or the iPhone mapping app and knowing how to use them and how to read a map. Petlock suggests setting a pin on your phone for the location of your car.

When he backcountry skis, he brings a small, insulated inflatable air mattress, which can keep someone off the snow in the event of an injury.

“When backcountry skiing, the possibility of injury is higher. The possibility of equipment malfunction is higher. And you’re generally much farther away from help. Either an equipment malfunction or a minor injury can create a serious situation,” he says. “Be prepared for not what you think is going to happen but be prepared for what you would have to deal with in the event of an injury or equipment malfunction.”

Jeff Brunings spends a lot of time in the backcountry. He suggests if you are going into the backcountry alone, leave a temporary voicemail recording on your phone that says what you are doing: “I’m heading out to Judah Peak and I’ll be back by 4 p.m.”

If your cell phone dies, people will receive a voicemail message and realize you might be in trouble. | tahoenordicsar.org n

resources

AIARE courses avtraining.org

Avalanche information & education avalanche.org

Backcountry shuttle (530) 550-5300

Sierra Avalanche Training Center sierraavalanchecenter.org

Sno-Park Permits (916) 324-1222, ohv.parks.ca.gov

Tahoe Backcountry Alliance tahoebackcountryalliance.org

Take Care Tahoe backcountry safety takecaretahoe.org/backcountry

Tahoe Rim Trail Association tahoerimtrail.org

Photo:

Backcountry mapping apps critical tool

The key advantage to nextgeneration mapping tools revolves around route planning. Instead of plotting lines from point A to point B on a digital map, the snap-to feature wraps a potential route around terrain contours providing a more accurate estimate of distance and travel time.

mapping apps

CalTopo

$50/year | caltopo.com

FatMap

$31.65/year | fatmap.com

GaiaGPS

$27.99/year | gaiagps.com

onX Backcountry

$29.99/year | onxmaps.com

Backcountry

mapping apps are a critical tool for exploring, planning and tracking your next adventure. Handheld navigation has evolved from the basics of displaying current location or logging trip distance. Now you can add map layers for aspect and slope angle to help determine a safer approach to an objective. The latest app additions include trip sharing and snow depth to discover new terrain.

With these insightful layers and the ability to glean social beta, today’s mapping apps improve a traveler’s backcountry calculus. And, as with any decision, the more information you have, the better decisions you can make.

In years past, backcountry route planning involved translating the contours of a topographic map. A traveler would estimate the climb and ballpark the travel time (several hours, all day?). Do those bunched lines indicate a rollover, a cliff band or a fun run?

Fast forward to powerful navigation tools in our hands and pockets and a lifetime of routes become more accessible. In recent years, new players such as onX Backcountry and FatMap have joined more established mapping tools like GaiaGPS and CalTopo to create an arms race of features, layers and real-time information integration.

These and other mapping apps offer the basics for free. But spend $30 to $50 for an annual subscription to unlock professional toolkits of information and downloadable maps for offline use. All four apps featured here offer similar capabilities with some bells and whistles that make each unique. Take advantage of free trials to compare what interface and features appeal to you.

The key advantage to next-generation mapping tools revolves around route planning. Instead of plotting lines from point A to point B on a digital map, the snap-to feature wraps a potential route around terrain contours providing a more accurate estimate of distance and travel time. Use color-shaded overlays such as slope angle and aspect to avoid tracks below steeper avalanche terrain or slopes that may undergo rapid warming during the day.

GaiaGPS at different times, he found himself using CalTopo exclusively by the end of the trip. He says CalTopo is a powerful tool that uses high-resolution elevation data.

“It can help you pick out microterrain more readily and help you avoid cliff bands when setting an up track,” he says. “OnX is a great tool for folks just starting to get into maps. And GaiaGPS is a happy medium.”

Chris Rochefort, director of huts, camping, facilities and external events for Tahoe Donner Land Trust, likes the vivid, 3D imagery of FatMap. He is also a fan of the avalanche terrain layer.

“It’s detailed and clearly shows where problematic areas are and how to skirt around them,” he says. This tool highlights in 3D the gradients most likely to cause an avalanche, between 25° and 45º.

In addition to making a day in the backcountry safer, these platforms also help users discover new routes and terrain. On opening the app, onX offers trail suggestions for the immediate area. FatMap features shared trip reports from other adventurers and guidebooks, a collection of must-do routes for specific regions.

There is a deep knowledge base to learn more about the tools and features for each platform. GaiaGPS offers a wealth of articles and blog posts. Check out FatMaps’ YouTube channel or onX’s masterclasses. Smith recommends CalTopo’s Instagram feed for weekly nuggets of tips and info.

Whatever app you choose, buy or print out a paper map and carry a compass because as Rochefort says, “Printed maps don’t run out of battery power.”

“Go out into the mountains with more than one tool. And the most important tool you can use is your brain.” n

American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education (AIARE) instructor Jason Smith with Blackbird Mountain Guides compared several apps on a recent trip to Frog Lake Huts. After pulling up onX and

FROM LEFT: Using onX in the field. Aspect in CalTopo. Aspect in FatMap. Slope angle in FatMap. Snow depth in FatMap. | John Crockett

STORY & PHOTOS BY JOHN CROCKETT

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE

Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com/ Events to add your Event for our print & online calendars.

THE makers

Tahoe Dragon

NEW VIDEO GAME BASED ON TAHOE LORE

BY KAYLA ANDERSON | IMAGES COURTESY TREVOR SNOWDEN

BURKHART TO SIGN NEW BOOK

Hans Burkhart, an accomplished ski and aerial lift builder, recently released “Above and Beyond: My Life Giving the World a Lift.” In his autobiography as told to Peter Bansen, Burkhart talks about his life, adventures and projects, including building signature aerial tramways in Olympic Valley and Snowbird, Utah, as well as other iconic projects. He will be signing his book on Jan. 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Gallery Keoki in the Village at Palisades Tahoe. | gallerykeoki.com

the arts

Sierra Native Alliance MMIW Quilt Exhibit

Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District, Truckee, 8 a.m., (530) 582-7720, tdrpd.org

Winter in Lake Tahoe Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, 11 a.m., northtahoemuseums.org

Tahoe Transformations Community Exhibit

Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., northtahoemuseums.org

At Home: Functional Art in Lake Tahoe Cabins Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., northtahoemuseums.org

Incline Village Knitters Guild

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Incline Village, Fridays, 1 p.m., (775) 831-1418, tahoeepiscopal.org

Meet the Artist: Ray Goodluck

Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery, South Lake Tahoe, Jan. 14-15, noon to 5 p.m., (530) 544-4278, marcusashley.com

Public Tour

Truckee Roundhouse Makerspace, Saturdays, 1 p.m., (530) 582-4007, truckeeroundhouse.org

Hans Burkhart Book Signing

Gallery Keoki, Olympic Valley, Jan. 14, 3 p.m., (530) 414-8500, gallerykeoki.com

Will Barber Artist’s Reception

Incline Village Library, Incline Village, Jan. 24, 6 p.m., (775) 832-4130, washoecountylibrary.us/ libraries/incline-village.php

The year is 2042 and an earthquake in the Tahoe Basin dislodges large rocks underneath Big Blue’s surface, unleashing a creature that had been trapped below. This is the premise of a new video game “Tahoe Dragon: The Beginning” created by South Lake Tahoe resident Trevor Snowden, aka Trev Air.

“I’ve had this idea in my head since the 80s,” says Snowden who grew up in the area. He and his team of video game builders took local folklore, rumors and speculation about what resides in Lake Tahoe and used it to create “Tahoe Dragon.”

It took Snowden two years to create the video game after a friend told him about a game creation platform that was free to use. He grew up on Activision, Atari and Sega Genesis video games and was always attracted to open environment/sandbox type of games such as Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Grand Theft Auto. He’s admittedly not a computer programmer, but the graphics game engine he found made it possible for his storyline to come to life in an engaging, interactive way.

“This new software is amazing. Like with an Xbox or PlayStation, you knew when a new game came out it was going to be cool because it came from those big companies, like how this one was made. And the storytelling is insane; you can create whatever you

want,” Snowden says. “Unreal Engine, Epic Games and Fiverr allowed me to create this. This next generation of tech companies is mind-boggling.”

With his idea, he put together a team of video game builders that he found through the freelancing website Fiverr. However, that could be a story all on its own considering his two main programmers were from Russia and Ukraine. When the war broke out, the Russian freelancer’s profile was pulled off the Fiverr platform, threatening to stall progress on the game.

“We were all getting along just fine before the war,” he says. However, Snowden pushed on. “I had fun creating it, but it’s almost like ‘Tahoe Dragon’ created itself,” he says. “I had a natural gut feeling and started throwing things in there and it all kind of unfolded on its own.”

Snowden described the process of making the game, how he wanted to make the environment look like South Lake Tahoe but that he was limited on what kind of assets he could use.

He said the images were like products: the better the quality, the more they cost. He also had to consider how much space the game would take up on a computer drive and how long it would take to load.

“I was limited. For instance, I would find some water that was brown and murky; it looked nothing like Lake

Tahoe. I had to make some concessions, but it was vital that I had a cool dragon and a cool environment.”

In my opinion the graphics are well done and anyone with an affinity to Tahoe and its lore will recognize the place. Companies such as Sierra Ski & Cycle Works, Lake Tahoe Adventures, Lake Tahoe Television and Cannablue are featured, along with some familiar-sounding places such as Harvics, Rally’s and Soft Rock. It’s campy, fun and a game for everyone.

“There’s a lot of comedy, puns and secret meanings in there,” Snowden says. He unabashedly considers this game a novelty, a collector’s item and believes he’s teed it up to be a cult classic. He does admit that he’s had some naysayers, to whom he says, “Don’t hate, create.”

“I honestly don’t care what people think. I just wanted to make a game about Tahoe. There are so many games about zombies and war, but where else can you be the beast and kill people? And I’m a character in the game so I’m immortalized forever and my haters can kill me.” he says, laughing. “I did everything I thought I was going to do and more. Now that I made it through and have the game, the next version of ‘Tahoe Dragon’ will be easier. Now I’m just chilling to see what the public thinks of it.” | tahoedragon.com n

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

FROM LFET: “Tahoe Dragon” game elements. “Tahoe Dragon” poster. | Courtesy Trevor Snowden

THE lineup

Afroman

WHEN RAP, COMEDY MEET

BY SEAN MCALINDIN

Jan. 13 | 10 p.m. | Whiskey Dick’s | South Lake Tahoe Jan. 14 | 8 p.m. | Virginia Street Brewhouse | Reno, Nev.

The artist and presidential candidate who gained famed with the 2001 hit “Because I Got High” is coming to the Tahoe Sierra this month.

Joseph Edgar Foreman, better known as Afroman, has crooned his distinctive brand of rap and comedy since growing up in South Central Los Angeles in the late 1970s and early 80s where the roots of hip-hop saturated the soundscape. He collected cassette tapes by rap pioneers such as Run-D.M.C., Eric B. & Rakim, Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J, but his biggest inspiration was Too Short.

“They all had this Colgate smile, but Too Short was a rapper with messed up teeth,” he says. “I had sentimental connections to him. He looked like one of the dudes around the corner from my house. He didn’t wait for a record label. He started selling out the trunk of his car. I thought it was the most unstoppable plan.”

Afroman wrote his first rap in elementary school as way to get back at a school bully.

“This girl had these real nice clothes and used to pick on everybody,” he says. “I didn’t know what say to her, she was so perfect and mean. Then I noticed she had a nice little moustache. So, I turned the song “La Di Da Di” [by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick] into ‘Hairy Carrie.’ It made the whole school laugh.”

At age 13, Afroman moved to Palmdale where he was suspended for sagging his pants. Sitting at home, he made up a song about the teacher who reported him, recorded it onto cassette tapes and sold it to his classmates. Rap, for Afroman, has always been a defense mechanism.

“A skunk has its spray,” he says. “If you mess with me, I rap about your ass. It works. It’s funny.”

After dropping out of high school, Afroman moved to Hattiesburg, Miss., where he recorded “Because I Got High” on a digital 8-track. The song was a breakout hit that earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. He signed to Universal Records and continued to make music on his own.

“You can have talent and be snobby and cocky and people won’t like you even though you’re talented and you can do it,” he says. “You can be less talented but mean something from the bottom of your heart and people and will adore you. It’s just something I’ve noticed in life.”

In the past few years, Afroman has released a large backlog of recordings on streaming platforms to the public. His latest LP, “Lemon Pound Cake,” makes fun of an unsuccessful August 2022 narcotics raid on his Ohio home.

“You can have talent and be snobby and cocky and people won’t like you even though you’re talented and you can do it. You can be less talented but mean something from the bottom of your heart and people and will adore you. It’s just something I’ve noticed in life.”

— Afroman

“It’s like this, brother,” says the potential “pot head of state.” “It’s a show. I’m going for it and if I make president, I make president. If I don’t, hopefully it was a nice publicity stunt. This is my country and I love my country. After we get the love going, we’ll start moving the country wherever it needs to go.”

Afroman brings his musical campaign to several regional venues this month

along with Reno indie hip-hop trio Glass Tung, hippie rapper KID Lennon and other special guests.

“I play the guitar,” he says. “I tell jokes. We sing the classic songs. I show you a good time and a classic hip-hop party.” | ogafroman.com n

“I’m a rapper, man,” he says with a deep laugh. “I like living in my supernatural fantasy world. I get high, I make music and I love to create.”

Afroman announced in December that he is running for president in 2024. His presidential platform include cannabis legalization, criminal justice reform, reparations for descendants of slaves, decriminalization of prostitution, improvement to the mental health system, the immediate halt of all foreign aid and legalization of end-zone dancing in football.

live music | shows | nightlife festivals | entertainment

Afroman

SUBMIT

EVENTS

Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com/ Events to add your Event for our print & online calendars.

STANDUP COMEDY

Jan. 14 | Bally’s Lake Tahoe | Stateline, Nev.

CARROT TOP

ELECTROGRASS

Jan. 24 | Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que | Tahoe City

DIRTWIRE

liveWEDNESDAY, JAN. 11

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Live Music With Ben Fuller

CB’s Bistro, Carnelian Bay, 6-8 p.m.

Wolves & Friends Live

The Good Wolf, Truckee, 6:30 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

of The Dogon Lights and Mark

of Sol Norda all studied at California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita. Now their trio, Dirtwire, combines those influences with an eclectic array of world instruments and electronic beats to explore a sonic world of back-porch, space-cowboy blues, swamptronica and electro-twang.

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Rustler’s Moon

Bar of America, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Haus of Hunks: Male Revue

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 13

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 7 p.m.

Tainted Love

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Dueling Pianos

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 p.m.

Live Music With Brother Dan Palmer

Grand Lodge Casino, Incline Village, 9 p.m.

Arty the Party

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 15

Brunch + Beats

Stateline location, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Music

Comedian and all-around character Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson has been entertaining audiences around the world for three decades. Since 2005, fans have flocked to his residency at Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to catch comedy’s King of Props induce sidesplitting laughter with his current take on pop culture, music and headlines of the day. He makes a special one-night-only appearance on the South Shore. | casinos.ballys.com

AMERICANA

Jan. 21 | Crystal Bay Casino | Crystal Bay, Nev.

DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS

They’re joined by Boulder, Colo., DJ Bloomurian, who supplies multidimensional frequencies to cultivate a blossoming heart, mind, body and soul and pollinate the polyphonic paradigm. | moesbbqtahoe.com

VINTAGE ROCK

Jan. 19-21 | Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats | Truckee

ERIC ROEBUCK BAND

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon Groove Session

Alpine Bar, Alpine, 2 p.m.

Friday Concert Series

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley, 4 p.m.

Friday Night DJ

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 5:30 p.m.

Karaoke Night | Brewery & Barrel House

Brewery & Barrel House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Apres Ski Fridays

Riva Grill, South Lake Tahoe, 6:30 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 p.m.

Live Music With Brother Dan Palmer

Grand Lodge Casino, Incline Village, 9 p.m.

Arty the Party

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m.

Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

Afroman

Eric Roebuck is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter, guitarist and

Local legends Dead Winter Carpenters are led by fiddler Jenni Charles and guitarist Jesse Dunn. Since 2010, they have delighted music lovers from coast to coast while representing the Tahoe Sierra as one of its most successful touring bands. They make a return to the Crown Room with Grass Valley jamgrassers, Caltucky. | crystalbaycasino.com

player rooted in Southern California. Taking notes from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Band, Dr. John, Little Feat and Taj Mahal, Roebuck channels classic motifs for the modern era. His debut album, “Need a Change,” is a hard-hitting, guitar-driven journey that intertwines these sounds into a fresh, yet nostalgic musical cocktail that could be 1972 or 2025. | moodysbistro.com

Whiskey Dicks Saloon, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Brunch + Beats

Stateline location, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Drag Brunch

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 10:30 a.m.

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Brrr-Roque Masters (South Lake Tahoe)

Lake Tahoe Comm. Presbyterian, S.Lake Tahoe, 3 p.m. Carrot Top

Bally’s, Stateline, 4:30 p.m.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe 25th Anniversary Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 7 p.m.

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Sunday Concert Series

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley, 2 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m.

9 Ball Pool Tourney

Pete ‘n Peter’s Sports & Spirits, Tahoe City, 6 p.m.

Sunday Bluegrass Jam | Truckee Public House

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6-9 p.m.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe 25th Anniversary Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Live & Local Music Series: Jason King Trio Tahoe Tap Haus, Tahoe City, 7-9:30 p.m.

Live Band Karaoke

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Dueling Pianos

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 16

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Open Stage Mondays | Truckee Public House

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JAN. 17

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Tuesday Night Blues

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

David Satori of Beats Antique, Evan Fraser

Reveley

keyboard

Carrot Top

Dirtwire

Eric Roebuck Band

Dead Winter Carpenters

TUESDAYS TRUCKEE | 4–5pm Warehouse, 12116 Chandelle Way, Unit 2D

WEDNESDAYS K INGS BEACH | 3–4:30pm Community House, 265 Bear St

THURSDAYS INCLINE VILLAGE | 2:30–3:30pm St. Patrick’s Church, 341 Village Blvd

FROM PAGE 27

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Live Music With Bentley Palfreyman

CB’s Bistro, Carnelian Bay, 6-8 p.m. Wolves & Friends Live

The Good Wolf, Truckee, 6:30 p.m.

Railroad Earth

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Rustler’s Moon

Bar of America, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Haus of Hunks: Male Revue

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 8 p.m. Eric Roebuck Band

Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee, 8 p.m. Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 20

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon Lindsay and the Cheeks

Alpine Bar, Alpine, 2 p.m. Friday Concert Series

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley, 4 p.m.

Friday Night DJ

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 5:30 p.m. Karaoke Night | Brewery & Barrel House

Brewery & Barrel House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Apres Ski Fridays

Riva Grill, South Lake Tahoe, 6:30 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 7 p.m. Eric Roebuck Band

Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 p.m.

Live Music With Brother Dan Palmer

Grand Lodge Casino, Incline Village, 9 p.m.

Arty the Party

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m.

Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Brunch + Beats

Stateline location, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drag Brunch

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 10:30 a.m.

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m. Don Felder

Bally’s, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Dead Winter Carpenters w/ Caltucky Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 7 p.m. Eric Roebuck Band

Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Dueling Pianos

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 p.m.

Live Music With Brother Dan Palmer

Grand Lodge Casino, Incline Village, 9 p.m.

Arty the Party

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Kyle Smith

Whiskey Dick’s, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

Brunch + Beats

Stateline location, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m. Wizard of Oz

Truckee Community Theater, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Sunday Concert Series

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley, 2 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m.

9 Ball Pool Tourney

Pete ‘n Peter’s Sports & Spirits, Tahoe City, 6 p.m.

Sunday Bluegrass Jam | Truckee Public House

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6-9 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Live & Local Music Series:

Mighty Mike Schermer

Tahoe Tap Haus, Tahoe City, 7-9:30 p.m.

Live Band Karaoke

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Dueling Pianos

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 23

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Open Stage Mondays | Truckee Public House

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Magic Fusion Starring Eric Buss

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

Tuesday Night Blues

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Dirtwire

Moe’s Original Bar B Que, Tahoe City, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

Live Music

Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, noon

Lettuce w/ Kiefer

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m.

EAT & drink

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

Power food for the backcountry

BY PRIYA HUTNER

Tahoe is home to some of the most coveted backcountry skiing, and in the last decade, the sport has ballooned in popularity. Skinning up a mountain is work and eating well on an adventure of this nature is crucial. Depending on how long you are touring determines how much food to bring.

“Flat out bring food you want to eat, the food you like to eat,” says Mark Cionek, Palisades Tahoe ski patroller and former international climbing guide with 30 years of backcountry experience. Cionek often sets out for eighthour ski tours.

“If I am out skiing all day and doing multiple laps climbing 4 to 8,000 vertical feet, I typically take two sandwiches, one of which is meat and a PB&J and snacks,” says Cionek.

He loves roast beef or pastrami and makes his own trail mix, which generally consists of cashews, almonds, cranberries and sometimes pieces of chocolate. Other snacks might include cheese (he prefers gruyere), salami and Triscuits. He packs the box in his pack so they don’t get crushed.

“It’s all based on how much room is in the pack,” says Cionek, who also loves cold pizza and homemade jerky on his ski tours.

He says having high-protein snacks

gives him a lot of energy. Cionek warns that certain snacks like protein bars and candy bars can freeze. He suggests cutting them into smaller pieces and keeping them in your jacket where it is warm. Cionek is the type of backcountry skier who likes to keep moving. He stops every hour, taking 10- to 15-min-

LEFT: A roast beef sandwich is one of ski patroller Mark Cionek’s favorite backcountry lunches. | Priya Hutner

ABOVE: Mark Cionek on a backcountry ski tour. | Courtesy Mark Cionek

Twix bars are one of his favorite snacks to keep in his jacket because they freeze. He also packs some emergency energy food like Gu Energy Gel. Cionek eats a hearty breakfast and downs a liter of water before going on his ski tour. He refrains from using a bladder for water because, invariably, they freeze. He uses a Nalgene for water. If you choose a bladder, ensure it’s insulated and suitable for winter.

“The key is to eat every hour or hour and a half. Sometimes the terrain does not dictate where to stop. So, keep that in mind,” he says.

He keeps water and snacks in his car for when he is finished his outdoor excursions.

Homemade Beef Jerky

Courtesy Alison Bermant

2 lbs. lean ground beef

2 T Morton’s Tender Quick

2 T Cajun-style Jerky seasoning

ute breaks for a snack or half of his sandwich, which he suggests cutting before packing. He carries a liter of water and a liter of hot sweet tea in a thermos — Earl Grey with honey is one of his favorites.

“It’s important to think in advance. If it’s cold out, keep foods that may freeze in an inside layer of your jacket,” he says.

Many backcountry enthusiasts suggest drinking a half-liter of liquid per hour of moderate ski touring. If you plan to be out longer than an hour and a half, consider adding electrolytes to your water. Eating healthy food instead of processed foods is another way to maximize nutritional benefits. But again, food is fuel, and as Cionek says, eat what you enjoy. Nutrition and energy are essential to keep from bonking. n

Mix ingredients in a bowl. If using a jerky gun, load the gun with the mixture and press through gun into 4-inch- or 5-inch-long strips onto a dehydrator. Dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours. Pat grease with a paper towel halfway through the process.

If not using a jerky gun, preheat oven to 175° F. Spread the mixture on wax or parchment paper and cover the mixture with another layer of wax paper. Roll the mixture with a rolling pin and flatten it into ¼-inch-thick strips. Line a baking sheet aluminum foil. Place a baking rack over the baking tray and lay strips on the rack. Cook for 4 hours.

“It’s important to think in advance. If it’s cold out, keep foods that may freeze in an inside layer of your jacket.”

- Mark Cionek

BY KAYLA ANDERSON

In October, before the snow started falling, Jeff and Justin Kaplan were serving bagel sandwiches at the finish line of the 2022 Lake Tahoe Marathon.

I had heard of Tahoe Bagel Co. a few months before that, while I was eating Asian noodles at Lotus Pho 2. The guy sitting next to me told me about this bagel shop that was so popular when they opened during the pandemic that the brothers had to open a second location on the Nevada side, up Kingsbury Grade.

Despite many businesses shutting down due to COVID-19, they continued to build out that first shop and opened in October 2020. They sold out of bagels by 12:30 p.m.

The Kaplans were born and raised in New Jersey, 40 minutes away from Philadelphia. Their great-grandparents owned bakeries in New Jersey and New York for more than 50 years.

Justin moved to South Lake Tahoe 10 years ago, with Jeff following in 2016. But when Jeff blew out his knee snowboarding on an employee ski day and was laid up on the couch for 2½ months, he realized he wanted to start something of his own. He asked his brother: “What’s the first thing we always eat when we go to New Jersey?”

Justin replied: “Bagels. Then pizza.” Soon after that, Justin started baking and learning with how to make bagels

for eight months that were like the bagels they ate in Jersey. He went back to the East Coast to work at various delis to learn the logistics of running a bagel shop. In December 2019, they broke ground on their first Tahoe Bagel Co. location in South Lake Tahoe.

And then, COVID happened.

“We thought, did we just throw everything we worked on out the window?” Jeff says.

Despite many businesses shutting down due to COVID-19, they continued to build out that first shop and opened in October 2020. They sold out of bagels by 12:30 p.m.

“We made 400 to 500 bagels for that first day, but we just got busier and busier,” Jeff says.

They have a menu that you wouldn’t find at a typical bagel shop, including the famous Philly cheesesteak.

Tahoe Bagel Co. was so consistently busy that the Kaplans realized they needed a bigger space and soon opened a second location Kingsbury Grade in May 2022.

At the Kingsbury Grade location, families, teenagers and couples continuously filter in. I ordered a Back 2 Life bagel sandwich, complete with two breakfast meats, cheese, hash browns, egg and hot sauce. I ordered it with the pork roll, savory, tender and a little salty. The whole shebang was at least an inch thick on a fresh-tasting jalapeño cheddar bagel. Even though it was toward the end of the day the bagel tasted as if it had just come out of the oven.

The brothers reintroduced the breakfast bagel to provide something quick and easy with which to fuel up, before enjoying the outdoors.

“We’ve been lucky that the community loves our product,” Jeff says. | tahoebagelco.com n

Justin, left, and Jeff Kaplan of Tahoe Bagel Co. | Kayla Anderson