Winter Travel in The Sierra

GEToutside

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

Winter Travel Tips

KNOW WHEN TO STAY HOME

BY KATHERINE E. HILL

Ilove living in a beautiful mountain paradise. And, I get to live here, because of the visitors and vacation homeowners that choose to spend their vacations in the Tahoe Sierra.

As much as we all enjoy having visitors travel to Tahoe to recreate beside us, which in turn enables locals to live here yearround, I have to tell you that sometimes we need you to stay home. Sometimes it’s too dangerous to travel in the Sierra and it’s important to know when to come for a visit and when to stay home.

Acceptance

The No. 1 thing you can do is accept that you may not be able to come to Tahoe when you want. Or you may not be able to leave Tahoe once you arrive. Your safety is always the highest priority.

Be prepared to delay or extend your vacation a day or two. Or you may even need to reschedule your trip completely.

Find Driving Tips in our “Winter Preparedness Guide” at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Know the forecast

Know the weather forecast for the day you plan to travel to Tahoe and the day you plan to return from Tahoe whether you are driving or flying. Check the NOAA forecast in advance and then watch it closely. Storms in the Sierra can speed up and descend a day or two earlier than anticipated or linger for days longer that expected.

And be aware that the weather on the South Shore can be vastly different than the weather on the North Shore.

Courtesy CHP Truckee

Know the road conditions

Make sure the road you are planning to use is open. Even a small amount of snow can close mountain passes for extended periods of time.

Check Caltrans and NDOT for road conditions, but I also recommend checking the CHP-Truckee and CHP-South Lake Tahoe Facebook pages. They provide realtime updates of conditions on Interstate 80 and Highway 50 – our primary roads. This information is provided by locals familiar with snowy conditions so heed their advice.

There are NO backroads

There are only four roads into and out of the region: Interstate 80, Highway 50, Highway 431 (Mt. Rose) and Highway 207 (Kingsbury).

There’s no backroads. There’s no short cuts. That’s it. Four roads.

You must use one of these roads to get to Tahoe.

Don’t trust your map app

Your map app is a flawed software program that doesn’t distinguish between a safe, passable highway or an off-road dirt lane that you need a rock crawler to drive on. Seriously.

From Interstate 80, there’s only two roads to get to the North Shore – Highways 89 and 267. So, if your app tries to give you a shortcut from I-80, don’t follow it.

If your app tells you to travel on a road other than the four roads above to get to Tahoe – don’t believe it. During a snow storm, you will become trapped and could die.

Don’t believe me? Read our story online about the Stolpa Family who tried to use a backroad to get around a closed I-80 in 1992 and became trapped for 8 days in the snow with their 5-month-old and nearly died.

Neighborhood roads are traps

We have amazing crews that work around the clock for days on end clearing state and local roads during storms. But they focus on the primary highways first, which means neighborhood streets may go days without being plowed. So, don’t travel through neighborhoods during closures or chain controls – you will get stuck.

I’ve experienced several snow storms where I was unable to leave my house for three days and had to cross-country ski to a market a few miles away for supplies because the roads in my neighborhood weren’t plowed.

Expect delays & outages

We received a record-breaking 214 inches of snow in December, which is great for winter sports and our snowpack. But all that snow has nearly crippled our infrastructure.

Road closures | Secondary roads will have limited and delayed travel until March just to deal with downed trees from the Christmas storm including Highways 20, 49, 174 and 193.

Avalanche danger | Neighborhoods and highways throughout the region were closed and evacuated due to avalanche danger during the recent storms and this may happen at any time including along Highway 50, Interstate 80, Emerald Bay on Highway 89, and in Olympic Valley, Alpine Meadows and Incline Village.

Outages | Power and internet can go down in Tahoe anytime from snow storms, high winds or downed trees. Have supplies on hand for several days at a time, consider installing a home generator and be patient. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to prepare a Home Disaster Kit.

Know when to turn around

Turning around is the single best thing you can do to ensure your safety and your sanity. If spending 16 hours in your car traveling from the Bay Area to Tahoe sounds like fun, then by all means go right ahead. But that’s a hard no for me. Here’s my test for turning around: 1. If you need to put chains on, turn around. 2. If you spend hours getting between two exits, turn around. 3. If you need a restroom and you’re at a standstill for hours, turn around at the first chance. n

ROAD CONDITIONS

CALIFORNIA

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

Homewood releases anniversary film

Homewood Mountain Resort has released a short film in honor of its 60th anniversary season. The film, along with its Homewood History project, are available online for free. | skihomewood.com

Peter Grub,

Bradley huts open

The Sierra Club has reopened the Peter Grub and Bradley back-country huts for winter use and reservations are being accepted. The Benson and Ludlow huts remain closed. As well, Clair Tappaan and Hutchinson lodges on Donner Summit remain closed for the winter. However, reservations are being taken for an anticipated reopening later this year. Reservation information is available online. | clairtappaanlodge.com

New owners for Cedar House

Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee has been purchased by Gravity Haus, which brands itself as a social club offering its members discounts for lodging, food and amenities. However, membership is not required to stay at one of its properties.

Gravity Haus plans to operate the property as Cedar House through the ski season and will begin a property improvement plan and add additional Gravity Haus member amenities this year to include the StarterHaus Co-Working Space, dryland fitness, and a new food and beverage concept, according to its newsletter.

The on-site restaurant, Stella, will also operate on its current schedule. Dinner with full table service and curated wine menu will start soon. | gravityhaus.com, cedarhousesporthotel.com