November 17 to December 7, 2021 by Tahoe Guide (Tahoe Weekly)

november 17-december 7, 2021

local. independent. fresh.

the original guide to tahoe & truckee since 1982

21st annual

downhill ski guide magic of

sierra-at-tahoe endures

musical reflections of

sadie tucker

film recounts

alpine meadows avalanche how lake tahoe was formed north shore’s

brewery scene

LEGENDARY TERRAIN AT A STEEP DISCOUNT TAHOE SUPER 4-PACK

The famous Tahoe Super 4-Pack is back. Ski or ride 4 days this winter for as little as $88/day. New this season, choose between the Tahoe Super 4-Pack with no blackout dates or the Midweek 4-Pack for even more savings.

PALISADESTAHOE.COM/4PACK

fun. unique. everywhere.

November 17-December 7, 2021 Lanny Johnson

Volume 40 | Issue 23

P.O. Box 154 | Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 (530) 546-5995 | f (530) 546-8113 TheTahoeWeekly.com Facebook.com/TheTahoeWeekly @TheTahoeWeekly

SUBMISSIONS Events & Entertainment Submit at TheTahoeWeekly.com Click on Events Calendar Editorial Inquiries editor@tahoethisweek.com Entertainment Inquiries entertainment@tahoethisweek.com

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

in this issue

NOVEMBER 17-DECEMBER 7, 2021

Art Director Alyssa Ganong production@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 106 Entertainment Editor Sean McAlindin entertainment@tahoethisweek.com Food & Well Being Editor Priya Hutner priya@tahoethisweek.com Family Editor Michelle Allen michelle@tahoethisweek.com Copy Editor Katrina Veit Contributing Writers John Dee, Barbara Keck, Bruce Ajari, Mark McLaughlin, David “Smitty” Smith, Priya Hutner, Katrina Veit, Kayla Anderson, Lou Phillips, Sean McAlindin, Tim Hauserman, Alex Green, Lisa Michelle, Cam Schilling, Alex Silgalis

bears & wildlife BEAR EMERGENCIES BEAR League (530) 525-7297 (24 hours) | savebears.org A bear walking nearby or through your yard is not an emergency unless it is trying to enter your home or car. INJURED ANIMALS Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center, South Shore (530) 577-2273 | ltwc.org The Wildlife Shelter, North Shore (866) 307-4216

TAHOE WEEKLY is published weekly throughout the summer and biweekly the rest of the year, with occassional extra issues at holiday times by Range of Light Media Group, Inc. Look for new issues on Wednesdays. Subscribe to the free digital edition at issuu.com/ TheTahoeWeekly. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com. TAHOE WEEKLY, est. 1982, ©2007. Reproduction in whole or in part without publisher’s express permission is prohibited. Contributions welcome via e-mail. The Weekly is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Member: North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, North Tahoe Business Association, Incline Community Business Association, Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, Tahoe City Downtown Association, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, Tahoe South Chamber of Commerce and Alpine County Chamber of Commerce. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Please recycle your copy.

… the mighty Sierra, miles in height, and so gloriously colored and so radiant, it seemed not clothed with light but wholly composed of it, like the wall of some celestial city... Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. –John Muir

Katherine E. Hill

Cath Howard | Sugar Bowl

Cover Photography production@tahoethisweek.com

FEATURES

TAHOE’S DOWNHILL SKI SEASON OPENS FROM THE PUBLISHER

Each November for the last 21 years, we’ve put together our annual Downhill Ski Guide, looking at each of the ski areas large and small from mega resorts spread across soaring mountain peaks to small, community nonprofits. I’ve penned most of those 21 guides through the years from the first one I started to this year’s guide and while it’s a monumental task each year, it’s also fun to see what’s in the works at the local ski areas. From a new name for an iconic ski resort to a new ski area that opened last winter, you’ll find information on lift and snowmaking improvements for this season and next, new eateries and some great deals. This year, we’ve also included a feature from Kathryn Reed on her love for the beleaguered Sierraat-Tahoe resort, which was damaged during the Caldor Fire this summer. The ski resort won’t open until early 2022 and Kathryn shares favorite memories of skiing at Sierra in “Magic of Sierra-At-Tahoe endures.”

SKIER VISITS ON THE RISE One interesting side effect of the pandemic has been the increase in people enjoying outdoor sports, including a 22 percent increase in skier visits in California and Nevada during the 2020-21 season, according to a report from the National Ski Areas Association. Skiing and snowboarding numbers have been declining for years, so it’s encouraging to the sport and the local economy to see a spike during the pandemic, even with restrictions in place at local ski areas last season. Most of those restrictions have been lifted, but many ski areas are limiting or have eliminated the sale of lift tickets onsite for day-of skiing. Nearly everything from tickets to rentals and lessons still require advance reservations online. Some will still require reservations or mobile ordering for food service and may require proof of vaccination for indoor dining. Check the restrictions at each resort before you visit. California still requires masks indoors for anyone who isn’t vaccinated, and Nevada currently requires masks for everyone indoors regardless of vaccinations status in the counties in the Tahoe region.

TAHOE’S WACKY WEATHER As the lifts start turning, Mark McLaughlin looks at Tahoe’s erratic weather from the winter of 2020-21 – the third driest on record – and a look ahead to 2021-22, which is forecast for a La Niña in “Tahoe’s weather outlook.” But, as Mark always says about forecasting the weather, “no one really knows.” 

How Lake Tahoe was Formed

Downhill Ski Guide

Sierra-At-Tahoe

Winter Weather

GET OUTSIDE Sightseeing

Lake Tahoe Facts

Events

FUN & GAMES Horoscope & Puzzles

THE LINEUP Sadie Tucker

Live

THE MAKERS “Buried” Film

The Arts

EAT & DRINK North Shore Breweries

Unknown Wines

Tasty Tidbits

Escarole and Beans

on the cover A skier enjoys a powder day on the Alpine Meadows side of the newly renamed Palisades Tahoe ski resort with views of Lake Tahoe in the background. Read more about changes at Palisades Tahoe and what to expect at all 17 of the Tahoe Sierra’s downhill ski areas in Tahoe Weekly’s 21st annual Downhill Ski Guide in this edition or at TheTahoeWeekly.com. | Courtesy Palisades Tahoe

LAKE LEVEL Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

Readings taken on Thursday, November 11, 2021 ELEVATION :

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

6,223.54 |

IN 2020:

C ACITY CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 ,8 BOCA 12,362 CAPA

Eagle Rock

West Shore

Eagle Rock, one of the lake’s famous natural sites, is a volcanic plug beside Highway 89 on the West Shore. TART

Explore Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 542-2908 | cityofslt.us Urban Trailhead at base of Heavenly Gondola with local exhibits and programs. South Tahoe

Fannette Island

Emerald Bay

(530) 541-3030 | parks.ca.gov Lake Tahoe’s only island is located in Emerald Bay & is home to an old tea house. Boat access only. (Closed Feb. 1-June 15 for nesting birds.)

Heavenly OPENS NOV. 19

South Lake Tahoe

(775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com Enjoy a 2.4-mile ride on the gondola to the top with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley. South Tahoe

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

Find more places to explore

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

North Tahoe Arts Center

(530) 581-2787 | northtahoearts.com Featuring exhibits of work by local artists and works for sale by local artists. TART

Tahoe Art League Gallery

$10 parking | parks.ca.gov (530) 525-7232 Park | (530) 583-9911 Tours Sugar Pine Point State Park is home to the historic Ehrman Mansion (open for tours in the summer), see boathouses with historic boats, and General Phipps Cabin built in the late 1800s. TART

Tahoe City

Truckee

FLOW AT FARAD

503

IN 2020:

Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS)

CAPACITY: C 226,500

6,225.81

225

200,000 AF

175

150,000 AF

125

Truckee River C ACITY CAPA CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 ,8 BOCA 12,362

6,223.54 |

TROA.NET

Measured in Acre Feet (AF)

Museum of Truckee History

Truckee

Vikingsholm Castle

Emerald Bay

200,000 AF

175

150,000 AF

CAPACITY: 29,840 2 PROSSER 11,061| truckee.com truckeehistory.org Thurs.-Mon. | (530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org The historic town of Truckee was settled Housed in the original Depot, built in 1901. Exhi5 DONNER 4,690 CCAPACITY: 9,500 in 1863, and grew quickly as a stagecoach bits cover different eras in Truckee history. TART stop and route for the CentralCCAPACITY: Pacific 18,300 Railroad. INDEPENDENCE 1,3763 During these early days, many of Truckee’s Old Jail Museum CLOSED Truckee CAPACITY: A 20,400 0 MARTIS 1,052 and historical homes buildings were built in(530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org cluding The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868). Stop by the Depot for a walking One of a few surviving 19th Century jailhouses | FLOW FARAD 503 Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) Truckee River tour of historic downtown. PaidAT parking downof its kind in the West used from 1875 TROA.NET until May 1964 (open for tours in summer). TART town. TART

Olympic Museum

Olympic Valley

Parking fee | Tours in summer only (530) 541-3030 | (530) 525-9529 ADA parks.ca.gov or vikingsholm.com Tour the grounds of Vikingsholm Castle, see Eagle Falls and Fannette Island (the Lake’s only island), home to an old Tea House, and explore snowshoeing trails. TART

(800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com Palisades Tahoe, host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games in 1960, celebrates its Olympic History with the symbolic Tower of Nations and Olympic Flame at the entrance to the valley. The Olympic Museum at High Camp features historic memorabilia and photographs. TART

Watson Cabin CLOSED

Tahoe Science Center

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 544-2313 | talart.org Featuring local artists, workshops. South Tahoe North Shore

visittahoecity.com Tahoe City is popular for shopping and dining with historical sites. At the junction of highways 89 & 28, visitors may see the Tahoe City Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and Fanny Bridge. Peer into Watson Cabin (1909) in the center of town for a glimpse at pioneer life. Free parking at Commons Beach, Grove Street, Jackpine Street, and 64 acres at Highways 89 & 28. TART

Tallac Historic Site West Shore

Tahoe City

ELEVATION :

125

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. TART

North Shore

Readings taken on Thursday, November 11, 2021

100,000 AF

Donner Summit

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

STAMPEDE 19,9661

Kings Beach

CAPACITY: 18,300 C

LAKE LEVEL A 20,400 0 MARTIS 1,052 CAPACITY: Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’ 75

(800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com Aerial tram rides with views of Lake Tahoe, Olympic Heritage Museum, ice skating, events and more. Ticket required. TART

Donner Summit, just west of Truckee, holds the record for the United States’ snowiest April. On April 1, 1880, a storm dumped 4’ of snow on the Sierra Nevada west slope within 24 hours. A massive snow slide near Emigrant Gap buried Central Pacific Railroad’s tracks under 75’ of snow, ice and rock. For the rest of the month, storm cycles continued to flow in, dropping a total of 298”.

Taking in a snowy sunset over Lake Tahoe from the top of Northstar. | Northstar California

CAPACITY: 9,500 C 5

INDEPENDENCE 1,3763

Olympic Valley

Drive through one of the area’s natural wonders at Cave Rock, the neck of an old volcano. The area is named for the small caves above Highway 50 that were cut by waves when Lake Tahoe was 200 feet higher during the ice ages. Truckee

CAPACITY: 29,840 2

High Camp

East Shore

Cave Rock

DONNER 4,690

CAPACITY: C 226,500

100,000 AF

ATTRACTIONS

PROSSER 11,061

Measured in Acre Feet (AF)

SIGHTSEEING

STAMPEDE 19,9661

6,225.81

225

TheTahoeWeekly.com

South Lake Tahoe

(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 yearround. South Tahoe

Tahoe City

Tours in summer only (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org Watson Cabin, built by Robert Watson and his son in 1909, is the oldest building in Tahoe City and on the National Register of Historic Places. TART

Donner Memorial Visitor Center

Truckee

(530) 582-7892 | parks.ca.gov The Donner Memorial State Park features exhibits and artifacts on the Donner Party (184647) at the visitor center, and see the towering Pioneer Monument. TART

Soda Springs

donnersummithistoricalsociety.org Museum at the corner of Old Highway 40 & Soda Springs Road. Take the 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40. TART

Gatekeeper’s Museum

Tues.-Fri. & by appt. | Free (775) 881-7566 | tahoesciencecenter.org University of California, Davis, science education center at Sierra Nevada College. Exhibits include a virtual research boat, biology lab, 3D movies and docent-led tours. Ages 8+. TART

Truckee Railroad Museum

MUSEUMS

Donner Summit Historical Society

Incline Village

Tahoe City

(530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org Featuring historic photos, the Steinbach Indian Basket Museum and local historical memorabilia. TART

KidZone Children’s Museum

Truckee

Wed.-Sat. (530) 587-5437 | kidzonemuseum.org For kids up to age 7 with interactive exhibits, science & art classes, the BabyZone & the Jungle Gym. TART

Truckee

Sat.-Sun. & holidays truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com Located in a caboose next to the Truckee Depot. Exhibits include the train’s role in logging, fighting snow on the railway, the role of Chinese emigrants and a children’s area. TART

Western SkiSport Museum

Donner Summit

Closed for the season | Free (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. TART

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

Incline Village 969 Tahoe Blvd. (800) 468-2463 Stateline 169 Hwy. 50 (775) 588-4591 Tahoe City 100 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 581-6900 Truckee 10065 Donner Pass Rd. (Depot) (530) 587-8808 U.S. Forest Service | Incline Village 855 Alder Ave. (775) 831-0914 (Wed.-Fri.)

U.S. Forest Service | South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Museum

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 541-5458 | laketahoemuseum.org Features Washoe artifacts and exhibits on early industry and settlers. South 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

TRANSIT Boots McFarland by Geolyn Carvin | BootsMcFarland.com 4

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

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

November 17-December 7, 2021 YOUR BUSINESS COULD

lake tahoe facts | AUBURN SKI TRAINING CENTER

CLAIR TAPPAAN

BOREAL

Donner Summit

Read about how the lake was formed, Lake Tahoe’s discovery, lake clarity and more at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Click on Explore Tahoe.

Your business’

Reno & Sparks

PLUMAS-EUREKA STATE PARK

TAHOE DONNER

Truckee Donner Lake

SPONSOR THIS PAGE

RENO-TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

TRUCKEE AIRPORT

SKY TAVERN MT. ROSE

WEST EAST SOUTH

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK

anne@tahoethisweek.com for details

NEVADA NORDIC ra Rim T

DONNER SKI RANCH

LOGO here

h Ta

SUGAR BOWL SODA SPRINGS

Tahoe Vista

PALISADES TAHOE SQUAW CREEK

DEEPEST POINT

Tahoe City

Ta h o e R i m

CASINOS

Spooner Lake

Tahoe

Eagle Rock

West Shore

Maximum depth: 1,645 feet (501 m)

Lake

Sunnyside il

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.

o Ta h

East Shore

e Ri m Tr a i l

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

Meeks Bay

Natural rim: 6,223’ (1,897 m)

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

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).

Cave Rock

Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

Zephyr Cove

Average Water Temperature: 42.1˚F (5.61˚C) Average Surface Water Temperature: 51.9˚F (11.1˚C)

Emerald Bay

Fannette Island

Eagle Lake

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

South Lake Tahoe

CAMP RICHARDSON

South Shore

Average Snowfall: 409 inches (10.4 m) Permanent Population: 66,000

Ta h oe

Size: 22 miles long, 12 miles wide (35 km long, 19 km wide)

Stateline

Lake Tahoe is as long as the English Channel is wide.

HEAVENLY

Cascade Lake

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

R i m Tr ail

Fallen Leaf Lake

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

Meyers

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)

Glenbrook

Homewood Tahoma

Fed By: 63 streams and 2 hot springs

Carson City

NEVADA NORDIC

HOMEWOOD

Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years

Average depth: 1,000 feet (304 m)

Marlette Lake

Dollar Hill

GRANKLIBAKKEN

a Tr

Lake Clarity: 2020: 63 feet avg. depth (19.2 m) 1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet (31.21 m)

Crystal Bay

TAHOE XC

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK

CROSS COUNTRY SKI AREA

SNO-PARK

Incline Village

Kings Beach

Carnelian Bay

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

DIAMOND PEAK

NORTH TAHOE REGIONAL PARK

Olympic Valley

DOWNHILL SKI AREA

North Shore

NORTHSTAR

Truckee River

ROYAL GORGE

BIJOU PARK / LAKE TAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT

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).

FREEL PEAK

ECHO LAKES

Learn about the natural history of the Tahoe Sierra

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Kirkwood

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE

HOPE VALLEY

Hope

Markleeville Valley

KIRKWOOD

map design by Alyssa Ganong | Tahoe Weekly©

Why is the lake blue? The Lake of the Sky appears blue in color as other colors in the light spectrum are absorbed and the blue light is scattered back.

Read our digital guides at TheTahoeWeekly.com 2021

Family Fun summer edition

TA H O E

G U I D E

KidsUltimate Tahoe Summer

Courtesy NLTRA

BUCKET LIST

Summer is in full swing

STO RY BY K AT H E R I N E E . H I L L

in Tahoe and nearly all restrictions have been lifted in both California and Nevada, so now is the time to get out and enjoy summer fun with the entire family. Read this article at TheTahoeWeekly.com for links for more information.

facebook.com/TheTahoeWeekly | @TheTahoeWeekly | TheTahoeWeekly.com issuu.com/TheTahoeWeekly 5

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GET outside

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

How was Lake Tahoe formed? BY E L I S E M AT E R A

Email news to editor@tahoethisweek.com

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to add your Event for our print & online calendars. Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M S AS S O C I AT E , U C DAV I S TA H O E E N V I R O N M E N TA L R E S E A R C H C E N T E R

18,215 lbs. of trash pulled from Tahoe

Courtesy Clean Up the Lake

ake Tahoe was formed through a series of geological processes over the past 2 to 3 million years. The three main processes integral to Tahoe’s formation are faulting and earthquakes, volcanic activity and glaciation. Lake Tahoe sits between two mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Carson Range (or Pine Nut Mountains to the Wašiw peoples native to the area) to the east. These mountain ranges form a deep crevice between them and it is constantly getting deeper through a process called normal faulting, in which seismic activity along the three fault lines that run through the lake cause the crust to shift downward.

About 12,000 to 21,000 years ago, there was an earthquake so big, it

Clean Up the Lake has covered more than 43.5 miles of shoreline since the clean-up effort began to remove garbage from Lake Tahoe on May 14 removing 18,215 pounds of trash, according to a press release from the nonprofit.

dislodged some of the land mass from the West Shore, creating what is now McKinney Bay.

Clean Up the Lake will collaborate with scientific institutions and environmental consultants to study the submerged litter to develop a better understanding of its impact on Lake Tahoe. Divers will continue the clean-up throughout the winter as conditions allow, and expect to complete the effort in early 2022, weather permitting. | tahoefund.org, cleanupthelake.org

Lake Tahoe is currently 1,644 feet deep at its deepest point and the fault lines continue to inch the lake deeper with every rumble and shake. These earthquakes caused by faulting created the mountains on either side and give Lake Tahoe its depth and its west and east barriers. Volcanos to the northwest plugged the basin at the top and glaciers to the south sculpted the bottom, creating a shape that could hold water like a basin. Over time, Lake Tahoe filled with water from rain, snow and melting glaciers. Today, there are 63 streams that flow into Lake Tahoe and only one that flows out, the Lower Truckee River, which is dammed to hold back the top 6.1 feet as a reservoir for downstream users.

Help keep bears out of trash The BEAR League has launched an educational campaign to remind residents and visitors at Lake Tahoe to lock up their trash and don’t feed the bears by offering free magnetic signs for use on bear trash enclosures, vehicles and refrigerators to remind everyone to secure trash and to not feed

Watch UC TERC’s video on how Lake Tahoe was formed

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

About 12,000 to 21,000 years ago, there was an earthquake so big, it dislodged some of the land mass from the West Shore, creating what is now McKinney Bay. The enormous boulders that slid from the shore can still be seen today where they settled on the bottom of the lake. The force of this rockslide shifted the water in Lake Tahoe dramatically, creating an initial tsunami and subsequent seiche waves that destroyed everything near the edge of the lake. 6

James Howle, U.S. Geological Survey | Courtesy UC Davis TERC

Although rare, a big enough earthquake could cause a similar event today. The small earthquakes we have felt over the past few months do not have nearly the magnitude required to create a landslide or tsunami. Since earthquakes are caused by extreme buildups of pressure, perhaps it is a good thing that the energy is being released a

little at a time, rather than all at once. UC Davis TERC runs Tahoe Science Center on the campus of Sierra Nevada University in Incline Village, Nev. Those interested in learning more about Lake Tahoe and how it was formed can make reservations to visit the center for a onehour tour. | tahoe.ucdavis.edu 

The group along with Sustain Tahoe, the Conservation Society of California and an anonymous foundation has produced 25,000 magnets and will provide them for free everyone. The magnets are available at local businesses. Visit savebears.org for locations.

Bring Your Own Brigade | Jeff Frost

November 17-December 7, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

Tahoe Film Festival on tap The seventh Tahoe Film Fest will take place from Dec. 2 to 5 with films being screened at Incline Village Cinema in Incline Village, Nev., Northstar Village Cinema in Truckee and Crystal Bay Casino in Crystal Bay, Nev. All proceeds and ticket sales benefit UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC). Enjoy environmental films such as “Bring Your Own Brigade,” which takes a sharp look at the apocalyptic wildfires in California while “After Antarctica” follows polar explorer Will Steger’s life journey as an eyewitness to the greatest changes to the polar regions. National Geographic has provided new adventure films, such as “The Rescue” about the 12 young soccer players rescued from a cave in Thailand and “Torn” about the legendary climber Alex Lowe who died in an avalanche. New music documentaries include films about legendary performers and counterculture influencers of the 1960s and 70s. Descriptions of each film, the festival schedule and ticket sales are online. Participants can buy tickets for each showing or an All-Access Pass for $60. The Tahoe Weekly is a sponsor of the film festival. | tahoefilmfest.com

Lead cables to be removed from Tahoe AT&T’s PacBell subsidiary will pull 8 miles of decrepit telephone cable out of Lake Tahoe where it has been leaching toxic lead into the lake’s water for decades, under a settlement agreement finalized last week in federal court in Sacramento, according to a press release from the Center for Environmental Health. Local divers discovered the abandoned cables years ago while removing other trash from the lake bottom and the nonprofit California Sportfishing Protection Alliance sued under federal law and California’s Proposition 65. PacBell switched to fiber optic phone cables more than 30 years ago and the old cables were abandoned in place on the lake’s bottom. The old cables extend for 8 miles from Baldwin Beach to Rubicon Bay, including across the mouth of Emerald Bay. | ceh.org

Donner Lake film teaser released Clean Up the Lake has released a sneak peak of the environmental feature documentary “Make A Difference: Donner Lake” on the work that the nonprofit is doing with its SCUBA clean up initiatives of freshwater alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada. The feature-length documentary will be released in 2022. | cleanupthelake.org, vimeo.com

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• Landscaping • Snow Removal

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SIDESHOW BOB’S Window Cleaning Since 2000

Residential & Commercial

581-2343

(530) CA & NV Licensed & Insured

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eve nts Create a Thanksgiving Greeting Card

Holiday Tree Lighting

Truckee Library | Nov. 17-19

Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe Nov. 26

6:30 p.m. Free | theshopsatheavenly.com

RUFF

Shop Small Saturday

Truckee Library | Nov. 17, 24, Dec. 1, 8

Area venues | Graeagle | Nov. 27

4-5 p.m. | (530) 582-7846, madelynhelling. evanced.info

Sierra State Parks Foundation 2021 Holiday Auction Virtual | Nov. 17-Dec. 3

12 p.m. | (530) 583-9911, sierrastateparks.org

Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series Olympic Village Lodge | Olympic Valley | Nov. 18 7 p.m. Free | alpenglowsports.com

Preschool Storytime Truckee Library | Nov. 18, 25, Dec. 2

10:30-11 a.m. | (530) 582-7846, madelynhelling.evanced.info

Rediscover KidZone - A Virtual Gala Virtual | Nov. 18

10 a.m. Free | facebook.com

Small Business Saturday Downtown Tahoe City | Nov. 27

12-5 p.m. Free | visittahoecity.org

Avalanche Rescue Tips and Tools Alibi Ale Works | Truckee | Nov. 30

6 p.m. Free | tahoemountainsports.com

Forest Futures Salons Virtual | Tahoe City | Dec. 1

4-5:30 p.m. Free | us02web.zoom.us

Donner Memorial State Park program Virtual | Dec. 2

1-2 p.m. Free | facebook.com

Tahoe Film Fest

6:30-8 p.m. Free | (530) 587-5437, kidzonemuseum.org

Area venues | Incline Village | Dec. 2

25th Annual Holiday Faire

Festive Fridays

Grand Hall | South Lake Tahoe | Nov. 19, 20, 21

Historic Downtown Truckee | Dec. 3

5-8 p.m. | valhallatahoe.com

Downtown Holiday Festival and Bud Fish Tree Lighting Ceremony California Welcome Center | Truckee | Nov. 19 5:30 p.m. Free | historictruckee.com

Valhalla Winter Fest

6 p.m.

Free | historictruckee.com

Tahoe Film Fest Area venues | Incline Village | Dec. 3

“Winter Starts Now”

Your Favorite Characters

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe | Stateline | Nov. 19, 20

Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe Dec. 4

8-10 a.m. $15-$20 | facebook.com

3-6 p.m. | tahoesouth.com

Winter Driving in the High Sierra

Tahoe Film Fest

Alder Creek Adventure Center | Truckee | Nov. 20

Area venues | Incline Village | Dec. 4

“Winter Starts Now”

Tahoe Film Fest

Olympic Valley Lodge | Olympic Valley | Nov. 20

Area venues | Incline Village | Dec. 5

Girls Who Code Club

Monthly Neighbors Night

KidZone Museum | Truckee | Nov. 23, 30, Dec. 7

Flatstick Pub | South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 7

10 a.m. $5 | tahoedonner.com

4 p.m. | warrenmillermovie.com

3-4:30 p.m. Free | kidzonemuseum.org

River Talks

The nonprofit Truckee Community Christmas is accepting donations until mid-December for clean, gently used or new winter coats, which can be dropped off at Church of the Mountains or Tahoe Forest Church. The nonprofit is also asking for financial donations instead of donated food items this year. Program recipients will receive local grocery-store gift cards from the funds raised. Toy donations, for children up to age 17, will be accepted at locations around Truckee from Thanksgiving weekend until mid-December. A list of drop-off locations is online. To apply for assistance, apply by Nov. 20 online. | truckeecommunitychristmas.com

Breakfast with Santa Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe Dec. 4

7:30 p.m. | (800) 427-7247, warrenmillermovie.com

Truckee Community Christmas

6 p.m.

Valhalla Tahoe | South Lake Tahoe | Nov. 19-21 (530) 541-4975, valhallatahoe.com

Courtesy Center for Environmental Health

3-4:30 p.m. Free | (530) 582-7846, madelynhelling.evanced.info

6 p.m.

6-8 p.m. Free | (530) 443-4376, tipsyputt.com

Virtual | Nov. 23, Nov. 30, Dec. 7

4:30-5 p.m. Free | 530.550.8760 x5, truckeeriverwc.org

Sno-Parks closed Clothing drive due to fire Echo Lake Sno-Park on Highway 50 and Iron Mountain and Meiss Meadow SnoParks on the north side of Highway 88 will be closed until at least March 31 due to damage from the recent Caldor Fire. The Carson Pass Sno-Park on the south side of Highway 88 will be open. Annual and day permits are required for all sno-parks and are available online. For a list of local sno-parks, visit TheTahoeWeekly.com. Oregon and Idaho Sno-Park permits are valid in California and California permits are valid in those states. | ohv.parks.ca.gov

Report winter weather “ When I dream of Tahoe I see the sun and snow.” THE TAHOE COLLECTION Reversible pendant shown.

pendants • earrings • charms • more collections

I VAW I N T O N J E W E L R Y . C O M 8

Sierra Avalanche Center is inviting everyone to join the Mountain Rain or Snow team’s community of observers that is working to improve estimates of snow and rainfall. Participating is simple: text WINTER to (855) 909-0798 to access the web app and learn a few tips. Then, during winter storms, send observations whether it is raining, snowing or a wintry mix. With your observations, scientists at Lynker, Desert Research Institute and University of Nevada, Reno, can better estimate how much water falls during winter. | rainorsnow.org

The 2021 Winter Warmth & Wellness is set for Dec. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach to distribute clothing and personal and household items and donations are being accepted. Needed items include toilet paper, tissue, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, lotions, dental products, disposable diapers and wipes, household/laundry items such as detergent, dish soap, paper towels, batteries, flashlights, utility candles, blankets and flannel sheets; and male and female new or lightly used warm winter clothing in all sizes, for all ages including socks. Dog and cat food and treats will also be accepted. Also, private and secure storage space is needed. Contact Meera Beser at (775) 230-1066 for details on where to drop off donations.

Christmas tree permits available The U.S. Forest Service is issuing Christmas tree permits for purchase online. Details about designated cutting areas in each Forest Service district, dates and types of trees that may be cut can be found online, as well. Restrictions may vary by district and are limited. | recreation.gov

November 17-December 7, 2021

Tahoe

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

21st annual

downhill ski guide winter 2021-22

Ryland West | Diamond Peak

BY K AT H E R I N E E . H I L L

be prepared before visiting Carry a face mask at all times & use it when

Some resorts will require ordering food in

close to others or indoors.

advance online or through an app. Download ski area apps in advance of visiting.

Masks are required for anyone unvaccinated while indoors in California, and for everyone

Be prepared & dress for being outdoors all

regardless of vaccine status in most counties

day, including eating outdoors.

in Nevada. Carry a credit card. Many resorts continue Some resorts will require proof of vaccination

to use cashless systems.

for ages 12 and older for indoor dining. Avoid long traffic lines and limited parking Buy a pass for the best deal.

by taking resort shuttles or public transportation to ski areas.

Purchase all tickets, rentals and lessons in advance online. There will be limited or

Stay home if you’re not feeling well or have

no on-site sales.

been in contact with someone not well.

nordic skiing

biathlon

scenic gondola

childcare

cat skiing

tubing & sledding

back-country access

night skiing

military discount

ice skating

fat tire biking

mini snowmobiling

roller coaster

snow shoeing

face masks required

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Beyond the fire M A G I C O F S I E R R A - A T- T A H O E E N D U R E S S TO RY & P H OTO S BY K AT H RY N R E E D

his ski season was supposed to be about celebrating 75 years of schussing down the slopes at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Unfortunately, the resort doesn’t know what lifts will spin this winter and has announced that it won’t open until 2022. The Caldor Fire that ripped through Eldorado National Forest in late summer/ early fall caused significant damage to some of the lifts and many of the trees.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Sierra threw a big party for, from

left, Jamie Anderson, Maddie Bowman and Hannah Teeter after they competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics. There is a reason the lift that accesses this vista is called Grandview.

“We do know that the trails + area accessed by West Bowl Express will be inaccessible this season, as we restore that section of the mountain for seasons to come,” read a Sierra-at-Tahoe Instagram post on Oct. 24. Even though the ski resort’s insurance company brought in private firefighters before the flames reached that section of Highway 50, fire has a way of doing

Brothers Ray and Floyd Barrett opened Sierra Ski Ranch in 1946. Vern Sprock purchased it in 1956. In 1993, Fibreboard bought it and renamed it Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort. It has been owned by Booth Creek Ski Holdings since 1996.

what it wants. Most of the buildings were saved, but the cables on some of the 14 lifts that are scattered across 2,000 acres are the problem. So are all the damaged trees. On the resort’s website is a Guest Frequently Asked Questions about what to

Winter for Fun Everyone!

expect this season. It gets updated as more information is available. Find more details in this ski guide, as well. In part, the Nov. 1 update reads: “Holding the vision, trusting the process. As resorts are spinning their first chairs for the 2021-22 winter season, the yearning to join them in this historic, early opening runs deep here at Sierra. And while we’re stoked for our friends Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe + Boreal Mountain in this celebratory event, the daily grind to join the winter lineup continues at the place Where Play Reigns Free.

“ When we return to play, we want each and every one of you to be part of building the future of Sierra.” –Sierra-at-Tahoe website

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING · SLEDDING SNOWSHOEING · ICE SKATING

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE ‘21-22 SEASON

Limited walk-ups will be permitted, but not guaranteed.

RESERVE ONLINE AT

TCPUD.ORG/WINTER Visit tcpud.org/winter for more Know Before You Go tips, details on sessions, season passes, and reservations.

530.583.1516 251 NORTH LAKE BLVD. TAHOE CITY

“We have substantial work ahead of us before we are able to announce our opening day for this season, and it is unlikely that we will open in 2021 - so we have set our sights on resuming operations in early 2022. With a delayed start to the season, the recent snow is a strong reminder of what we are working toward, and we will not stop until we are all making laps on Grandview. “When we return to Play, we want each and every one of you to be part of building the future of Sierra. We are working on opportunities for you to leave your mark + forever be a part of our story.”

WONDERFUL MEMORIES REMAIN The fire changed a lot of things for a lot of people. And while it might be trite to mourn the damage to my favorite South Shore ski resort when whole towns, such as Grizzly Flats and Greenville, were leveled this year, the loss is wrapped up in so many wonderful memories of skiing at Sierra. I’ve never been a huge tree skier, but I loved the trees at Sierra. I loved that I could find stashes of powder a day or two after a storm. The special events were fun. The food was good. Sierra has always had a friendly, noncorporate vibe. It was welcoming. And all those Olympians it has produced. I skied there with friends and family. I skied for work, I skied just to have fun. None of those things will change as the resort repairs the fire damage. It’s possible Sierra will be even more magical for having endured this significant setback. Sierra has weathered many storms — ownership changes, drought, rain on snow, a pandemic, short seasons, lack of personnel, road closures and so much more. Resilient is what this resort is. It takes some pretty special people — from the general manager to the lifties — to create this sense of belonging. The fact that the resort has been honest about what is going on makes me like it even more. Transparency with guests is going to get some converts to the slopes even with limited terrain this season. This isn’t just a ski resort: it is a community. It’s a place that will always be special to me. 

November 17-December 7, 2021

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

Bill Briner

Centenarian ski patroller honored

Fundraising for ski museum The SNOW (Sierra Nevada Olympic & Winter) Sports Museum has announced it will launch a capital campaign for a new museum in 2022 in Olympic Valley, according to the recently released 2021-22 Vision Report. The nonprofit was formed in 2008 to create a museum honoring the unique history of winter sports in the Sierra Nevada and the Olympic Winter Games in 1960. In 2015, the foundation identified a preferred site in Squaw Valley Park. Placer County is now working with the foundation to complete the land entitlement and Environmental Impact Review. The museum is envisioned to include a Winter Sports History Museum of the Sierra Nevada, exhibit collections that will be shared with Palisades Tahoe, Western SkiSport Museum and Gatekeeper’s Museum; an Olympic Museum to commemorate the winter games held in Olympic Valley and the West Shore in 1960; an education center; community event space; café and museum shop; and a visitor information center. | thesnowmuseum.org

Nordic resorts open Along with the downhill ski resorts opening or preparing to open in the Tahoe Sierra, a number of local Nordic ski resorts are also opening for the 2021-22 season. Nevada Nordic has opened its Tahoe Meadows location off Highway 431 for the season with both Royal Gorge Cross Country and Tahoe Donner Cross Country opening on Nov. 26. The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park opens on Nov. 26 with its ski trails open depending on conditions. As well, local state parks are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as conditions permit. Look for our annual Tahoe Sierra Nordic & Snowshoe Guide publishing in December.

Tickets benefit avalanche center The Vail Resorts EpicPromise program is offering tickets to Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood that benefit the Sierra Avalanche Center. The tickets are $129 and good any day this season with no blackouts. Purchase tickets online. | sierraavalanchecenter.org

Palisades Tahoe and The Sierra Nevada Olympic & Winter (SNOW) Sports Museum recently honored ski legend Martin Hollay, a 101-year-old former ski patroller, known across Tahoe for his many contributions to the ski industry, according to a press release. Hollay notably had an important role in the 1960 Winter Olympic Games held at Palisades Tahoe. He built the crosscountry track and still participates in cross-country skiing at age 101. Originally from Hungary, Hollay served as a ski patroller for many decades and contributed greatly to the formation of the Heavenly Area Ski Patrol. The ceremony was held in The Village at Palisades Tahoe on Nov. 2. Hollay told stories from his long history on snow to the crowd in attendance. During the ceremony, Dee Byrne, president and COO of Palisades Tahoe, presented Hollay with a metal sculpture made from old lift parts from the resort and a complimentary Palisades Tahoe season pass, as attendees sang a round of “Happy Birthday.” Martin recently turned age 101. Eddy Ancinas, the vice-president of the sports museum board and a past IOC guide at the 1960 Winter Olympics, said the museum eventually looks forward to telling the stories of Hollay and other legendary people who have worked behind the scenes to make the ski community what it is today. Her husband, Osvaldo, who was a competitor at the 1960 Winter Olympics, closed the ceremony with a yodel. | palisadestahoe.com

Plates for Powder returns The Tahoe Fund is again offering the popular Plates for Powder program. Those who purchase a new Lake Tahoe license plate in either California or Nevada before April 1, 2022, through the Plates for Powder program receive a free lift ticket to one of eight participating Tahoe downhill or Nordic resorts, or a Tahoe City Sports Park season pass to be used during the 2021-22 winter season, while supplies last. Plate sales and renewal fees support the development of hiking and biking trails and watershed restoration projects. Participating resorts include Diamond Peak, Heavenly, Homewood Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe, Northstar California, Palisades Tahoe, Tahoe XC and Tahoe City Winter Sports Park. | tahoeplates.org

Whether you’re taking on a DIY project, outﬁtting your Tahoe home, or gearing up for your next winter adventure Mountain Hardware and Sports has what you need to take on life in the mountains.

11320 Donner Pass Road | 10001 Soaring Way #105 | Truckee, CA

mountainhardwareandsports.com 11

TheTahoeWeekly.com

asc training center

Founded 1928

boreal mountain resort Opened 1964

OPEN

Jake Pollock | Boreal

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

OPEN 55 30

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Courtesy ASC Training Center

% of terrain

25km # of trails

Events Dec. 31 | Night Sprint Under the Lights & NYE Party The Auburn Ski Club Training Center, a nonprofit winter sports facility, is one of the few training centers in the country to offer Alpine, Nordic, Biathlon and Snowboard programs in one facility. Its athletes range from first-time skiers and riders to Olympic-level and U.S. Team professionals. ASC is also one of the oldest ski organizations dating back to 1928. Read about the history of the club at TheTahoeWeekly.com.

skiable acres

380

The resort kicked off its 2021-22 winter season opening on Oct. 29 for Halloween weekend – it’s earliest opening date since 2011 – after a storm brought more than 3 feet of snow to the ski area. The resort is open depending on weather conditions.

# of trails

41 Night skiing | ASC will be introducing cross-country night with temporary lights on 1.5km of trail for four weeks beginning in mid-December. Hours and details will be announced in the future and some night races will be offered. Regular trail passes will be good for night skiing.

vertical feet

500 terrain parks

Boreal’s Go Time Tickets offers guests the ability to purchase tickets online, select a start time, arrive and receive contactless mountain access. Tickets and entry may be limited at each start time, but prices gradually decrease throughout the day.

ASC is in the planning stages for a permanent project to install highintensity LED lighting on 2.5km of cross-country trail with plans for another 3km in the future. Lighting improvements for the race arena are also in the works. 

Woodward Mountain Parks | Featuring a network of terrain zones to build skills at from the Woodward

asctrainingcenter.org

Founded 1966

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

655 # of trails

43 vertical feet

1,840 terrain parks

Events Dec. 24-25 | Santa & Penguin Pete visit TBA | Last Tracks Jan. 14, Feb. 11 & March 18 | Moonlight Snowshoe Hikes Jan. 31-Feb. 6 | IVGID Community Appreciation Week Feb. 4 | Ullr Fest Torchlight Parade & Party March 6 | Retro Ski Day March 14 | Pi Day March 20 | Dummy Downhill March 26-27 | Luggi Foeger Uphill/ Downhill Festival April TBD | Diamond Cut Video Awards Diamond Peak has upgraded its snowmaking systems with four new TechnoAlpin TR8 high-efficiency snowmaking guns and it will be testing one of TechnoAlpin’s latest TT10 tower fan guns this winter.

diamondpeak.com 12

Free kids’ pass | Kids 8 and younger get a free season pass with the purchase of an adult Unlimited pass. All-Access Pass | Become a Woodward Tahoe All-Access Member and enjoy access to both Woodware and Boreal for a monthly membership fee. Feel Good Fridays | Enjoy $25 lift tickets with proceeds going to a nonprofit on Dec. 10, Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 18 & April 8. Ride the Magic | Play this interactive game that’s a throwback to the 1980s video games to earn discounts at borealmagic.com. 

donner ski ranch

Founded 1937

New park groomer | The resort’s new PistenBully 600 Park grooming machine incorporates the latest grooming and shaping technology.

Ryan Salm | Diamond Peak

Start Park, Woodward Progression Park and the Woodward Peace Park, among others.

rideboreal.com, woodwardtahoe.com

diamond peak ski area OPENS DEC. 9

Events March 14-15 | Subaru Winterfest

New gear | The rental shop has upgraded its entire ski rental fleet for the 2021-22 season with new, beginner/ intermediate friendly Salomon Distance 72 and QST Max Jr skis. As well, look for new gear in the demo fleet. Ski free | Children 6 and younger and adults older than 80 years ski for free. Glade zones named | Diamond Peak’s gladed tree skiing zones offered advanced terrain for experts filled with natural obstacles like pillows, rock drops and more. The community was asked to suggest names for these new areas during the last ski season and Diamond Peak will be announcing the names this season.

TBA 50 25

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

505 # of trails

52 vertical feet

1,000+ terrain parks

Video contest | The Diamond Cut video edit contest is back for a fourth year, so grab a camera and film yourself having fun at the resort to enter starting Jan. 1. Snowshoe tours | Enjoy guided 3-mile roundtrip Moonlight Snowshoe Hikes to Snowflake Lodge. Shuttle | Diamond Peak offers two shuttles serving Incline Village. 

Courtesy Donner Ski Ranch

skiable

Among the oldest and most iconic ski areas in the Western U.S., Donner Ski Ranch is a family-friendly resort that features a variety of terrain. It is also of the few remaining independently owned and operated family ski resorts. Donner Ski Ranch boasts more than 500 acres of sheer fun at one of the highest base elevation ski areas in the Sierra. For beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders, Donner Ski Ranch offers easy access to novice runs. Advanced skiers and riders can

donnerskiranch.com

enjoy untouched lines at Donner Ski Ranch’s aggressive high-mountain and backside terrain. Old School Days | Enjoy throwback pricing on lift tickets and packages deals on select days with adult tickets only $49. The Pie | Don’t leave with a slice of fresh-baked yummy pie. The Old 40 Bar & Grill is known for its tasty cuisine with locals, but the star attraction are the pies. 

BEAUT Y THAT’S WORTH PROTECTING Become a Steward of Lake Tahoe | North Lake Tahoe’s alpine blue waters and Sierra mountain peaks have drawn visitors and locals for generations. With your commitment, we can protect and preserve the natural wonders we all love for future generations to enjoy. Act, think and explore like a local. Take the Traveler Responsibility Pledge and join us in preserving our treasured spaces by leaving them better than you found them. Be sure to pack out what you pack in, remove any sled litter and drink Tahoe Tap from a reusable bottle.

SHOP

This holiday season you can gift like a local too with our North Lake Tahoe gift card that can be used at a variety of participating North Lake Tahoe restaurants, shops and businesses. Shop local, support local and keep Lake Tahoe beautiful.

LOCAL

SUPPOR

LOCAL

SHOP

L O COAR TL SUPP LOCAL

For more information visit GoTahoeNorth.com/TWDownhillGuide

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Tahoe weather outlook F R O M 2 0 2 1 ’ S R A D I C A L W E AT H E R TO L A N I N A I N 2 0 2 2 S TO RY & P H OTO S BY M A R K M c L AU G H L I N

hen we start thinking about the upcoming winter season, it’s usually triggered by familiar signals: longer nights, cooler temperatures, leaves changing color and the sound of chopping wood. This year, however, there was nothing subtle about the extraordinarily powerful atmospheric river that tore into northern California and the Tahoe Sierra recently. The unprecedented intensity of the rain crushed historic daily rainfall records from San Francisco to Reno, Nev. After back-toback anemic winters, the early mountain snowfall has really jacked up enthusiasm for winter sports in 2022.

The beneficial precipitation effectively ended the disastrous 2021 fire season for Northern California and raised Lake

ABOVE: Heavy snow blasted Mount Tallac

in October 2004. | Mark McLaughlin

Tahoe’s water level 6 inches above its natural rim. With a mild, subtropical moisture tap, high-freezing levels initially limited snow accumulation below 7,500 feet in elevation, but as the storm progressed snow levels dropped. For those keeping track, at the Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Pass, the nearly 48 inches of snowfall measured for October 2021 was just shy of the modern record of 49.6 inches from 2004. Some of that October snow fell during a vigorous cold storm earlier in the month, well before the atmospheric river onslaught. In October 2004, Mammoth Mountain Resort set a local benchmark of 86 inches of snow. Currently, 2021 and 2004 represent the two top snowiest Octobers at the lab since it was established in 1945.

OCTOBER’S GNARLY STORMS Before 1945, Southern Pacific Railroad started taking snowfall measurements in January 1878 at its Norden station near Donner Pass. Those data indicate that many Octobers have been hit with decent snowfalls in the 2- to 4-foot range, the

Tahoe Science Center Hands-on science activities, Guided tours & 3-D movies Open Tues.–Fri., 1–5 p.m.

(or by appointment, closed all holidays)

TahoeScienceCenter.org

(775) 881-7566

LEFT: Fresh snow at Palisades Tahoe

in October 2021. | Mark McLaughlin

greatest being an incredible 89 inches (7.4 feet) in 1899. That October was a cold and stormy month. Truckee is often shadowed out from the heaviest accumulations above 7,000 feet, but in 1899 railroad employees recorded an impressive 50 inches of snow downtown. Many historians and authors refer to the Donner Party wagon train getting blocked by 5 feet of snow on Donner Pass in late October 1846. They often make it seem as though it was a once-in-a-lifetime event and that it hasn’t snowed that much since that tragedy. Well, now you know. October can still be gnarly.

EXCEPTIONAL ATMOSPHERIC RIVER Last month’s Category 3 Atmospheric River was exceptional for any time of year, but especially for October, a relatively calm month climatologically. The intense rainfall was precedent setting with long-standing one-day and monthly precipitation records shattered throughout the state. Sacramento picked up 82 percent of its total 2021 water year in just 24 hours. The National Weather Service reported that a new 24-hour rainfall record was set at the state capital with 5.44 inches, exceeding the one-day tally of 5.28 inches from April 20, 1880. But according to rainfall

measurements taken at that time by Sacramento Signal Service officer M.M. Sickler, the actual amount was 7.24 inches, meaning that the 1880 record still stands. April 1880 was exceptionally wet. Storms that month dumped nearly 25 feet of snow on Donner Pass, still the all-time April record. Record-setting precipitation storm totals in Tahoe Sierra communities ranged between 5 to 8 inches. An exception was Incline Village, Nev., with less than 3 inches of water, which included 18 inches of snow. The real outlier was Glenbrook, Nev., in northeast Lake Tahoe, with just more than 1 inch of rain. Reno-Tahoe International Airport received more than double that in just one day. On the routinely wetter Sierra west slope, Grass Valley was deluged by more than 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, a new record for that Gold Rush town. Not to be outdone, Blue Canyon set an all-time, oneday record of 10.40 inches by eclipsing the previous record of 9.33 inches from Dec. 22, 1964. The amount of rain was epic, but the risk of major flooding was diminished by dry soils, empty reservoirs and the lack of a pre-existing snowpack to rapidly melt, a common trigger for mid-winter hydrologic events. The beneficial precipitation effectively ended the disastrous 2021 fire season for Northern California and raised Lake Tahoe’s water level 6 inches above its natural rim.

2020-21 WAS THIRD DRIEST The remarkable amounts of rain that fell in October 2021 stands in stark contrast to the preceding water year that began on Oct. 1, 2020, and ended Sept. 30, 2021. Last year, the Tahoe Sierra was cursed by a lack of wet storms and few productive atmospheric rivers that frequently produce up to 50 percent or more of our winter precipitation. The spring runoff in 2021 was nearly nonexistent due to extremely low water content in the mountain snowpack,

coupled with parched soils that absorbed all the water before it ever reached lakes and reservoirs for storage. Based on the Northern Sierra Precipitation, 8-Station Index, the total of 23.28 inches of precipitation tallied last year was only 44 percent of average, which ranks as the third driest in 100 years. More specifically, the Central Sierra Index of 5 stations totaled just 18.35 inches, 43 percent of normal and ranked as second driest in recorded history. Quick on the heels of that markedly dry rainy season was record-breaking heat with the fourth hottest June in northern California; South Lake Tahoe set many new daily record high temperatures that month and into July. The summer of 2021 ranks among the top five for warmest and driest on record, a trend that only exacerbated devasting and ongoing forest fires. In Sacramento, it was the fourth hottest June since 1877, but the heat only increased moving into true summer. During a July heat wave the temperature reached a scorching 113 degrees, just one degree shy of the city’s record of 114 on July 17, 1925. The combination of back-to-back dry winters and blistering heat drove California’s central valley into exceptional drought territory, the most extreme ranking in the U.S. Drought Monitor.

WHAT’S IN STORE? What’s in store for winter 2022? Well, no one really knows, but that doesn’t stop scientists from generating seasonal forecasts based on current and expected oceanic and atmospheric environments. There is a confusing alphabet soup of oscillations that affect the planet’s weather: Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, ENSO (El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation), etc.

Read more local history at TheTahoeWeekly.com For the second year in a row, weather on the Pacific Coast is forecast to be affected by a moderate strength La Niña event. It’s not unusual to have consecutive ENSO negative ocean conditions where subtropical sea-surface temperatures are below normal. Since 1950, eight of the last 12 ENSO negative events lasted two years. Based on expected La Niña conditions, the Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal outlook is again calling for wetter than normal precipitation for the Pacific Northwest and drier than average rain for Southern California with slightly above-average temperatures for the Tahoe Sierra. But no matter how you slice it, water year 2022 is off to an amazing start.  Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin is a nationally published author and professional speaker. His award-winning books are available at local stores or at thestormking.com. You may reach him at mark@thestormking.com.

November 17-December 7, 2021

granlibakken tahoe

Founded 1955

Founded 1947

Courtesy Heavenly

SLED HILL OPENS FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

heavenly

OPENS NOV. 19

TBA

35 NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Courtesy Granlibakken

% of terrain skiable acres

10 # of trails

While Granlibakken opened in 1947, the historic ski and sled hill originally known as Ski Canyon has been the site for winter sports dating back almost 100 years.

vertical feet

300

The ski hill is perfect for beginners, approachable, uncrowded and easily viewed from the deck and warming hut making it great for families. Family Fun | The resort offers popular tubing lanes served by snowmaking systems along with the Benny the Bear snow play area, which is open daily in the winter.

Skiing & Riding | The ski hill and ski school are open Friday to Sunday during the season and daily during holidays. There is also a Nordic trail around the property and an access trail to Page Meadows.

skiable acres

4,800 # of trails

97 vertical feet

3,500 terrain parks

Kids sled free | Kids younger than 3 sled for free.

Events December | Heavenly Holidays TBA | Gun Barrel 25 TBA | Pond Skim TBA | Spring Fling Rail Jam Overlooking the sapphire-blue waters of Lake Tahoe, Heavenly is one of the most unique snow sports destinations with skiing and riding in two states – California and Nevada. From 34 miles of wide-open, groomed cruisers to 1,600-foot plunges in double-black diamond canyons, Heavenly has something for everyone. Then, after a day on slopes, enjoy the après ski scene, local brewpubs, diverse dining and Vegas-style nightlife. The DJ Cat returns this season on weekends starting in December, and the Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster will be operating this season.

Treetop park | The Tahoe City Treetop Park located at the resort offers aerial adventures for ages 5 and older. 

New lift on tap | The resort will be replacing the existing North Bowl lift

granlibakken.com

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

in the 2022-23 season with a highspeed, 4-person chair to increase uphill capacity and reduce wait times at the Stagecoach and Olympic lifts on the Nevada side of the resort. Kids ski free | Ages 4 & younger ski free. Après Tracks | Helly Hansen Après Tracks are back this season offering guests staying Sundays at select lodging partners the chance to ski a run after the resort closes and enjoy a special après-ski at Lakeview Lodge. Masks | Face coverings will be required in indoor settings including in restaurants, lodging properties, restrooms, retail and rental locations, and on buses. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, in lift lines, or on chairlifts or gondolas, unless required by local regulations. Dining | Guests will be required to book a reservation to eat at many on-mountain restaurants and says that it intends to open reservations one day prior to visits. As well, guests 12 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to dine at indoor, on-mountain quickservice (cafeteria-style) restaurants. Shuttle | Complimentary shuttle service will run between Heavenly Village Base Area and California Lodge Base Area. 

skiheavenly.com

EricaZakrzewski | Homewood Mountain Resort

homewood mountain resort

Founded 1961

OPENS DEC. 10 50

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

1,260 # of trails

64 vertical feet

1,650 terrain parks

Homewood Mountain Resort continues to offer skiers and riders access to uncrowded slopes, incredible ski terrain and phenomenal views on runs that look like one could ski or ride into Lake Tahoe. This season will mark 60 years of skiing and riding at Homewood Mountain Resort, and to celebrate the occasion the ski area is inviting people to share memories for its History Project online. Earn a free pass | Learn how to ski or ride with the Easy as 1-2-3 deal and earn a free ski pass for the season after completing the three beginner lessons.

skihomewood.com

Kids and active military ski free | Ages 4 & younger ski free throughout the season and active-duty military can ski or ride for free during nonpeak days. Explore the back country | Homewood offers snowcat skiing and back-country training with access to more than 750 acres of backcountry terrain. 

If you’re going to Ski Tahoe You should really See Tahoe SEASON PASSES, LIFT TICKETS & GIFT CARDS ON SALE AT

DiamondPeak.com

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kingvale resort

kirkwood mountain resort

Opened 2020

Opened 1972

OPENS EARLY DEC.

OPENS DEC. 3

50 35

30 38

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED | EXPERT

% of terrain

% of terrain Courtesy Kingvale

skiable acres

20 # of trails

Events Dec. 25 | Christmas Celebration Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve Celebration

vertical feet

250 terrain parks

The newest kid on the block, Kingvale Resort off Interstate 80 will be open again for the 2021-22 season with two new surface lifts – a handle tow and a magic carpet – and offering three times the skiable terrain as last season.

Tickets | Lift and sledding tickets may be purchased online and are included in any of its lesson packages. Private lessons area also available. Book at snowschoolers.com.

skiable acres

2,300 # of trails

86 vertical feet

2,000 terrain parks

Grub | The food truck will be offering warm beverages and snacks to guests and a new restaurant will be opening soon. 

Courtesy Kirkwood Mountain Resort

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

Events Dec. 31 | Torchlight Parade TBA | Banked Slalom Jan. 29-30 | Freeride Junior Tour

Expedition: Kirkwood | Expedition: Kirkwood is for the avid adventurer looking for back-country opportunities with a range of clinics and private guides.

An adventure lover’s paradise, Kirkwood Resort undeniably delivers when it comes to thrills, chills and adrenaline. Perhaps it’s the double black diamond steeps, the miles of cornice or the deepest snowpack in the region at 600 inches annual. From young families with young rippers, to stoic alpine adventurer seekers, Kirkwood does not disappoint.

Masks | Face coverings will be required in indoor settings including in restaurants, lodging properties, restrooms, retail and rental locations, and on buses. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, in lift lines, or on chairlifts or gondolas, unless required by local regulations.

Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.

The ski area and tubing hill opened last winter during the pandemic, but the area has its roots in winter fun dating back to the 1960s.

#Kirkwood Deep | The #KirkwoodDeep rider’s competition showcases video footage of the boldest snowboarders and skiers each year. Details TBA.

kingvaleresort.com

kirkwood.com

mt. rose ski tahoe

Dining | Guests will be required to book a reservation to eat at many on-mountain restaurants and says that it intends to open reservations one day prior to visits. As well, guests 12 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to dine at indoor, on-mountain quick-service (cafeteria-style) restaurants. 

northstar california

Opened 1964

Opened 1972

OPEN

OPENS NOV. 19 60

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED | EXPERT

% of terrain Courtesy Mt. Rose

% of terrain skiable acres

1,200+ # of trails

60+

Events Dec. 11 | Santa Ski Day Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve fireworks

vertical feet

1,800 terrain parks

Plans are underway to expand the Lakeview area of the mountain to include additional ski terrain and a new high-speed chairlift. Estimated to be the largest capital improvement project in the resort’s history, the new lift will be a key piece of Mt. Rose’s efforts to enhance the overall experience in the Lakeview mountain zone, which will include trail additions, existing trail improvements and new skier traffic patterns. The expansion is estimated to cost $7.5 million dollars and is expected to be completed for the 2022-23 winter season.

skirose.com 16

Courtesy Northstar California

The new, beginner-rated Lakeside Trail will create another route from the top of the Lakeview lift to the Around the World ski trail, giving novice skiers and riders greater ability to enjoy lake views from Mt. Rose. Expanded snowmaking | On-mountain improvements underway include a more than $1 million investment in snowmaking infrastructure on the Mine Train, Slide Bowl and Race Arena trails. Slope grading work designed to reduce obstacles and allow for earlier terrain opening is also in progress on Bruce’s Run. 

skiable acres

3,170 # of trails

100 vertical feet

2,280 terrain parks

Events Nov. 19-21 | Opening Weekend Celebration Dec. | Noel Nights TBA | Spring it On Northstar’s diverse terrains and 100 trails allow families to progress together and explore their adventurous side. New lift on tap | A new high-speed, 6-person chair is in the works and will replace the existing mid-mountain, 4-person Comstock Lift for the 202223 season. Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.

northstarcalifornia.com

Make a toast | Enjoy a glass of bubbly from 1:30 to 2 p.m. daily; firstcome, first-served. Masks | Face coverings will be required in indoor settings including in restaurants, lodging properties, restrooms, retail and rental locations, and on buses. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, in lift lines, or on chairlifts or gondolas, unless required by local regulations. Dining | Guests will be required to book a reservation to eat at many on-mountain restaurants and says that it intends to open reservations one day prior to visits. As well, guests 12 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to dine at indoor, on-mountain quick-service (cafeteria-style) restaurants. 

November 17-December 7, 2021

palisades tahoe

Opened 1949

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

3,600 # of trails

170+ vertical feet

2,850 terrain parks

Events Nov. 26-27 | Welcome to Winter celebration Dec.-March dates | Snowshoe Tour & Dinner Feb. 19-26 | Kid-O-Rama Feb. 22 | Double the Love, Double the Fun group elopement/vow renewal March 23-27 | U.S. Freestyle Mogul Championships April 1-3 | Winter Wondergrass April | Snow Golf May | Cushing Crossing Along with the new Palisades Tahoe name bringing both ski areas under one name, the resort also opened a month earlier than planned, marking only the third time in its history that the resort opened in October for the Halloween weekend.

Opened 1961

OPENS NOV. 24

Courtesy Palisades Tahoe

REOPENS NOV. 24 45

alpine meadows

Courtesy Palisades Tahoe

olympic valley

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Two of the lifts that carried the word squaw in its name have also been renamed. Squaw One is now Wa She Shu, meaning The People or The Washoe People, and Squaw Creek lift at the Resort at Squaw Creek has been renamed Resort Chair for the time being. The Resort at Squaw Creek is also undergoing a rebranding effort.

Olympic Valley including Squaw Peak and Squaw Creek. Such changes must be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for consideration.

As an extension of the renaming process, Palisades Tahoe is providing tribe members free access to resort activities, including free tickets and rentals, and has installed a Washoe exhibit at High Camp.

Mobile ordering | Mobile ordering for dining outlets on-mountain and in the Village will be available again this year on the Palisades Tahoe app and online.

Geographic name changes | Placer County is also in the process of renaming Squaw Valley Park and Squaw Valley Road and is working with the Washoe Tribe to rename geographical points in

New lift, eatery | A new surface lift has been installed in the High Camp beginner area and the new eatery Sun Bowl has opened in the Village at Palisades Tahoe for breakfast and lunch.

Rahlves joins the team | Olympian Daron Rahlves has joined Palisades Tahoe as a member of its athlete team. Rahlves, who grew up skiing at the resort, has long been recognized for his athletic accomplishments along with his work as an ambassador for the Tahoe ski community.

Gondola on tap | The base-to-base gondola connecting Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows will be open for the 2022-23 season, resort president and COO Dee Byrne announced at a recent Good Morning Truckee meeting. Follow updates at blog.palisadestahoe.com. Shuttle expanded | The free Mountaineer shuttle operating between Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley will offer expanded service for the 2021-22 winter season, partnering with TART Connect between Olympic Valley and Tahoe City on Friday and Saturday evenings.

% of terrain skiable acres

2,400 # of trails

100+ vertical feet

1,802

The on-demand shuttle service will run from Dec. 10 to April 10 daily in Olympic Valley and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in Alpine Meadows.

sierra-at-tahoe

Opened 1946

OPENS 2022 50 25

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

2,000 # of trails

47 vertical feet

2,212 terrain parks

As Sierra-at-Tahoe celebrates its 75th season, the resort is working to recover from damage sustained from the Caldor Fire that occurred this year and has pushed back its opening date to early 2022.

Read Kathryn Reed’s feature “Magic of Sierra-at-Tahoe endures” in this edition. The resort is still assessing the damage according to an update from its website: “That evaluation will determine what operations look like for opening the resort for the 2021-22 winter season. Repairs, routine yearly maintenance + annual inspections continue on Nob Hill, Short Stuff, El Dorado + Easy Rider Express, as well as mitigation for fire-damaged trees along ski trails accessed by these lifts. The operating status for individual trails accessed by each of

sierraattahoe.com

these lifts is still unknown as they undergo inspection.” Areas closed | “Based on initial assessments, we do know that the trails and area accessed by West Bowl Express will be inaccessible this winter,” the update reads. “In addition, many of the in-bound tree skiing areas, such as Jack’s + Avalanche Bowl, will likely be closed for the season.” Grandview Express | “Grandview Express’ haul rope, which suspends the ski lift’s chairs, was damaged during the fire and a replacement cable is currently in production in Switzerland. Due to these challenges, Grandview Express will be delayed, and we currently do not have an estimated date for allowing access to this lift,” according to the website. Follow updates at sierraattahoe.com/blog. n

Jason Peters | Sierra-at-Tahoe

palisadestahoe.com

THE BEST PLACE TO BEGIN TAHOE DONNER DOWNHILL SKI RESORT Safe, Low-Angle Learning Terrain 40% Novice 60% Intermediate

Affordable and Convenient Private and Group Lessons Book Online

Some of the Region’s Best Instructors

Public Lift Tickets Start at $78 for Adults and $48 for Children Ages 7-12 Book Online

GET SKIING AND RIDING TODAY! TAHOEDONNER.COM/DOWNHILL 17

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sky tavern

soda springs mountain resort

Opened 1935

Opened 1948

TBA

OPENS JAN. 15

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

DOWNHILL SKI GUIDE

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

# of trails

Sky Tavern is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit learn to ski and ride program and was recently awarded the National Ski Areas Association Conversion Cup for 2021.

vertical feet

900 terrain parks

The Conversion Cup was awarded to the ski area “For its devotion to teaching local youth the sport of skiing and riding, and the resort’s mission to support those who would like to experience snowsports.” It is the only nonprofit, volunteer-staffed ski area to have won the honor.

Volunteer run | Sky Tavern is unique among local ski areas in that is not only a nonprofit, but also a co-op that is run by volunteers who man the lifts, teach the lessons and perform every task around the resort to teach kids how to ski and ride. Seasons passes are required to access the ski area along with a few hours of your time. Upgrades | The old Pony Tow Lift is being moved to the terrain park for the 2022 season and a snowmaking and lights project is in the engineering phase.

200 # of trails

15 vertical feet

550 terrain parks

It’s a winter wonderland of kidorientated fun at Soda Springs from the Planet Kids snow play area for ages 7 and younger featuring tubing carousals, tubing lanes, snow volcanoes to climb and more to the 10 tubing runs for the whole family to enjoy at Tube Town.

Shop the Swap | Help the nonprofit that runs the ski hill continue its program at its annual Ski Swap on Nov. 19 and 20. 

skytavern.org

Opened 1939

OPENS NOV. 26

OPENS DEC. 10

% of terrain skiable acres

1,650 # of trails

103 vertical feet

1,500 terrain parks

TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY OPENS NOV. 26

Cath Howard | Sugar Bowl

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Sugar Bowl has resumed selling season passes but is limiting the number of passes being sold. However, daily lift tickets are available in advance online only. Day ticket pricing will vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year and is subject to change, so purchase tickets early. Lodging, dining reopen | The Hotel at Sugar Bowl and all lodges, bars and restaurants will reopen including The Dining Room at Village Lodge and the Belt Room Bar. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, but they will be encouraged indoors. Tubing area | Sugar Bowl is investing $2 million on a new tubing area along Sugar Bowl Road to open in the 202223 season. The tubing area will offer a safe place for guests and visitors on Donner Summit to play and address a

sugarbowl.com 18

tahoe donner downhill

Opened 1972

Family Pass | One of the best deals around is Soda Springs’ Family Access with full access to the resort for two adults and two kids. The pass includes access to the lifts, Tube Town, Planet Kids, Woodward Start Park and the sleigh and is good every day all season with no blackout dates. 

skisodasprings.com

sugar bowl ski resort 45

Courtesy Soda Springs Mountain Resort

Events Nov. 19-20 | Ski Swap

skiable acres

SNOWPLAY OPENS NOV. 26

60 40

critical safety issue as many visitors are playing in unsafe areas along Old Highway 40, Greg Dallas, the resort’s president and CEO said at a recent Good Morning Truckee meeting. The 7.75-acre site will feature groomed 600-foot-long tubing lanes and a Magic Carpet. A snowmaking system will also be installed with lights and music for nighttime tubing. Forest health | Dallas also said that the resort is actively working to manage potential wildfire risks in areas surrounding the ski area and is developing a comprehensive master plan for the restoration of Van Norden Meadow. Sugar Bowl has also been working with Placer County and local agencies to help develop the Donner Summit recreation master plan to address trailhead, parking and facilities access. 

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

120 # of trails

17 vertical feet

600 terrain parks

Events Dec. 25 | Ski with Santa Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade & Fireworks Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021 and continues to provide families a unique and affordable ski experience with wide-open bowls, uncrowded slopes and gentle beginner terrain. New groomer | Focused on offering a high-quality snow surface, Tahoe Donner purchased a new PistenBully snowcat to groom the mountain.

tahoedonner.com

New lodge on tap | Plans for a new lodge are underway. The lodge was built in 1971 as a real estate office and after an extensive review, it was decided by the Tahoe Donner Board of Directors to replace the lodge. The lodge is owned and operated by the Tahoe Donner Association, which is still in the planning process for the lodge. Tickets | Advance purchase of lift tickets, lessons and rental equipment is encouraged for all guests. 

Courtesy Tahoe Donner Downhill

150

Courtesy Sky Tavern

skiable acres

% of terrain

November 17-December 7, 2021 FUN & GAMES

Horoscopes

Puzzles

YOUR BUSINESS COULD

SPONSOR THIS PAGE

Michael O’Connor, Life Coach Astrologer SunStarAstrology.com

Your business’

LOGO here

Scorpio (Oct 22-Nov 21) A steady momentum has been building and has entered its next effect stage. Expansion and increase are key themes. Yet, if you have not yet confronted certain fears you may feel delayed, blocked and frustrated. Fortunately, Jupiter is positioned to increase your confidence levels by way of unexpected abundance coming into your life over the past several months.

Email anne@tahoethisweek.com for details FIRE

EARTH

AIR

WATER

Taurus (Apr 20-May 21) Sagittarius (Nov 21-Dec 21) The Sun in your sign will synchronize with an adventurous spirit to enter into and explore new territory. This may occur intellectually as well as or instead of as literal travel. Either way, you will come away with many new perspectives which may change some of your existing beliefs quite radically. Enjoy variety yet avoid scattering.

Capricorn (Dec 21-Jan 19) Themes of friendship, alliances and power in numbers continue this week. Yet, the Sun in Sagittarius indicates a time for turning within for you. Whether as rest and recuperation, or as an escape into dreams, retreat and meditation and/or contemplation…, you are wise to reconnect with yourself and source. Yet, you may also use it to get stuff done in private.

Aquarius (Jan 19-Feb 19) Public and/or professional ambitions continue to spur you on. This week, the emphasis will shift. An expansive time in the friend and network department is featured. This will prove to be a desired time to engage and collaborate. As you reach without, it may also feel necessary to balance the scales by reaching within and doing extra spiritual work.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20) Mars in Scorpio will perpetuate a push and drive both practically and spiritually. The Sun in Sagittarius also emphasizes your public and professional life, and this will continue through December. An emphasis on money and finances which began in early November will remain through to March and could well prove to be a time of abundance and prosperity.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) The deep dive into Scorpio’s lair will continue for you even after the Sun enters Sagittarius. Yet, the fiery impulse of the majestic centaur, Chiron, which depicts the constellation of Sagittarius, will indeed have an impact. It will likely manifest as inspired visions of truth, freedom and democracy especially to the extent that your ambitions and passions are blocked.

By now, many of the changes destined to occur on relationship fronts will have occurred. There remain some final and decisive details that will linger through to the very end of the year. These share a close association with your public and professional life. Revolutionary change has and continues to define this process.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Contemplating new perceptions, philosophies and beliefs has and continues to guide your efforts. Circumstances are challenging you to give more than you would usually or want to now. So, you are left to balance the inward pull to retreat with the outward call of duty.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22) Scorpio time marks a creative cycle for you. This can occur at many levels and may even manifest as a change of design of your very lifestyle. Returns for past choices and actions are featured in this plot, so hopefully yours were healthy, positive and integral. In any case, a metamorphic process continues.

Leo (Jul 22-Aug 23) The Scorpio factor has been strong close to home over the past few weeks. You continue to want answers and are digging to get them. Circumstances are also pushing you to give more than your usual limit. This includes paying closer attention to the details. Pace yourself and rest deeply when you can.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22) Deepening and sharpening your perceptual and critical analysis skills has been a strong theme over the past few weeks. This trend will continue yet will shift towards a focus to complete projects started earlier. Your willingness to learn new methods, modules and techniques is extra important.

Libra (Sep 22-Oct 22) While your ambitions remain strong, your actual drive is another matter. Long-term investments are probably your best bet. These may include creating a more beautiful living environment where the returns are more qualitative than quantitative. But be sure to measure twice before you cut and commit.

When taking a perfume shop’s test to become a cologne-sniffing worker, smelling counts.

CryptoQuip

Hocus Focus differences: 1. Banana is smaller, 2. Tail is longer, 3. Fence is shorter, 4. Sign is missing, 5. Arm is showing, 6. Bars are added.

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THE lineup live music | shows | nightlife

festivals | entertainment

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to add your Event for our print & online calendars. Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

MUSICAL REFLECTIONS OF

Sadie Tucker

l i ve NOVEMBER 17 | WEDNESDAY

BY S E A N M c A L I N D I N

Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

long the winding way of life, it’s always important to pause for contemplation. While Sadie Tucker, a senior at Tahoe Expedition Academy, recently completed the stressful process of college applications, she somehow found time to write and record a beautiful second album of original music. “Reflections” captures a moment in time for the 17-year-old Truckee artist as she explores the complexity of relationships and her own coming of age. Tucker has been composing songs since sixth grade after being inspired by her elementary

NOVEMBER 18 | THURSDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m. Fortunate Youth w/Artikal Sound System Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8-10:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 19 | FRIDAY

“Throughout the years, I’ve found that it’s really important to find a balance. I’ve had a lot of issues with being too hard on myself and taking on too much. I’ve learned to give myself space to reflect separately, so I don’t have to put it on someone else.” –Sadie Tucker school music teacher, Emily Tessmer. “It’s something that’s important for me because it’s a way to process emotions and situations,” she says. “I wanted to make an album to share that with other people. These songs are very personal. It’s completely me. You never know who else has had experiences like yours unless you record it and share it. Then they can take it their own way.” The album was recorded at Tessmer’s home studio in the tiny town of Pioneer along Route 88 in the Sierra Nevada foothills. “She’s taught me a lot,” says Tucker of her mentor. “She is passionate about what she does. It was important for her because when she started out as a woman in the music industry, she did not have a good Listen to “Wicked Game”

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

experience. She really didn’t want me to have that, so she offered to help and produce everything.” In addition to engineering the album, Tessmer played keyboards and recruited a lineup of seasoned pros to join the effort including Government Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson, guitarist Toshi Yanagi of Jimmy Kimmel’s house band, and drummer 20

George Bernardo who played with Chuck Berry, The Drifters, The Coasters and Bo Diddly to name a few. The result is a polished blend of new-age soft rock and folk rock confessional. It begins with “Road Not Taken” about Tucker’s journey of growing into the confident, compassionate person she is today. “Throughout the years, I’ve found that it’s really important to find a balance,” she says. “I’ve had a lot of issues with being too hard on myself and taking on too much. I’ve learned to give myself space to reflect separately, so I don’t have to put it on someone else. I think these songs helped me to become more mature and self-aware.” Many of the songs were inspired by Tucker dealing with the ups and downs of her closest relationships, including her parents, grandparents, boyfriend and, mostly importantly, herself. She wrote “Sweet Surrender” at a singer-songwriter camp at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. “It’s about my boyfriend, but subconsciously, it’s really more about me,” she says. “It’s a message to him, but also a message to myself.” Tucker delivers a gorgeous cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” before she explores the intricacies of love and miscommunication on “Get on Without You” and “Is It Really Over.” “I’m a very indecisive person,” she says. “I’ve had a trouble with friends in the past and I know I deserve better than that. I used to let people constantly unload on me and get nothing in return. I’m still learning to ask for it back. I don’t need to

be your therapist. I need space to figure out my own issues. I think I’ve done a better job to ask for that space and respect those boundaries I’m putting up.” “Part of Me” was written for one of her biggest supporters: her mom. “She and I had just gotten into a fight,” says Tucker. “She left to go to dinner with my dad. I think by then all my anger had gone. I’m leaving for college soon and that’s been really hard on both of us. It reflects on our relationship, but it’s a selfreflection, too.” She wrote album closer “Fly” for her grandfather’s 80th birthday as a tribute to his unending devotion and support. “He’s always been there for me, so I wanted to do something special for him,” she says. In the end, “Reflections” provides a moody and introspective follow-up to the more straightforward emo folk of Tucker’s 2019 debut, “Off the Tracks.” “I think my songs have grown in the style,” she says. “I strayed from my comfort zone. I played with a different feel. I think my songwriting skills have progressed. It’s not just me saying something and leaving it. I wrote it, I reflected. I took more time lyrically on this second album.” You can listen to Sadie Tucker’s music on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.  Sean McAlindin is a writer and musician living in Truckee, who loves a secret powder stash just as much as a good jam. You can reach him at entertainment@tahoethisweek.com. Other writings and original music are available at seanmcalindin.com.

Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Black Ice Comedy Melt Ft. Howie Nave & Friends Lake Tahoe Community College, South Lake Tahoe, 7:30 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Dippin Sauce Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

NOVEMBER 20 | SATURDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Spirit of Spain Sierra Valley Grange, Beckwourth, 5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Dippin Sauce Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

NOVEMBER 21 | SUNDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Live Music Cutthroat Brewing Company, Markleeville, 2 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

November 17-December 7, 2021 THE LINEUP

NOVEMBER 22 | MONDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 23 | TUESDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Tuesday Night Blues Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 24 | WEDNESDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 25 | THURSDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 26 | FRIDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. The PettyBreakers Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Robbie Gade All Stars Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Dusty Green Bones Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 10 p.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

NOVEMBER 27 | SATURDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Abbacadabra: The Ultimate Abba Tribute Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7:30 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Robbie Gade All Stars Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Jelly Bread Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 10 p.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

NOVEMBER 28 | SUNDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Live Music Cutthroat Brewing Company, Markleeville, 2 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 29 | MONDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m.

Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 30 | TUESDAY

Textured gold, shiny diamonds, what a great combination!

Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Tuesday Night Blues Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Chase Hasty The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

DECEMBER 1 | WEDNESDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

DECEMBER 2 | THURSDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

DECEMBER 3 | FRIDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Dylan Casey’s, Zephyr Cove, 5-8 p.m. “White Christmas, The Musical” Community Arts Center, Truckee, 7 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Arizona Jones Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Andre Nickatina & Nef the Pharaoh Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

DECEMBER 4 | SATURDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Backcountry Film Festival Alibi Ale Works, Truckee, 6 p.m. “White Christmas, The Musical” Community Arts Center, Truckee, 7 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m. Arizona Jones Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Karaoke Rojo’s Tavern, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Live DJ Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

S i n c e 19 7 7 . L o c a t e d i n B o a t w o r k s M a l l a t t h e Ta h o e C i t y M a r i n a Steve S c hmie r s J ewe lr y.c o m . 5 3 0 . 5 8 3 . 5 70 9

your is waiting.

DECEMBER 5 | SUNDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Live Music Cutthroat Brewing Company, Markleeville, 2 p.m. “White Christmas, The Musical” Community Arts Center, Truckee, 2 p.m. CloZee The Neon Jungle Tour Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m. Live DJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 9 p.m.

DECEMBER 6 | MONDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 7 | TUESDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Tuesday Night Blues Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m.

DECEMBER 8 | WEDNESDAY Live Music Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 12-9 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

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THE makers

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

“Buried” film debuts D O C U M E N TA RY R E C O U N T S A L P I N E M E A D OW S AVA L A N C H E

n 1982, Alpine Meadows was the site of the worst avalanche in the resort’s history. A wall of white slid into the resort’s base and parking lot of the ski area, tragically taking the lives of seven people. Flash forward to 2021 — Jared Drake and Steven Siig have completed their film “Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche.” The film, which will make its theatrical debut at Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema in Tahoe City in December, has already received numerous accolades at film festivals.

this movie is very much about our community. We both live in Alpine;

ABOVE: Rescuers search for buried victims

you know. We know the

under the blown-out Summit Terminal Building. | Lanny Johnson

people and it’s been

LEFT: From left, Alpine Meadows avalanche

about capturing their

forecaster Jim Plehn and Alpine Meadows ski patrol director Bob Blair. | Lanny Johnson

story properly.”

BOTTOM LEFT: Alpine Meadows patrol crew circa

–Jared Drake

After months of working through the final stages of post-production, incorporating the producers’ notes, making some changes and getting additional help with some of the graphic effects and visual effects, Sugar and Hayes helped them strategize the release and distribution of the film. “They helped with post-production, editing, designing and creating the score, creating footage and sound mix,” he says. 24

Galis dungal

There are galis dungals also on display outside the Incline Village Visitor Center, at Sugar Pine Point State Park and in the museum at Donner Memorial State Park, among other locations. | washoecountylibrary.us

directing/producing partner,

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

The Incline Village Library has installed a Washoe galis dungal in the children’s section of the library. The traditional winter shelter built by Ben Rupert is one of several galis dungals in the region. The structure is made from cedar bark and involves a wood-curing process that takes several months, according to the library exhibit. Traditionally, the structure would have been built around a frame of pine or willow poles and secured with rocks around the diameter.

“For Siig and me, my

Watch the trailer for “Buried”

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exhibited

BY P R I YA H UT N E R

“We pre-screened at some festivals, which have gone well. We went to Mountainfilm in Telluride, Boulder International Film Festival and Bend Film Festival,” says Drake. The film won the Audience Choice Award at Mountainfilm, Official Selection at Boulder International Film Festival and Best Documentary Feature at the Bend and Austin film festivals. It was during a screening of the film that Drake met with a company called Sugar 23, owned by Michael Sugar. “He saw the film and really responded to it. He’s a huge producer and manager, not a filmmaker, but definitely a tastemaker in the film industry. He said he’d love to help us along with another producer, Devin Hayes, who produced ‘Free Solo,’” says Drake.

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late 1970s. | Lanny Johnson

“They’ve recovered and moved on. For us, it’s their story and it belongs to them and the community,” he says. “And we see the effect that has on other communities that have experienced something. To us, this movie has something that can impact a lot of people.”

“BURIED” DEC. 3-9

V&T Railroad book released Author Stephen E. Drew has released the new book “Virginia & Truckee Railroad: Railroad to the Comstock” featuring photographs of the historic railroad as part of the “Images of Rail” series from Arcadia Publishing. Drew is considered the leading historian of the V&T, which was one the richest and most famous short line railroad in America. Created in 1869, the V&T transported gold and silver ore and passengers, running 50 trains a day at its peak. The book recounts the railways history in Reno, Washoe Valley, Carson City, Virginia City and surrounding areas. | arcadiapublishing.com

the art s

Tahoe Art Haus | Tahoe City

This fall, they had screenings in Park City, Utah, and Crested Butte, Colo.; Savannah, Ga.; and the state of Washington. The official theatrical release was pushed back to December. For Drake and Siig, it’s been a passion to finish this film after working on it for more than four years. They said they deliberately created the film with a lot of heart. “For Siig and me, my directing/producing partner, this movie is very much about our community. We both live in Alpine; you know. We know the people and it’s been about capturing their story properly,” Drake says. The story is based on what the people involved in the tragedy described and accurately captures the event. It focuses on their journeys since the avalanche.

Drake was moved by some of the cast members who came to the screenings. He says seeing how they digested the event they’ve been wrestling with for 39 years, which defined a large part of their lives, was monumental. For Drake and Siig, “Buried” is an opportunity to tell a story and help people recognize that avalanches are a real danger. Drake says hopefully the movie is a wakeup call for people and can bring a deeper awareness of avalanche danger. “Buried” will be shown at Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema in Tahoe City from Dec. 3 to 9 with multiple screenings. Siig and Jared will be at most of the 7:30 p.m. screenings for a Q&A, along with some of the main characters. | tahoearthauscinema.com 

For Heart’s Sake Exhibit For Goodness Sake | Truckee Nov. 17-Dec. 28

12 p.m. | goodnesssake.org

Holly Arts Fair North Tahoe Arts | Tahoe City Nov. 17-Jan. 7

11 a.m.-5 p.m. | (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.com

Kids Art Thursdays Art Barn | Kings Beach | Nov. 18

3-5 p.m. | northtahoearts.com

Pine Needle Basket Weaving Workshop North Tahoe Arts | Kings Beach | Nov. 20 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.com

EAT &drink

November 17-December 7, 2021 EAT & DRINK

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

Sierra Sips

NORTH SHORE’S BREWERY SCENE BY P R I YA H UT N E R

Vietnamese Style Pulled Pork along with the tofu-version of this tasty and spicy sandwich, along with an Alibi Mustache Pretzel (a nod to their logo) with homemade beer cheese. With three locations, Alibi Ale Works is a go-to for community events, music, bingo and damn good beer. The Incline and Truckee Public Houses both have a restaurant, as well. | alibialeworks.com

raft beer brewing in Tahoe is a happening scene. While cruising around the lake, there are many places in which to sample different brewers and their creative and experimental beers. Whether you tend to lean toward IPAs, ales, pilsners or lagers, there is something for every palate. As the seasons change, so do the brews. Darker, richer beers become more popular in the winter months.

BEAR BELLY: NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

“ They’re very rarely a single batch of beer. So, we might take one that is 3 years old and blend it with one that is maybe 6 months

ABOVE: A tasting extravaganza with Joe Steinsfelds,

to 9 months old. The

LEFT: Adam Latham of Bear Belly Brewing works on a new

head brewer for Alibi Ale Works. | Katherine E. Hill creation. | Heidi Peinthor Photography, Bear Belly Brewing

thing about barrel-aged beers that makes it the most interesting is the magic in the blending.” –Joe Steinfelds

In the Tahoe Sierra, there are more than a dozen local breweries creating craft beers stretching from the Lost Sierra to the South Shore. Over the next few months, I’ll be highlighting these breweries and invite you to sample their creations. You can create your own pub crawl using our inaugural Sierra Sips map available at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Read my first article on Truckee breweries online.

take one that is 3 years old and blend it with one that is maybe 6 months to 9 months old. The thing about barrel-aged beers that makes it the most interesting is the magic in the blending. One, this might be a little bit acidic, you might think it tastes really good, but it has a little bit of a bite and then you mix it with something that’s a little younger to round that out,” says Steinfelds as he points to the wall of barrel-aging beers. “No two barrels are ever the same.”

Sierra Sips Tahoe Weekly presents

Plan your own

Portola

Blairsden BREWERY

Graeagle

ALIBI ALE WORKS: EVER-CHANGING VARIETY

FEATURED LISTING (PAID)

Lost Sierra 601 Graeagle Johnsville Road #1645, Graeagle roninfermentationproject.com

WINERY

FOOD TRUCK

DISTILLERY

FOOD

Reno & Sparks

The Brewing Lair

brewery tour with

Great Basin Brewing Company Sparks

67007 CA Hwy 70, Blairsden | thebrewinglair.com

846 Victorian Ave., Sparks, NV 89431 | greatbasinbrewing.com

Dedicated to high-profile ales

Great Basin Brewing Company Reno

Ronin Fermentation Project

5525 S. Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502 | greatbasinbrewing.com

Sierraville

Classical brews married with experimental brews

Truckee

Reno

Alibi Ale Works Truckee Public House 10069 Bridge St. | alibialeworks.com

RENO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Truckee

An adventurous line-up this is always evolving

TRUCKEE AIRPORT

Donner Creek Brewing

11448 Deerfield Drive | donnercreekbrewing.com Pico brewery focused on locally grown hops

FiftyFifty Brewing

11197 Brockway Road, Suite 1 | fiftyfiftybrewing.com

The Good Wolf

Northstar

10990 Industrial Way B103 | thegoodwolfbrewing.com

our Sierra Sips map

Incline Village

Forest beer from local sources

Old Trestle Distillery

West River St. | Tasting room opening fall 2022 | oldtrestle.com Gin, vodka & bourbon using locally harvested botanicals

Kings Beach

Olympic Valley

Truckee Brewing Co. a. 10736 Pioneer Trail, Suite 1 b. 1001 Soaring Way (opening Jan. 2022) truckeebrewco.com

Alpine Meadows

Focus on high-quality ingredients

Truckee River Winery

10061 S. River St. | truckeeriverwinery.com Specializing in single-vineyard varietals

Tahoe City

North Shore

Carson City

Alibi Ale Works Brewery and Barrel House

204 E. Enterprise St., Incline Village | alibialeworks.com

Alibi favorites & Barrel House exclusives (bring your own food)

931 Tahoe Blvd, Incline Village | alibialeworks.com Crafted with an eye to experimentation & variety

Homewood

Bear Belly Brewing Company

8428 Trout Ave, Kings Beach | bearbellybrew.com Small batch brewery

South Shore

TAKE THIS

MAP WITH YOU

Cold Water Brewery

2544 Lake Tahoe Blvd. | tahoecoldwaterbrewery.com 7-barrel brewhouse featuring all-grain beer

Sidellis Brewery

3350 Sandy Way | sidellis.com

Specializes in rotating, small-batch brews

South Lake Brewing Company

1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. | southlakebeer.com

16 craft brews on tap with styles for every beer lover (bring your own food)

South of North Brewing Co.

932 Stateline Ave. | southofnorthbeer.com Locally handcrafted ales

Stateline Brewery

4118 Lake Tahoe Blvd. | statelinebrewery.com

Emerald Bay

Read about

Truckee breweries at

Alibi Ale Works Incline Public House

South Lake Tahoe

Stateline

READ OUR STORY ON

TheTahoeWeekly.com

TRUCKEE’S EXPANDING BREWERY SCENE IN THIS EDITION ON PAGE 16

Crafting house & seasonal favorites

Revive 15

Creating good beer is an art and Alibi Ale Works owners Kevin Drake and Rich Romo have created such a brewery. Joe Steinfelds is the head brewer at Alibi Ale Works. He is a well of beer and brewing knowledge. He dons a black, German-styled hat speckled with a multitude of buttons from around the world, each telling a story related to his love of beer, including his status as a German beer sommelier. He greets Tahoe Weekly Publisher Katherine Hill and me at the Brewery and Barrel House location in Incline Village, Nev., to discuss his favorite topic. His wild, ginger mustache and feathered hat, along with a backdrop of barrels of beer, create an Old World feel. “Usually, these are blends. They’re very rarely a single batch of beer. So, we might

Barrel-aged gems from Truckee’s oldest brewery

3135 Harrison Avenue | revivecoffeewine.com

Meyers

TheTahoeWeekly.com DESIGN BY ALYSSA GANONG | TAHOE WEEKLY

Kirkwood

As we enter the brewery, huge bags of malt grains sit ready to be processed, pipes wind through across the ceiling to massive barrels in the back of the building. The place is like a giant laboratory. Brewing is clearly a science, as well as an art. “Beer is a living thing with four main ingredients: malt grains, hops, yeast and water,” says Steinfelds, who admits he really loves German-styled beers. We walk over to one of the large silver tanks labeled Snowflake White IPA and

Steinfelds pours beer into a glass and hands it to me. It smells like citrus with a hint of coconut. Soon it will be ready to drink. This beer is only made in the winter. We move back into the bar area to do some tasting. The vibe is low key; people are sitting at tables playing games and hanging out at the bar. Everyone is drinking draft beers. We sit at a long high top. The chalkboard over the board is the beer menu. Each of the beers on tap has creative, clever and often cheeky names: the Jaded Local, the Heretic and Arousal catch my eye. The first beer we try is the MoPils, a modern pilsner that Steinfelds is excited about. It’s got a bit of bitterness, a touch of sweetness and a subtle hint of candied lime. MoPils is just being released and is definitely one to try. It is delicious. We try the last of a summer brew, Cucumber Gose, made with 1,000 pounds of cucumbers. We taste the Alt Beer, which is akin to an amber ale, malty with a gentle sweetness to it, and a pale ale, Alibi’s No. 1 selling beer. We enjoyed English-styled beer, followed by the London Gentleman, a darker IPA. Arousal Alibi’s Belgium Dark Ale is 11.8 percent alcohol and not for the faint of heart. It was delicious, as was their porter. Before we knew it, there were a lot of glasses spread out before us. The character of each beer was uniquely different. Joe and his brewers are true creative artists when it comes to brewing and it’s all done with a great sense of humor. “The one thing I love about working here is that we have such a wide range of beers. And it never gets boring,” he says. Afterward, we head over to the Incline Public House to sample the cuisine paired with their Oatmeal Stout enjoying the

Tucked away in Kings Beach is a small brewery owned and operated by Adam Latham. This nano-brewery, Bear Belly Brewing Company, is open Wednesdays through Sundays and offers small-batch beers. “I have five draft handles and brew about 30 different beers. I’m pretty much brewing two kegs of beer at a time. And to keep up with demand, I have to brew a lot. I go through my beer so quickly that it’s always fresh and turning over constantly,” says Latham.

Alibi Ale Works alibialeworks.com Bear Belly Brewing Company bearbellybrew.com Tahoe National Bear Company tahoenational.beer He always has two IPAs on draft because it’s a fan favorite in his brewery. He brews seasonal beers and currently is pouring a Pumpkin Stout. His Imperial Stout is almost ready. The release party for that brew is Nov. 20. Now We Taco’N Food Truck is on site Fridays and Saturdays. The brewery also hosts Wednesday movie nights and Thursday trivia nights along with fun events throughout the year.

TAHOE NATIONAL BREWING: COMING SOON Tahoe City, get ready for a brewery in your neighborhood. The opening date is yet to be announced. They’ll be serving freshly brewed beers, wines, cocktails and food. Located lakeside behind the Safeway, the site will include a dining room with a built-in bar and a patio with a gas fireplace. | tahoenational.beer  Priya Hutner is a food writer, personal chef and owner of The Seasoned Sage, a local meal delivery and catering company. Priya has been creating and preparing meals from an early age. She has worked in the restaurant industry in New York City, attended catering school, and was the head chef and executive director of a nonprofit spiritual community in Florida. Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com. Send your comments, story ideas and food tidbits to priya@tahoethisweek.com.

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Unknown wines

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YOU NEED TO TRY

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S TO RY & P H OTO S BY L O U P H I L L I P S

his is my first formal readers’ appreciation article — and here’s too many more to come. Maybe it is the wackiness of 2021’s summer of smoke, maybe it is a hangover from 2020’s calamities — well, pick yours. Whatever is in the air, I have received more feedback and requests in the past 18 months than in my previous decade of writing.

Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

Help at Community Thanksgiving The 12th annual Tahoe Community Thanksgiving Celebration is on Nov. 25 at North Tahoe Event

These are wines that are

Center in Kings Beach from 2 to 6 p.m. Volunteers are needed to support this drive-through

delicious and taste both

holiday food pick-up. There are many shifts

different enough to intrigue

available to shop, prepare, cook and distribute food: on Nov. 23 to 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on

and expand your wine world,

Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Nov. 26.

with flavors that are familiar

Tax-deductible donations can be made to Tahoe

enough to make the journey

Neighborhood Table, include “Tahoe Community

a tasty one.

Thanksgiving” on the memo line. Mail checks to Meera Beser, P.O. Box 178, Kings Beach, CA, 96143 (Tax ID# 83-4592916). | (775) 230-1066,

This will be a nonconsecutive series of features addressing the topics that are on the minds of wine lovers of this publication, starting with Topic No. 1: discovering wines/grapes that are mostly unknown that are ready for the bright lights. These are wines that are delicious and taste both different enough to intrigue and expand your wine world, with flavors that are familiar enough to make the journey a tasty one. Some have been mentioned in previous articles, but here and now they will find their place in the sun. To help in understanding these gems, I will compare them

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Margins Counoise;

Mara Godello; Flavium Mencía.

Explore more wines with Lou

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

to familiar wines that are comparable in flavor and style. Let’s reverse the usual order and go from red to white. Leading is a grape from the south of France that has a minor role in their blends but has found a home as a single varietal wine in California and Washington. Meet Counoise (pronounced “coon-wah”), a quaff most comparable to quality Beaujolais — Gamay Noir. Effusive red fruits and spice, with noticeable, but not overpowering acid, make for a fun sipper that can

tahoecommunitythanksgiving@gmail.com

also find a place at the table with light appetizers or a veggie pizza. Red No. 2 is a wine I have been waiting to make the big-league roster for a decade or more. It is Mencía (pronounced “menthia”), the signature grape of the Bierzo region of Spain. Think Cabernet Franc meets Pinot Noir with a pop of mineral notes. If this feature doesn’t get these wines

off the ground, I guess I will just have to keep enjoying the great quality at for-asong prices myself. Arneis (pronounced “ar-nase”) is a delightful grape/wine from Piedmont that used to be called white Nebbiolo. That should give you some ideas of the esteem the Piedemontese have for this wine. Stone fruits and flowers and zippy energy mix with a note of nuttiness to make for a complex delightful wine experience. It is a classic salad course partner. This last one is a grape featured in Northwest Spain as Godello and in Portugal as Gouveio (pronounced “go-vey-o”). Similar to another white from the same regions, Albariño/Alvarinho, Godello adds an extra level of complexity and mouth feel to tree fruit, spice and touch of earthiness — as flexible a food as match one can find. These are all best found at specialty shops or stores with committed wine departments.  Lou Phillips is a Level 3 Advanced Sommelier in Tahoe and his consulting business wineprowest.com assists in the selling, buying and managing wine collections. He may be reached at (775) 544-3435 or wineguru123@gmail.com.

Free Thanksgiving dinner The Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe is offering a free Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kings Beach Clubhouse at 8125 Steelhead Ave. Stop by the club for a full, grab-and-go dinner while supplies last. Masks are required. | (530) 582-3760.

tasty tidbits Wine Tasting The Idle Hour Lake Tahoe | South Lake Tahoe Nov. 17, 24

5-8 p.m. | (530) 600-3304, tahoesouth.com

Boys & Girls Club Thanksgiving Dinner Boys & Girls Club NLT | Kings Beach Nov. 18 5-7 p.m. | (530) 582-3760

Spaghetti Dinner St. Theresa Church | South Lake Tahoe Nov. 18 6 p.m. Free | saintjosephclt.org

Sierra Community House Food Distribution We’re delivering perishable food bags weekly

Level 3 (Advanced) Sommelier

Fine Italian Food & Spirits

WineGuru123@gmail.com - (775) 544-3435

Delivery staff and volunteers are following best practices and wearing masks. Please follow social distancing and NOT interact.

Call or email today for your

NO-COST PROFIT CONSULT

in Truckee & North Lake Tahoe.

To sign-up or cancel, e-mail food@sierracommunityhouse.org or call 775-545-4083; Provide full name, address, phone number, birthdate and number of people in the household.

Louis Phillips

We Train Your Staff, Profitize Your Wine, Program, Represent Your Collection Sale and Make Your Fundraiser Money Don’t Get Taken When Selling Your Collectible Wines

Locals Love Lanza’s!

Most Wine Sales Programs Underachieve, We Can Fix That For You Make Your Non-Profit Fundraiser a Success

(530) 546-2434 7739 N Lake Blvd - Kings Beach

LanzasTahoe.com

SOMMELIER SERVICES

Helping Businesses and Collectors Become More Successful for Over 30 Years

Spirit Tastings Riva Grill On the Lake | South Lake Tahoe Nov. 18 5-6:30 p.m. | tahoesouth.com

Sunday Fundraise Flatstick Pub | South Lake Tahoe Nov. 21, 28

2-5 p.m. | (530) 443-4376, tipsyputt.com

Holiday Santa Paws & Yappy Hour Fire + Ice Restaurant | South Lake Tahoe Dec. 2 3-5 p.m. $5 | tahoesouth.com

Breakfast with Santa Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe Dec. 4

8-10 a.m. $15-$20 | facebook.com

November 17-December 7, 2021 EAT & DRINK

F RO M T H E S E AS O N E D SAG E

Escarole and Beans S TO RY & P H OTO S BY P R I YA H UT N E R

EST. 1982

A u t h ent ic M ex ic an made from scratch daily

Kings Beach

Indoor & Patio Dining 12:00pm-8:00pm

Full Bar

CLOSED ON MONDAYS

(530) 546-4539 - 8345 North Lake Blvd. - Across from the State Beach in Kings Beach

Lakeview Dining OPEN DAILY 12-9PM

his is one of my favorite dinners, especially on chilly night. I love adding ditalini pasta to this dish. Enjoy it all with a loaf of warm, crusty garlic bread.  Find more from The Seasoned Sage

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

FEATURING: Slow-Roasted Prime Rib | Baby Back Ribs | Full Bar Cooking is a meditation for Priya, it is from that place she curates her menus and recipes to create delicious and nutritious meals for The Seasoned Sage, her company catering to client’s culinary preferences and dietary restrictions. She is also working on a series of cookbooks. Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com or contact her at priya@theseasonedsage.com.

Escarole and Beans From the kitchen of: Priya Hutner · Serves 2-4 3 T olive oil 6 cloves of garlic, minced 3 heads of escarole, washed & chopped 1 can organic cannelloni beans

Steaks | Seafood | Pasta | Gourmet Hamburgers | Kid’s Menu

jasonsbeachsidegrille.com

•

(530) 546-3315

8338 NORTH LAKE BLVD., KINGS BEACH, CA

be kind be calm be helpful

½ C parmesan cheese 1 t salt Fresh ground pepper to taste 2 C Ditalini pasta, cooked (optional)

In a large pot add olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add escarole and cook until wilted. Add white beans and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan cheese before serving. Mix in ditalini pasta if desired.

EARTH TO TABLE ChristyHill.com 115 Grove St., Tahoe City CA 530-583-8551 27

November 17 to December 7, 2021

Articles inside

Sierra-At-Tahoe

How Lake Tahoe was Formed

North Shore Breweries

Escarole and Beans

Downhill Ski Guide