October 13 to 26, 2021 by Tahoe Guide (Tahoe Weekly)

october 13-26, 2021

local. independent. fresh.

the original guide to tahoe & truckee since 1982

ghost stories

of tahoe & truckee

rare dragonfly discovered miranda love’s ageless dream

easy fall mountain biking crazy for

cacao

Everything has changed. Nothing has changed. Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows is now Palisades Tahoe. The legendary terrain, history and community remains. Get the full story at palisadestahoe.com

fun. unique. everywhere.

October 13-26, 2021

Courtesy TINS

Courtesy Julia Szendrei

Volume 40 | Issue 21

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

Publisher/Owner & Editor In Chief Katherine E. Hill publisher@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 102 Sales & Marketing Manager Anne Artoux anne@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 110 Art Director 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

in this issue OCTOBER 13-26, 2021

Cover Photography production@tahoethisweek.com

making it happen

Wikimedia Commons

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

FEATURES

YOU CAN TRUST TAHOE WEEKLY

Ghost Stories of Tahoe & Truckee

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Trails Update

Rare Dragonly Discovered

Easy Mountain Bike Trails: North Lake Tahoe

Donner Party Decisions, Part II

I have done a lot of research through the years on how search engines and particularly social media channels track us, target us for advertising, and sell data about who we are and what we click on. As a journalist and the owner of a publishing company that uses the Internet as a business tool, it’s important for me to know how this all works. I understand how click bait, tracking and propaganda marketing (which leads you to often untrue but sensational sounding posts and sites) works. But even I was shocked and appalled at the recent revelations about how Facebook and Instagram are harming children and our society by its systems designed to incite users to click on false, misleading and harmful posts to make more money.

GET OUTSIDE Sightseeing

Lake Tahoe Facts

So, I’ll share with you some tips I’ve learned through the years:

Events

1. No one is regulating social media. It’s the Wild West of information and disinformation out there. I’ll repeat it – NO ONE is regulating social media. They don’t want to be classified as a media company, either, for fear of being regulated.

FUN & GAMES

2. Traditional media like print is heavily regulated. We can’t lie to you by law. We can’t tell you something false by law. We can’t spread rumors or print false information without repercussions. The same is NOT true for social media channels.

THE LINEUP

3. Those quizzes that are so popular on social media were created to steal your data. The same thing is true for ads on social media. If you see something that looks interesting, don’t click on it. Rather, open a web browser and search for that item from a trusted source. If you click on the ad or quiz, you’re potentially offering up your data to hackers and allowing them to track you. 4. To the small businesses out there, likes on social media don’t equal sales. We all know that sensational content gets the most views, likes and shares on posts, but those clicks don’t equal sales. I invite local business owners to dig into their own data and track how social media posts and ads on those sites translate into visits to your website and purchases online or at your physical locations. Social media can be a useful tool, but we too often hear from our clients who were lured by the false promises of cheap digital advertising only to return to print media after wasting time and money with little to no returns on their investments.

Horoscope & Puzzles

Miranda Love

Live

THE MAKERS Julia Szendrei

The Arts

EAT & DRINK Crazy for Cacao

Tasty Tidbits

Fall Wines, Part II

Cacao Balls

Before you consider buying advertising on social media, ask yourself if you want them to use your data and your customer’s data? Do you agree with their business practices? Do you support their deceptive business model? Do you trust them? Tahoe Weekly, on the other hand, is a local media source that can be trusted. As a small local business for nearly 40 years, we have never given you reason not to trust us. We have never attempted to sell you a false product. We have never published false information. We have never tracked our readers or sold their data. Our advertisers are also trusted local businesses. On behalf of our staff, I want to thank you for reading Tahoe Weekly and to thank our clients for their support for nearly 40 years.

WILDFIRE GUIDE AVAILABLE The Tahoe Weekly has released its inaugural Preparing for Wildfire Guide, available for free download at TheTahoeWeekly.com and issuu.com/TheTahoeWeekly. The guide is a compilation of our Preparing for Wildfire series and other critical fire information we have run throughout the summer. Our goal in creating this guide is to help our community be prepared in case of a wildfire with easy-to-use information. We invite everyone to share our guide to their website, newsletters, homeowner’s associations, etc. And thank you to our sponsors for supporting our work to create our first Preparing for Wildfire Guide. n

WILDFIRE

INFO & RESOURCES Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com Click on Wildfire Safety under the Get Outside menu

on the cover An early October snowstorm enshrouds the 8,590-foot peaks of the Sierra Buttes towering above Upper Sardine, on the right, and Lower Sardine Lakes as seen from the Tamarack Connection Trail. | Photography by Alyssa Ganong

TheTahoeWeekly.com

SIGHTSEEING

Fall’s fleeting color on full display along the Spooner Lake trail at Spooner Lake State Park taken on Oct. 8. Donner Summit | Katherine E. Hill Main entrance is closed so use the Tahoe Rim Trail parking area on Highway 50 to access the loop trial.

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

Fannette Island

Tahoe City

(530) 541-3030 | parks.ca.gov Lake Tahoe’s only island is located in Emerald Bay. TART/South Tahoe

Tahoe City Field Station

Closed until winter (775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com Enjoy a 2.4-mile ride on the gondola to the top with panoramic views. Ticket required. South Tahoe

Tallac Historic Site

Taylor Creek Visitor Center

(800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com Closed Oct. 1-Nov. 24 Aerial tram rides with views of Lake Tahoe and Olympic Heritage Museum. Ticket required. TART

Thunderbird Lodge

East Shore

May-October | thunderbirdtahoe.org This magnificent lakefront home features the Lighthouse Room, Old Lodge, 600’ underground tunnel and Boat House, home to the “Thunderbird,” a 1939 wooden boat. Tours by reservation only.

North Shore

northtahoebusiness.org North Shore’s largest sandy beach located in the heart of town. TART

North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 543-2674 | fs.usda.gov Features Stream Profile Chamber to view slice of Taylor Creek, nature trails & more. South Tahoe

Olympic Valley

Kings Beach

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. South Tahoe

West Shore

Parking fee | parks.ca.gov (530) 525-7232 Park | (530) 583-9911 Tours Sugar Pine Point State Park is home to the historic Ehrman Mansion and General Phipps Cabin built in the late 1800s. TART

High Camp

North Shore

Summer | (530) 583-3279 | terc.ucdavis.edu Learn abou the history of the 1920s-era building, UC Davis research projects, interactive exhibits and demonstration garden. Ages 8+. TART

South Lake Tahoe

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

North Shore

visittahoecity.com Popular for shopping and dining with historical sites. See Tahoe City Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and Fanny Bridge. Peer into Watson Cabin (1909) for a glimpse at pioneer life. TART

Emerald Bay

Heavenly

Watson Cabin

Truckee truckeehistory.org | truckee.com Settled in 1863, Truckee grew quickly as a stagecoach stop and route for the Central Pacific Railroad. Visit historical buildings including The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868). Stop by the Depot for a walking tour of historic downtown. Paid parking downtown. TART

Incline Village

Summer | (775) 586-1610, ext. 25 | demogarden.org Demonstrations using native and adaptive plants, water conservation, soil stabilization techniques, defensible space & BMPs. TART

GRAEAGLE MEADOWS

Lost Sierra

GRIZZLY MeasuredRANCH in Acre FeetTruckee (AF) PLUMAS PINES WHITEHAWK

RANCH NAKOMA

Olympic Museum

Tahoe City

A 20,400 40 MARTIS 1,052 CAPACITY: (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org The oldest building in Tahoe City, on the National Register of Historic Places. (summer tours). TART | FLOW AT FARAD 109

Truckee River

NAKOMAFEATHER RIVER PARK Olympic Valley FEATHER RIVER PARK

(800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com Closed Oct. 1-Nov. 24 Palisades Tahoe celebrates its 1960 Olympic History with the Olympic Museum at High Camp. TART Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) TROA.NET

Tahoe Science Center

MUSEUMS Soda Springs

Incline Village

Open by advance ticket only (775) 881-7566 | tahoesciencecenter.org University of California, Davis, science education center at Sierra Nevada College. Ages 8+. TART

donnersummithistoricalsociety.org 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40. TART

Truckee Railroad Museum

Emigrant Trail Museum

Open Sat.-Sun. | truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com Learn about the historic railroad. TART

Truckee

(530) 582-7892 | parks.ca.gov Features exhibits and artifacts on the Donner Party (1846-47) at Donner Memorial State Park. See the towering Pioneer Monument. TART

Gatekeeper’s Museum

Tahoe City

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

Truckee

Find more places to explore at TheTahoeWeekly.com

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

KidZone Children’s Museum

Truckee

Wed., Thurs. & Sat. to members only until Oct. 30 (530) 587-5437 | kidzonemuseum.org Interactive exhibits, science & art classes for kids up to age 7. BabyZone & Jungle Gym. TART

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 & exhibits on early industry & settlers. Pick up walking tour map. 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

Museum of Truckee History

Truckee

Sat. & Sun. & by appt. Thurs.-Mon. | (530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org Housed in the original Depot, built in 1901. Exhibits cover different eras in Truckee history. TART

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

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

RENTALS | TOURS | LESSONS | SALES | DELIVERY

KAYAKS & PADDLEBOARDS IN STOCK NIGHTLY SUNSET TOURS*

NEW INVENTORY BOTE, HOBIE, DELTA, EDDYLINE & WILDERNESS SYSTEMS

USED KAYAKS FOR SALE

TAHOE CITY

Shop at 521 North Lake Blvd. Rentals on the water at Commons Beach Available Daily *Conditions Permitting

Reservations 530.581.4336 4

TahoeCityKayak.com

DO L

GRAEAGLE PINES Tues.-Fri. advance tickets onlyPLUMAS RANCH MEADOWS GRAEAGLE (530) 659-2378 | truckeehistory.org NAKOMAGRIZZLY RANCH MEADOWS thFEATHER One of a few surviving 19 GRIZZLY CenturyRANCH jailhouses WHITEHAWK RIVER PARK RANCH used from 1875 until May 1964 (summer tours) . TART WHITEHAWK

CAPACITY: 18,300 C 8

Donner Summit Historical Society

6,226.35 TheLost Sierra

225

South Lake Tahoe

INDEPENDENCE 1,3763

Donner Summit The PLUMAS IN 2020: PINES

200,000 AF

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

Old Jail Museum

Emerald Bay

Parking fee | (530) 541-3030 | (530) 525-9529 ADA C 226,500 STAMPEDE 19,9661 CAPACITY: parks.ca.gov or vikingsholm.com Vikingsholm Castle (May 29-Sept. 30), Eagle CAPACITY: 29,840 2 PROSSER 11,061 Falls and Fannette Island, home to an old Tea 5 DONNER 4,690 CCAPACITY: House. TART/South Tahoe 9,500

Explore Tahoe CLOSED

South Lake Tahoe

Vikingsholm C PACITY CAPA CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 0 BOCA 12,362 Castle

175

Tahoe Art League Gallery

A volcanic plug beside Highway 89 on the West Shore. Trail to top is on the south side. TART

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

6,223.14 |

150,000 AF

West Shore

ELEVATION :

125

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

Drive through one of the area’s natural wonders, the neck of an old volcano.

Eagle Rock

Tahoe City

DONN TAHOE D LAKE

Lost Sierra Donner Summit Readings taken on Thursday, October 7, 2021

100,000 AF

North Tahoe Arts Center

East Shore

The

LAKE LEVEL Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

Check schedules before visiting. Restrictions remain in place in Nevada & California. covid19.ca.gov | nevadahealthresponse.nv.gov

ATTRACTIONS Cave Rock

TAHOE DON

Boots McFarland by Geolyn Carvin | BootsMcFarland.com

A M

October 13-26, 2021

lake tahoe facts |

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

GRAY ’S CROSSING

TAHOE DONNER

COYOTE MOON

Truckee

DONNER TAHOE DONNER LAKE

OLD GREENWOOD

BOCA RESERVOIR OLD GREENWOOD RENO-TAHOE PROSSER RESERVOIR INTERNATIONAL TRUCKEE BOCA RESERVOIR AIRPORT STAMPEDE RESERVOIR AIRPORT OLD GREENWOOD TRUCKEE BOCA RESERVOIR PROSSER RESERVOIR AIRPORT Donner Lake PONDEROSA TRUCKEE RENO-TAHOE PROSSER RESERVOIR STAMPEDE RESERVOIR BOCA RESERVOIR DONNER AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL PONDEROSA Summit SCHAFFER’S RENO-TAHOE MILL LAKE AIRPORT RESERVOIR PROSSERSTAMPEDE RESERVOIR INTERNATIONAL ra T PONDEROSA m i eR AIRPORT STAMPEDE RESERVOIR ho a SCHAFFER’S MILL T INCLINE VILLAGE a r SCHAFFER’S MILL Rim T MOUNTAIN oe a r NORTHSTAR ah im T R T SCHAFFER’S MILL INCLINE VILLAGE oe r ah MOUNTAIN R i m TT INCLINE VILLAGE OLD BROCKWAYh o e INCLINE VILLAGE NORTHSTAR a MOUNTAIN T CHAMPIONSHIP INCLINE VILLAGE NORTHSTAR Truckee MOUNTAIN WEST EAST River OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE SNORTHSTAR OUTH CHAMPIONSHIP OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE CHAMPIONSHIP OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE CHAMPIONSHIP DEEPEST COON ST.

Truckee Truckee

GRAEAGLE MEADOWS

Tahoe Vista

Incline Village

Incline Village Crystal Incline Village Kings Bay Tahoe Vista Crystal Beach Carnelian BayTahoe Vista NAKOMA Crystal Kings Bay Olympic Tahoe Vista POINT FEATHER Kings Crystal Bay Beach BOAT LAUNCH SIERRA Carnelian Bay Valley RIVER PARK BOAT CO. Kings Beach DEEPEST Bay Olympic Carnelian Bay COON ST. POINT SANDDEEPEST BOAT LAUNCH SIERRA Beach Olympic TAHOE COON ST. NORTH Valley Carnelian Bay CITY HARBOR BOAT CO. POINT BOAT LAUNCH TAHOE SIERRA RESORT AT DEEPEST Valley Olympic BOAT CO. COON ST. Tahoe SAND SQUAW CREEK POINT BOAT LAUNCH NORTH DollarSIERRA Hill TAHOE CITY HARBOR Valley LAKE TAHOE VISTA SAND City BOAT CO. TAHOE RESORT AT MARINAS NORTH FOREST TAHOE CITY REC AREA HARBOR Tahoe SQUAW CREEK TAHOE SAND Alpine RESORT AT Dollar Hill NORTH CITY LAKE HARBOR TAHOE VISTA Tahoe City SQUAW CREEK TAHOE TAHOE TAHOE NV Dollar Hill RESORT AT CITY Meadows FOREST REC AREA LAKE TAHOE VISTA City Tahoe SQUAW CREEK Alpine Dollar MARINA Carson FOREST Hill RECTAHOE AREA LAKE TAHOE VISTA City Meadows Alpine CITY City Sunnyside FOREST TAHOE REC AREA MARINA BOAT RAMPS AlpineMeadows CITY SUNNYSIDE TAHOE MARINA Carson CITY l Meadows Sunnyside ai MARINA Tr Carson City Sunnyside SUNNYSIDE City il SUNNYSIDE Sunnyside ra GRIZZLY RANCH

Marlette Lake

Ta h o e R i m

Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock OBEXER’S

HOMEWOOD

m Tr a i l

CAVE ROCK

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Zephyr Cove CAVE ROCK Cave Rock South EDGEWOOD CAVE ROCK Lake Tahoe Zephyr Cove TAHOE EDGEWOOD CAVE ROCK Stateline Emerald Bay Average Water Temperature: 42.1˚F (5.61˚C) Zephyr CoveSouth TAHOE Fannette Island South Lake Tahoe Zephyr Cove SKI RUN Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe South Average Surface Water Temperature: 51.9˚F (11.1˚C) Fannette Island LAKESIDE Stateline Emerald Bay TAHOEEagle Lake Tahoe SKI RUN Fannette Island Stateline Lake KEYS Emerald Bay BIJOU SKI RUN Average Surface Temperature in July: 64.9˚F (18.3˚C) Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

Cascade SKI RUN Lake TAHOE

CAMP

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

Ta h inches (10.4 m) Average Snowfall: 409 o e R i m Tr ail

Permanent Population: 66,000 Ta h oe

Ta h oe

R i m Tr ail

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

Learn about the natural history of the Tahoe Sierra

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

CAMP RICHARDSON CAMP RICHARDSON Ta h o e R i m Tr ail

TAHOE KEYS

Meyers

TAHOE LAKESIDE KEYS LAKESIDE

KEYS

LAKE TAHOE

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

Stateline LAKESIDE BIJOU

Shore

TAHOE PARADISE LAKE TAHOE

FREEL PEAK

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT

TAHOE PARADISE

LAKE TAHOE

Kirkwood Kirkwood

map design by Alyssa Ganong | Tahoe Weekly©

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.

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

Shoreline: 72 miles (116 km)

FREEL Meyers TAHOE PARADISEPEAK FREEL LAKE TAHOE Meyers AIRPORT PEAK LAKE TAHOE Meyers Echo Lakes AIRPORT

Kirkwood

EDGEWOOD TAHOE

PEAKSouth

Leaf Lake

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.

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).

BIJOU CAMP RICHARDSONBIJOUFREEL

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT Fallen

Average depth: 1,000 feet (304 m)

Natural rim: 6,223’ (1,897 m)

Cave Rock

EDGEWOOD

Cave Rock TAHOE

Fannette Island

o Ta h

Cave

MEEKS BAY

m Tr a i l

MEEKS BAY

m Tr a i l

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Meeks Bay MEEKS BAY Rock

East Shore

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Tahoma

Tahoma Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years Tahoma MEEKS BAY Meeks Bay Fed By: 63 streams and 2 Meeks hot springsBay

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

Volume: 39 trillion gallons (147.6 trillion liters)

o Ta h

m Tr a i l

OBEXER’S

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

Spooner Lake

Glenbrook

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Homewood Glenbrook Glenbrook OBEXER’S

West

HOMEWOOD

HomewoodShore CASINOS Tahoma OBEXER’S Homewood HOMEWOOD

Meeks Bay

Carson City

Glenbrook

Homewood

Eagle Rock

Tahoe

o Ta h

Ta h o e R i m

a SUNNYSIDE Eagle Tr Rock GOLF COURSES l ai HOMEWOOD Tr

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

Maximum depth: 1,645 feet (501 m)

Lake

Ta h o e R i m

WHITEHAWK RANCH

for details

North Shore

PLUMAS PINES

anne@tahoethisweek.com

Incline Village

The DONNER LAKELost Sierra

Donner

DONNER LAKE

LOGO here

Reno & Sparks Reno & Sparks RENO-TAHOE Reno & Sparks INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Email

Truckee

GRAY ’S CROSSING OLD GREENWOOD

COYOTE MOON PONDEROSA COYOTE MOON

Your business’

Reno & Sparks

GRAY ’S CROSSING

TRUCKEE GRAY ’S CROSSING AIRPORT COYOTE MOON TAHOE DONNER

TAHOE DONNER

er Summit

YOUR BUSINESS COULD

SPONSOR THIS PAGE

LAKE

Hope Valley TAHOE Markleeville

Kirkwood Hope Valley Hope Markleeville Valley Markleeville

Hope Valley Markleeville

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).

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.

INTRODUCING THE NEW PRESE

NTS T HE IN AUG

GUIDE

URAL

| 2021

GUIDE

EVERYTHING YOU NE ED TO KNOW TO HE LP KEEP YOU SAFE AND PREPARED Wildfire Warnings

& Alerts | Preparing Yo ur Go Bag | Wildfire Ev acuation Checklist Making a Disaster Surviva l Kit | Defensible Spac e How to Help | AND MOR E!

UIDE

FREE G DOWNLOAD YOUR

thetahoeweekly.co & y kl ee eW ho Ta issuu.com/The

Cover Im age cour tesy CalFi re.

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GET outside

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

Ghost stories O F TA H O E & T R U C K E E BY JA N I C E O B E R D I N G

t’s that time of year. Pumpkin spice is queen of everything from cupcakes to lattes. The last long dog days of summer are finally behind us. And that brings us to Halloween, ranked just behind Thanksgiving and Christmas as the nation’s favorite holiday. Statistically more candy is sold during the last week of October than any other time of the year. Think of all those little trick-or-treaters in their scary costumes and you’ll know why this is. Candy and pumpkin spice latte aside, Halloween is when ghosts claim the spotlight. But ghosts don’t suddenly start appearing in October. As any ghost research investigator will tell you, ghosts are with us every day and night. And they are everywhere. The Tahoe Truckee area is not immune to hauntings.

Some paranormal investigators have said that if you listen carefully, you may hear the cackling of the cold-blooded “Ma” Spinelli as she shouts orders to her gang. THE TRAGIC DONNER PARTY Our region’s best-known ghosts are probably those of the tragic Donner Party. Starving and stranded by heavy snowfall in the winter of 1846, they did the unthinkable — they resorted to cannibalism. The horror they endured may be the reason for ghost activity here. Sightings of Tamsen Donner and other members of the Donner Party, regularly occur at the site of their encampment at Donner Memorial State Park’s Emigrant Trail Museum. Over the years, many campers have reported seeing the ghostly Tamsen as she wanders through the darkness. Described as glowing and shadowy, she vanishes as quickly as she appears. Naysayers can put this down to a trick of light or overworked imagination. And perhaps it is, but there is also the ghostly bewhiskered man who is sometimes seen in broad daylight or dusk in and around the museum. He appears to be so lifelike that some who’ve encountered him don’t realize he is a ghost until he walks through the wall.

THE BLIZZARD KING It isn’t only humans that can be ghosts. The ghostly Samoyed Rex is said to roam an area around Truckee’s Cottonwood Restaurant, once known as Hilltop Lodge, where he was kenneled. Known as The Blizzard King, for his and his sled team’s help in rescuing stranded travelers, Rex prefers to make his appearances on snowy nights. He is with his beloved handler or 6

New terrain, lift for Mt. Rose Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has announced that plans are underway to expand the Lakeview area of the mountain to include additional ski terrain and a new high-speed chairlift for the 2022-23 season. Mt. Rose will open for the 2021-22 season on Nov. 12. 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 upward of $7.5 million dollars and is expected to be complete ahead of the 2022-23 winter season, according to a press release. “When completed, the Lakeview zone of the mountain will offer even greater access to beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain and help give skiers and riders of all ability levels more lift and terrain options to enjoy,” said marketing manager Mike Pierce in the release.

Rex The Blizzard King leading the team. | Jim Cheskawich,

he is alone. Either way, you’ll know he’s nearby when you hear his ghostly barking.

MA SPINELLI All is silent at Truckee’s Old Jail Museum during the day, but things change once the sun goes down. Juanita “Ma” Spinelli, the first woman to be executed by the State of California, cooled her heels for a time here with other members of her gang. Some paranormal investigators have said that if you listen carefully, you may hear the cackling of the cold-blooded Spinelli as she shouts orders to her gang. Is she the shadowy dark figure seen in the jail? Odds are it’s Baby Face Nelson, who also spent cell time here.

“SNOWBOUND! Legendary Winters of the Tahoe Sierra”

LITTLE GIRL LOST The Hellman-Erhman Mansion Museum in Sugar Pine Point State Park in Tahoma was the home of a little girl who drowned in the lake while visiting the Hellmans many years ago. She appears on moonless nights when the sky is dark and star-strewn, a luminous, little girl forlornly wandering the shore. Call to her and she will disappear into the water. The lake has claimed the lives of many.

HERMIT OF EMERALD BAY Another of its ghostly drowning victims is Captain Richard Barter, the hermit of Emerald Bay. Barter perished in a dreadful storm on a long-ago October night in 1873. His body was never recovered. This hasn’t stopped his ghost from rising out of the lake on fog-shrouded nights and strolling along the shoreline.

HAUNTING AT CAL NEVA

George Whittell Jr. | Courtesy Thunderbird Tahoe

GEORGE WHITTELL JR. In Incline Village, Nev., Thunderbird Lodge stands as a testament to what an enormous bankroll can do for you. George Whittell Jr. had his summer home built on the lake’s shore in 1936. Although he died in 1969, he’s still here. The lodge has been investigated by ghost hunters’ numerous times; their conclusion is that the ghostly Whittell still oversees his former home. A ghost hunter who spoke negatively about Whittell learned this the hard way when a ghostly hand gave her a shove. He’s always up for a good time. That oldtime music and raucous laughter are only Whittell and his ghostly cronies partying all night in the card house.

Do ghosts haunt several locations? Apparently, they do. The beautiful blonde actress Marilyn Monroe died mysteriously in Los Angeles 1962. Besides all the obvious places, Monroe haunts the old Cal Neva Lodge (currently closed for renovations) in Crystal Bay, Nev. According to those who’ve seen them, Monroe is there with singer Frank Sinatra, all glittery and glamourous and still partying in the showroom, decades after they died. And as they hoist one ghostly glass of bubbly after another, they’re probably wishing us all a happy Halloween. I’d bet my next bag of candy corn that it’s so. n Janice Oberding, a resident of Reno, Nev., is the author of the new book “The Big Book of California Ghost Stories.” She’s also the author of “Haunted Nevada” and is one of only a few people who have spent an entire night at Alcatraz. She worked as consultant and historian for the Alcatraz episode of SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters.” | Janice Oberding on Facebook, globepequot.com

Preliminary work has already begun with the lift replacement process to begin at the end of the 2021-22 winter season. 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. On-mountain improvements include an additional investment in snowmaking infrastructure on the Mine Train, Slide Bowl and Race Arena trails. Slope-grading work designed to reduce obstacles and allow for terrain opening on as little as 12 inches of packed snow is also in progress on Bruce’s Run. Preparation for the Lakeview expansion including Lakeside Trail developments and site preparation of the unload terminal occurred this summer. | skirose.com

Sugar Bowl, Royal Gorge reopening facilities Sugar Bowl Resort and Royal Gorge Cross Country have unveiled details about the upcoming ski and snowboard season in a press release, including plans to reopen The Hotel at Sugar Bowl and all lodges, bars and restaurants at both resorts. Sugar Bowl has also resumed selling season passes. Both ski areas are set to open on Nov. 26. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, including in lift lines or while riding chairlifts and the base lodges and Belt Room Bar will be open this season. The Hotel at Sugar Bowl will reopen on Dec. 9. Vaccinations will be mandatory for all Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge staff. “The resorts do not plan to require guests to show proof of vaccination in order to visit or participate in resort activities,” the release stated. | sugarbowl.com, royalgorge.com

October 13-26, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

16th Annual

North Tahoe’s Most Flavorful Fundraiser

Fire damage on the Corral Loop Trail. | Courtesy TAMBA

Forest, trail access expanded BY K AT H E R I N E E . H I L L

Thursday, November 4 6-9pm

Most of the Eldorado National Forest has reopened for public day use only with the Caldor Fire now at 93 percent containment as of press time on Oct. 8. Campgrounds remain closed in the district. A smaller Caldor Fire Closure is in effect until March 31, 2022, prohibiting all access within the fire zone. The closure may be lifted sooner if conditions permit. For current conditions and maps of closure areas, visit fs.usda.gov/eldorado. Portions of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are closed through Dec. 31 due to the Caldor Fire including areas around Fallen Leaf Lake and the South Shore. And portions of the Plumas National Forest near the Dixie and Beckwourth fires are closed until Nov. 30. Visit fs.usda.gov for updates and closures maps. Sierra-at-Tahoe | “What we now know is that there is more damage to the resort than was initially thought,” the ski area reported on Facebook. “A significant number of trees were weakened by the fire, some of our chairlifts have sustained damage and other infrastructure requires repair. Already, a tremendous amount of work has been done along Sierra-at-Tahoe Road to remove fire weakened trees and engineers are making progress in the effort to repair affected lifts.” It was previously reported that Nob Hill and Short Stuff were both damaged by the fire. The resort reports that it’s committing to opening the ski area this winter if safe to do so. “… As we learn more about timelines related to the repairs that are in progress, fire damaged tree remediation, and what our operations may look like this winter, we will continue to keep you informed. … We also want you to be confident in knowing that our goals remain the same: to put our employees back to work, to give you the high-quality ski and snowboard experience you’re accustomed to, and to adapt and persevere as we always have.” Follow updates @SierraAtTahoe Tahoe Rim Trail | Portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail remain closed due to forest closures including the Big Meadow to Echo Lakes segment and the Echo Lakes to Barker Pass segment. | tahoerimtrail.org

North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach Enjoy a delicious and fun evening of unlimited, responsible tastings to excite the palate — featuring tastings from 30 restaurants, caterers, wineries & breweries. PLUS an extensive and valuable silent auction and raffle!

60 | Advance Tickets Only!

AVAILABLE AT NORTHTAHOEBUSINESS.ORG

Purchase early, limited tickets are available. Available to guests 21+ Includes commemorative wine glass! brought to you by

State parks | All state parks around Lake Tahoe are open. Spooner Lake’s main entrance remains closed for parking improvements, but trail access is open. Back-country | Back-country area closures are in effect currently until Oct. 20 for Desolation Wilderness, Meiss Backcountry, Barker Pass and McKinney/Rubicon. Visit fs.usda.gov for details and closure maps. Trail damage | Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association has reported damage to more than 20 miles of trails on the South Shore including Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Corral Trail, Sidewinder, Incense Cedar, Armstrong Connector, Armstrong Pass Trail and Powerline trails. The group is holding fundraisers for trail repairs and is planning trail work days this fall. Follow updates at @TAMBAtahoe Check all areas in advance of visiting for up-to-date information.

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BOAT RENTALS & FUEL DOCK

Alex Baker | Homewood Mountain Resort

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Fuel dock 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boat Rentals 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WEATHER PERMITTING

Halloweekend at Homewood Homewood Mountain Resort brings back its family friendly Halloweekend from Oct. 21 to 24 with a trick-or-treat village, face painting, pumpkin decorating, family games, festive foods, a haunted house, and scenic and haunted chairlift rides. Festivities include The Haunting dinner at West Shore Café and haunted lift rides at Homewood on Oct. 21.

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From Oct. 22 to 24, enjoy the Trick-o-Treat Village, pumpkin and face painting at the Halloweekend Festival at Homewood, scenic lift rides during the day with haunted rides in the evening. Entry to the festival is free and tickets for the lift rides are available online. TTUSD students receive a discount. | skihomewood.com

Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to add your Event for our print & online calendars. Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button. Events may be subject to cancellation due to smoke & fire danger. Check conditions before visiting.

events Outdoor RUFF Truckee Library | Truckee | Oct. 13, 20, 27

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

Living With Fire Virtual Series: Prescribed Fire in Tahoe and Nevada Virtual | Oct. 14

11:30 a.m. Free | tahoelivingwithfire.com

Cool Car Cruizen Fridays Heavenly Village Gondola South Lake Tahoe | Oct. 15, 22

5-8 p.m. Free | goodsamsaferide.com

Christmas Valley Pumpkin Patch Celio Ranch | Meyers | Oct. 16, 17

Lodge Clean Up & Trail Day Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area Tahoe City | Oct. 16

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free | tahoexc.org

your is waiting.

Tahoe ski resorts 2021-22 opening dates Tahoe ski resorts have announced opening dates for the 2021-22 ski season with Mt. Rose expected to be the first downhill resort to open for the season on Nov. 12. Auburn Ski Club will open its Nordic ski area on Nov. 13. All dates are dependent on conditions. Visit ski area websites for updated information.

2021-22 Tahoe Ski Season Opening Dates (as of Oct. 8, 2021)

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Pumpkin Patch Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe | Oct. 16, 17 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | theshopsatheavenly.com

Tahoe Donner Winter Job Fair 12850 Northwoods Blvd. | Truckee | Oct. 16 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | chamber.truckee.com

Winter Warmth & Wellness Clothing and Household Necessities Giveaway North Tahoe Events Center Kings Beach | Oct. 16

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free | (775) 230-1066

26th Annual Truckee River Day Truckee River Watershed Council Truckee | Oct. 17

9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free | (530) 550-8760, truckeeriverwc.org

High Fives Charity Golf Tournament Gray’s Crossing | Truckee | Oct. 18

8 a.m. | support.highfivesfoundation.org

Go With the Flow: How to plan for a successful day in the mountains Alibi Ale Works | Truckee | Oct. 19 6-9 p.m. | facebook.com

River Talks Virtual | Oct. 19, 26

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

Tahoe Big Year Bird Outing Area venues | South Lake Tahoe | Oct. 20 8:30-10 a.m. Free | tinsweb.org

Donner Memorial State Park program Virtual | Oct. 21

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

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

October 13-26, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

L I F E I N TA H O E

Rare dragonfly DISCOVERED

Courtesy TINS

C O U R T E SY TA H O E I N S T I T UT E F O R N AT U R A L S C I E N C E

he scientific community around is region is buzzing after an amazing discovery by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS). The nonprofit was hosting a citizen science event in June in the Donner Lake area when participants discovered a Spiny Baskettail (Epitheca spinigera) dragonfly. The species was first discovered in the region more than 100 years ago but had not been seen here since. The species is relatively common across forested Canada and parts of the northern U.S., but in California it is known from

The species was first discovered in the region more than 100 years ago but had not been seen here since. only four sites, three of which are close to the Oregon border. Within California, the Spiny Baskettail was first spotted at Donner Lake in 1914 by Clarence Hamilton Kennedy. They were never again seen anywhere around Tahoe despite considerable effort to relocate them. The accepted wisdom among California dragonfly enthusiasts and biologists was that this population was long gone, perhaps a victim of heavy recreational use at Donner Lake. Kathy Biggs, who has written regional field guides on dragonflies and keeps careful track of odonate records in California, was thrilled by the rediscovery. “Never, in the last three decades of intensive California dragonfly studies, has any species ‘returned from the dead’,” she said. On the day of the discovery, TINS was hosting its annual Odonate Blitz — an expedition into Tahoe habitats in search of dragonflies and damselflies. This year Donner Lake was chosen, specifically with Spiny Baskettails in mind. As the day was getting hotter and the team’s endurance was starting to fade, a lone dragonfly was spotted struggling on the surface of Donner Pond, mired in a slick of congealed pollen. The team was able to fish it out with a long stick and examine the insect

closely, and much to everyone’s shock and amazement it was indeed a female Spiny Baskettail, the first one spotted south of Lassen County in 107 years. TINS executive director Will Richardson returned to the site eight days later and found another female roosting in the pines nearby — encouraging evidence that there surely must be a breeding population somewhere in the area. TINS will be scouring the Donner, Teichert and Coldstream ponds starting in mid-May next year to find out where. “This a great example of how citizen science can make real discoveries and add valuable information to the scientific record,” says Richardson, who co-founded TINS. “Everyone believed this species was extirpated from the region, myself included, but we tried for it anyway. Given all the previous attempts to relocate this population, it was nothing short of exhilarating when we proved ourselves wrong.” Ashli Lewis, environmental scientist with California State Parks, says citizen science efforts like TINS annual Odonates Blitz are important to provide a broader understanding of the resources on public lands.

Textured gold, shiny diamonds, what a great combination!

Oct. 20

Tahoe Big Year Outing Oct. 27

Tahoe Big Year Gathering “Our monitoring budgets are focused on certain species of conservation concern, but you never know what else is out there, so it’s so important that people are out there looking. Just because it hasn’t been seen in 100 years doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep looking,” she says. “Who knows, maybe we still have Sierra Nevada Red Foxes hiding under our noses like they did at Sonora Pass for 90 years?” TINS hosts several citizen science events throughout the year including annual butterfly counts, the Mid-winter Bald Eagle Count and the Christmas Bird Count; as well as guided hikes and other programs. | tinsweb.org n

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

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Easy Mountain Bike Trails: N O R T H L A K E TA H O E S TO RY & P H OTO S BY P R I YA H UT N E R

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Read Priya’s feature on Easy

Mountain Biking Trails in Truckee at TheTahoeWeekly. com. Due to ongoing fire danger and forest closures, she will explore South Shore trails next summer.

There are some days when a cruisy bike ride in the woods is just what the doctor ordered, and the Tahoe Sierra is known for its stellar mountain-bike terrain with trails for every type of rider. Tahoe’s mountain-biking trails offer challenging uphill ascents, technical terrain, big winding single-tracks and white-knuckle descents. Along the way, the gently rolling trails provide an opportunity to explore the forests and enjoy the beautiful environment that makes Tahoe one of the most spectacular places in the country.

Federal, state and local trails or parks may be closed due to fire danger or air quality impacts. Check conditions before visiting.

LEFT to RIGHT: Selfies on the ride; The trail to the meadow; Looking out across the meadow.

There is something extraordinary about riding a bike on dirt in the woods away from busy roads. There is something extraordinary about riding a bike on dirt in the woods away from busy roads. Immersing in nature is a top priority for most people who live and visit this area — and it’s healthy, too. On a beautiful fall Sunday morning, my friend Lauren Kok and I set out for a mountain-bike ride to Page Meadows. Neither of us had ridden the Page Meadows loop and it is designated easy. We accessed the trail on Rawhide Drive off Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City. We parked at the end of the road where the trailhead starts. Once on our bikes, we started a steady but gentle climb up a fire road. The forest was gorgeous and offered a nice amount of shade from the sun. The fire road eventually turned into a single track. The trail wasn’t technical and had few rocky sections. We wondered if this is why it was designated easy. As we climbed, there were only a handful of people hiking and biking. Along the trail, there are several signs for Page Meadows. The last sign had two arrows, one pointed right and the other left.

Immersing in nature is a top priority for most We took the right trail. The trail dipped a bit deeper into the woods until the meadow appeared on our left. The meadow opened up, the grasses in the meadow were yellowing, letting us know that fall had arrived. We rode around the meadow and hit a fork on the far side of the meadow. It was here that we took the left trail. The trail brought us back to the Rawhide Trail for a fun downhill through the forest and back to the car. Our ride was 5 miles and took us about 55 minutes with a few stops to take photos. There are several trails to explore in this area, including the trail that connects to the Tahoe Rim Trail. Here are a few other easy mountain bike trails to enjoy.

BURTON CREEK STATE PARK Colleague and fellow writer Tim Hauserman also suggested mountain biking at Tahoe City Cross Country Ski area. Those trails offer different skill levels, including several single-track trails perfect for a leisurely ride. The Tahoe XC Loop trail is 3.4 miles, perfect for beginners. Tim also recommended the Antone Meadows Loop, which is 3.2 miles and ambles through Burton Creek State Park and rolls through the forest and around Antone Meadows. There are numerous optional little side trails, as well, to explore.

WEST SHORE Ward Creek Trail is a 1.4-mile trail in Ward Creek Park near Timberland off Highway 89. This trail is an easy rolling trail that offers a gentle ride along the creek.

people who live and visit this area — and it's healthy, too. Blackwood Canyon on the West Shore offers trails that are good for beginner and intermediate riding. The trailhead is located at Highway 89 and Blackwood Canyon Road about 4 miles south of Tahoe City. The 4-mile roundtrip trail into Blackwood Canyon offers views of open meadows and an aspen grove, making this a perfect fall ride.

EXPLORE NEW TRAILS Many of the beautiful things about mountain biking are that you can always go as far as you like, take your time and go at your own pace. Building stamina and endurance are keys to riding but enjoying and having fun are just as important. There are hundreds of trails to ride in Tahoe and you can find descriptions for many at TheTahoeWeekly.com. You can also use apps to track your rides and keep from getting lost. Strava, Trailforks, MBT Project, AllTrails and MapMyRide are just some of the apps available that are extremely helpful. It is beneficial to ride with friends if you’re not familiar with the area. If the terrain is tricky, remember it’s fine to get off and walk your bike. Know yourself and your limits. While it is fun to explore unknown trails, it’s important to do some research and to explore the level of difficulty of trails you embark on. n

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Halloweekend at Homewood Homewood Mountain Resort | Oct. 21-24 3-9 p.m. | (530) 584-6820, skihomewood.com

Olympic Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan Virtual | Oct. 21 3 p.m. Free

Wild & Free Virtual Fundraiser | Oct. 21 6-8 p.m. | ltwc.org

Forlorn Hope Reprise w/Bob Crowley & Tim Twietmeyer Donner Memorial State Park Truckee | Oct. 23

5 p.m. $10 | facebook.com

Urbin Garden Planting Silver Pine Drive Carnelian Bay | Oct. 23

10 a.m.-12 p.m. | sugarpinefoundation.org

Springs property on the eastern edge of Truckee as open space. The Trust has already raised $9.9 million.

New Tahoe XC lodge in the works

Canyon Springs contains beautiful rolling hills of mixed conifer forest, sage and seasonal stream courses fed by springs with meadow and riparian habitat home to numerous species, according to the Land Trust’s website. The beleaguered Loyalton Truckee deer herd uses the property as part of its migration corridor between upland summer habitat and lower elevation wintering grounds. The property also protects wildlife corridors between the Martis Valley (including Waddle Ranch) and the Mt. Rose Wilderness Area, according to the Land Trust.

Final design and permitting is currently underway to rebuild the historic Schilling House as the new lodge for Tahoe XC next to North Tahoe High School with construction planned to begin in 2023, according to the Tahoe City Public Utility District in an email blast.

The Land Trust plans on building new trailheads, trails and signage for the public to enjoy. | Donate truckeedonnerlandtrust.org

The new Tahoe XC Lodge will improve winter skiing, summer hiking and biking activities; and provide indoor and outdoor community space; improved traffic flow and parking; a larger lounge, rental shop, retail store, cafe, first-aid room and space for student athletes. The existing trail system and adjacent trails on state property will be more easily accessible from the new facility. Construction is expected to take two years. | tahoexclodgeproject.com

Learn about Cascade to Meeks Trail

Discovery Tour KidZone Museum | Truckee | Oct. 26 10-11 a.m. | (530) 587-5437, facebook.com

A feasibility study to examine the constructability of a West Shore Tahoe trail dubbed the Cascade to Meeks Trail has begun with a webinar scheduled for Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. that is open to everyone.

Forest Futures Salons Webinar Zoom | Oct. 27

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

TBY Monthly Gathering Virtual | Oct. 27

Truckee Donner Land Trust

6-8 p.m. Free

Canyon Springs eyed by land trust

Truckee Donner Land Trust, Mountain Area Preservation, SOS Glenshire and the Martis Fund are working to raise $11.6 million by Dec. 15 to preserve the 290-acre Canyon

The creation of the multi-use trail was identified as a high priority need in the SR 89 Corridor Management Plan, which was released last year. The plan also identified needs for increased transit, more parking and additional access to recreation along the stretch of Highway 89 from Meeks Bay to Camp Richardson.

Read our coverage on the plans

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

A study for the trail while look at the project’s vision and goals, trail segments and access points. The West Shore Trail is expected to help reduce traffic congestion and enable multi-use access to recreation beaches and trails. There will be a Q&A after the webinar. | Register westshoretahoetrail.com

In 2015, Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association accepted the donation of the historic residence and started an effort to relocate and replace the existing lodge facility with a new and improved Tahoe XC Lodge.

New accessibility trail opens

Courtesy Resort at Squaw Creek

October 13-26, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

Palisades lifts

renamed; more name changes coming –Katherine E. Hill Palisades Tahoe has renamed two of its lifts as part of the changes being made around the ski area. Squaw One lift has been renamed 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. Dee Byrne, president & COO of Palisades Tahoe, made the announcement when asked about the names at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club meeting on Oct. 5. Byrne said that the Resort at Squaw Creek is expected to announce the final name for Resort Chair by next summer. Bryne was also asked about the name choice of Palisades Tahoe for the iconic ski area.

Truckee Trails Foundation has completed a new forest accessibility trail at the Sawtooth trailhead. A name for the new trail will be announced in the future.

“[Palisades] are unique geographical features, but also important nesting areas for the eagles that lie around the basin,” she said noting the name was chosen “to connect the mountain and the unique feature of our terrain to the eagle, which is important to the Washoe.”

“As a trails nonprofit, we are thrilled to have achieved our goal of providing a trail that can be used by people with mobility challenges, including wheelchairs, or those just looking for a leisure stroll in the woods,” the Foundation announced in a Facebook post.

The Washoe Tribe has announced previously that its leading efforts to rename geographical points in Olympic Valley including Squaw Peak and Squaw Creek. Such changes must be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for consideration.

The 1-mile compacted trail is 36 inches wide and has less than a 3 percent grade. There are also passing and rest zones every 200 feet. The trailhead is located a half-mile down U.S. Forest Service 06 Road, accessible from Thelin Drive in Truckee. | truckeetrails.org

Placer County officials announced at its Oct. 7 Squaw Valley Town Hall Meeting that it will be discussing possible name changes for Squaw Valley Park and Squaw Valley Road at the Squaw Valley Municipal Advisory Council meeting on Nov. 4. Suggestions for possible names may be sent to shollow@placer.ca.gov or lromack@placer.ca.gov. | palisadestahoe. com, placer.ca.gov, washoetribe.us

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Breaking free of old habits that no longer serve and replacing them with new and better ones is featured. At deeper levels, feelings of surrender and acceptance of what is have also taken hold. This should not be interpreted as defeat or giving up. In fact, it represents a form of spiritual victory.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) FIRE

EARTH

AIR

WATER

Libra (Sep 22-Oct 22) You are in a strident mood. You may feel propelled by convictions that you deem absolute. However, financial interests and responsibilities are motivating factors. At worst, these may be clouding your judgment. Positively, you have something to say and have the energy and resolve to both say it and to be heard.

Scorpio (Oct 22-Nov 21) A busy time behind the scenes or in the back of your mind involves an active imagination. Finding reason and opportunity to express your thoughts and feelings is also featured. Circumstances of late are leaving you feeling both frightened and confident. Your courage and conviction will increase as you confront your fears.

Sagittarius (Nov 21-Dec 21) The drums within are beating loudly now. A rebellious urge vies with feelings of empathy and compassion. At worst, this inner conflict is leaving you confused regarding your best course of action. A commitment to knowledge and truth is necessary to satisfy both sides of this inner struggle. Sharing your findings is the other end of the deal and requires courage.

You are in a need-to-know mood. You are willing to be diplomatic, but you want the real goods. Anything less will leave you feeling disappointed, impatient and annoyed. You are willing to fight for what you believe, and this cycle will invariably leave you feeling transformed.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 21) A growing desire for freedom should be evident now. Yet, the emphasis is upon both your lifestyle and your public and professional life. These areas are experiencing both contraction and expansion simultaneously. However, the contraction must be addressed first for the expansion to occur.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Libra time tends to be a happy cycle for you. Given the extent of drama and stress on the world stage, this should come as no surprise. Making efforts to be philosophical about it all is likely yet may also manifest as a swinging pendulum between hopes, ideals, denials and wishful thinking.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22) A process of getting to the bottom of things somehow continues. The emphasis may be centered on the home front, but home may simply be where you are conducting your research on larger world issues. Circumstances are pushing you to deepen your research in order to come to a clearer realization of what is fact and what is fiction.

Capricorn (Dec 21-Jan 19) You yearn for attention, especially from those with power and means. You realize that advancing to the next level requires your commitment and willingness to invest. Yet, you are open to support and assistance, especially if you feel that you have earned it and are due. Some of the return you need is awareness, but security has more value.

Aquarius (Jan 19-Feb 19) Libra time tends to be a philosophical cycle for you. Seeing a bigger picture is a cornerstone impulse. Yet, it also includes a playful attitude where variety and discovery of unexplored thoughts, feelings and experiences become more interesting. If not new tools or equipment, at least new attitudes may be required.

Leo (Jul 22-Aug 23) Many thoughts are running through your mind these days. Positively, you are able to do the rounds and give each their fair share of time. Otherwise, you may be dealing with overwhelm. Yet, you remain determined to expand your front just the same. The key to success now is faithful, patient commitment.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22) Part of you wants to retreat while the other is eager to enter new territory. Feeling as confident as you would like is a lingering issue and the world crisis is compounding it. You yearn to expand your outreach, yet you may feel the need for more knowledge.

I could give you helpful directions if you were traveling east, north or south. The west is up to you.

CryptoQuip

Hocus Focus differences: 1. Mirror is raised, 2. Cup handle is missing, 3. Sleeves are added, 4. Chair is different, 5. Arm is added, 6. Hair is different.

October 13-26, 2021 HISTORY

175th Anniversary of the Donner Party Adventure CRITICAL DECISIONS SEAL THEIR FATE, PART II BY M A R K M c L AU G H L I N

AUTHOR’S NOTE: To acknowledge the

Hastings Cutoff map. | Courtesy Wikimedia Commons BELOW: Joseph Walker. | Courtesy Library of Congress

historical significance of the Donner Party and its window into an important era in the West, I will occasionally write a column chronicling the progress and challenges of this cursed wagon train as it made its way to California. The columns will be available in future editions of Tahoe Weekly and my previous columns are available at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Click on Donner Party under the Explore Tahoe menu.

to guide them. They found Hastings two days later, but he told them that he was obligated to the wagon companies ahead and he could not help them. On the way back to his family, an increasingly agitated Reed used his axe to mark trees for a safer trail that the company could follow. informed him the shortcut “is a fine level road with plenty of water and grass” and Reed expected to reach Sutter’s Fort (California) in seven weeks. Reed obviously believed what he wrote, but none of it was remotely accurate. Bryant had entrusted Bridger with cautionary missives to share among the emigrants, but they were never revealed. Bridger had ulterior motives that were based on economics. He and Vazquez had established their primitive trading post in 1843 to service trappers, traders and the increasing emigrant traffic, all of which was threatened by the new Greenwood Cutoff that diverted wagons di-

explicitly tell them that Hastings’ cutoff was dangerous and only slightly shorter than the

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the year before. rectly to Fort Hall and bypassed Fort Bridger. (Caleb Greenwood had led the Stephens Party over Donner Pass in 1844 and opened the California Trail. He also blazed the Dog Valley Cutoff in 1845 that avoided the rockstrewn Truckee River Canyon.) Bridger reasoned that if the Hastings Cutoff became a popular route, wagon trains would continue to Fort Bridger to rest and re-supply before entering the shortcut. Considering all the other advice they had ignored about Hastings’ route it seems highly unlikely that Bryant’s words of warning would have been heeded by the leaders of the Donner Party. But they certainly would have made Tamsen even more despondent.

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When the Reed-Donner group and a handful of other late-arriving families that had joined them reached Fort Bridger at the end of July, Hastings was long gone having left a week before leading several impatient companies that refused to wait for the stragglers. Bryant and his pack train departed on July 20. About 66 wagons had entered the shortcut and were ahead of the Donner Party. When George Donner and James Reed visited the trading post, Jim Bridger and his partner Louis Vazquez assured the men that Hastings’ route was viable; they knew the directions and it would be easy to follow the tracks of the wagon wheels ahead. With renewed confidence in Bridger’s spurious information, the Donner Party rested for three days, recruited their oxen and horses and repaired equipment. When they departed the fort on July 31, the group was the last wagon company to take the Hastings Cutoff. Reed wrote to his in-laws in Springfield, Ill. In his letter, Reed called Bridger and Vazquez “excellent and accommodating gentlemen” who were honorable and fair. He related that the two frontiersmen told him the cutoff saved between 350 to 400 miles on the trail to California, with just one stretch of 40 miles without water. Reed wrote that Bridger had

frontiersman James Clyman

Journalist Edwin Bryant, who, like Tamsen Donner, was chronicling the journey with the intent of publishing a book on reaching California, listened to Walker’s warnings that the shortcut was unsafe for oxen-drawn wagons. Bryant also had a face-to-face conversation with Hastings and was not favorably impressed by what he heard. Despite his misgivings, Bryant and eight companions who had previously exchanged their wheeled conveyances for pack mules, chose to try it anyway. He later wrote: “Our situation was different from theirs. We were mounted on mules, had no families, and could afford to haz-ard experiments, and make explorations. They could not.” Before Bryant left for the trailhead west of Fort Bridger he wrote letters to his friends — including Tamsen Donner — telling them to avoid the new passage. Walker also continued to warn against Hastings’ Cutoff as he made his way east. Tamsen Donner listened to

BRIDGER’S ULTERIOR MOTIVES

Not only did experienced

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.

MATRIARCH TAMSEN HAS DOUBTS

Walker with the same trepidation that she had with Clyman, but her husband, the newly elected captain of the wagon train, as well as the other men in the party ignored it. Jesse Quinn Thornton, a lawyer and abolitionist who had befriended Tamsen on the trail before making the turn to Oregon, observed: “The Californians were generally much elated, and in fine spirits with the prospect of a better and nearer road to the country of their destination. Mrs. George Donner, however, was an exception. She was gloomy, sad, and dispirited, because her husband and others could think for a moment of leaving the old road and confide in the statement of a man [Hastings] of whom they knew nothing, but who was probably some selfish adventurer.”

As the struggling emigrants moved boulders and cut down timber and bushes to hack a rough road through the wilderness, another family joined them. There were now 87 men, women and children traveling with 22 wagons and the Donner Party was complete. n

alifornia promoter Lansford Hastings was wrong when he told emigrant families that his route through the Great Salt Lake Desert was a good road that would save at least 200 miles and they could possibly avoid Mexican troops on the traditional Fort Hall trail. There were no enemy soldiers that far north, but everyone was aware that hostilities in the Mexican-American War had commenced. Hastings’ popular trail guide to California and Oregon was instrumental in convincing hundreds of pioneers to head west in 1846. Hastings feared a British or French takeover of Mexico’s Alta California and wanted Americans to head west to populate the region where he could provide land and jobs. Hastings recognized the tenuous hold that Mexico City had on the distant region. The highly ambitious attorney was hopeful that on their arrival on the Pacific Coast, the grateful mi-grants would elect him president of a new California Republic. Mexico’s defeat in the war and the United States’ annexation of the province crushed Hastings’ grand vision. There is plenty of bad luck and unfortunate circumstances in the saga of the Donner Party, but it’s important to understand how complicit the leaders of that company were in their fateful decision to follow Hastings’ propaganda. Not only did experienced frontiersman James Clyman explicitly tell them that Hastings’ cutoff was dangerous and only slightly shorter than the standard route, but so did Joseph R. Walker, another legendary trail blazer who had crossed the desert with topographer John Frémont the year before.

Read Part I at TheTahoeWeekly.com

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ANOTHER WARNING IGNORED By the third day into the Wasatch Mountains the Donner Party was beginning to learn just how challenging Hastings’ route would be. On Aug. 6, they found a tattered note from their would-be guide instructing them that the trail they were following was impassable and that they should find another way through the mountains and steep canyons. A frustrated Reed and two other men rode ahead to locate Hastings and bring him back

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THE lineup live music | shows | nightlife

festivals | entertainment

Miranda Love’s AG E L E S S D R E A M

WordWave

presents original works

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

Blue Skies Fall Concert Series | Oct. 24 | 2-5 p.m. | Wylder Hope Valley | Hope Valley

rowing up in the suburban South Bay community of Los Gatos, Miranda Love put on concerts in her childhood bedroom, emulating idols of the day such as Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. After school, she rode a bike to her family’s horse barn where the only radio station that came in was contemporary country. The sounds of Martina McBride, Faith Hill and Sara Evans reverberated through the air as she stacked hay and cleaned stables. Even though she never performed for anyone but herself, Love always knew deep down that she wanted to be a singer. “The bigger the voice, the more I was entranced by it,” she says. “There’s something special about hearing a strong female vocalist take over a song.” Two days after graduating high school, she learned she was pregnant. “I had just finished my last obligation as a child so to speak,” says Love “I had two days of looking at endless possibilities before all of that went away. It shattered a lot of plans and dreams.” Unsure of what to do, she started Mira Wedding Events and Designs, which she continues to run to this day. “I was 21 years old with two kids under the age of two,” says Love. “I didn’t know how to do anything, so I figured it out. I guess that’s how I’ve always been.” Love relocated to Cave Creek, Ariz., where the Mexican side of her family lives. Occasionally, wedding events would bring her to Lake Tahoe. Every time she visited; she didn’t want to leave. “How cool would it be if when my kids grow up, I’d still be young enough to pursue a career in music?” she secretly thought. At the age of 30, this dream came true. On the mend from a broken heart, she moved to South Lake Tahoe with her children. Love began to set annual goals for her music career. In 2017, she had learned how to play guitar. In 2018, she started going to open mics and performing in front of her new friends. Find more local music

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“Everyone was like, ‘You really need to keep doing this,’” she says. “When you’re a kid with stars in your eyes, of course, you want to do it. But it’s different when you’re an adult with mouths to feed and bills to pay. It took me so long to get back into what I love. I never thought I’d be able to pursue it, to be honest.”

WordWave winner Nicole DeSalle. | Courtesy Valhalla Tahoe

“ If you’re not singing truth, then why the hell are you singing? I wanted to connect with women in this universal struggle to find our own self-worth and be proud of who we are.” –Miranda Love In 2019, she found a band. South Lake musicians Jeff Connor, Tommy Ciccone, Chili Munroe and Kyle Kirchubel have provided emotional and musical support for Love ever since. “They believe in me in a way that’s hard for someone to believe in themselves,” she says. In 2020, Love released two original songs. “You’re Gone From Here” is a neosoul slow burner about fighting for love even when things don’t work out. “Made of Gold” is a piano ballad that speaks to recognizing your own inherent value even when no one else will. “If you’re not singing truth, then why the hell are you singing?” says Love. “I wanted to connect with women in this universal struggle to find our own self-worth and be proud of who we are.” Love’s voice shines with a grace and power that can only come from a woman who has lived, loved, fallen and gotten up again. At the end of the track, her now 12year-old daughter sings the closing refrain. “It’s a nod to everyone’s inner child that still exists,” says Love. “It’s a time capsule.”

Love is now working with Ciccone at Tahoe Production House on a debut EP, which she hopes to release by the end of the year, followed by a 2022 tour of West Coast ski towns starting and ending, fittingly, in her new home town. “I wish I had had some time to grow up,” she says. “I went from being a teenager to a mother in an instant. I didn’t feel like I had much direction. It’s because of my opportunity to move up here that I’ve been able to learn more about who I am as a person and a mother. All of that has circled me back to what I wanted at 16 years old: to be a singer. I have no more shame in that now. I want to be a musician. That’s why I’m doing it as aggressively and unapologetically as I can. I never had a chance. But it’s better late than never, right?” | mirandaraelove.com, mirawed.com n 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.

WordWave, a Festival of Story at Lake Tahoe, will be presented at Valhalla’s Tahoe Boathouse Theatre from Oct. 21 to 23. Each winner of the WordWave OneAct Play Competition will have her or his play fully produced each night, and the writers of the plays will be in attendance to answer questions. The winners are Susan Boulanger, Nicole DeSalle and Peter McDonough. More than 100 playwrights submitted fresh works for consideration. From the entries, local thespians and directors picked three plays to be read for the first time at Lake Tahoe. Boulanger, an award-winning director, actor, producer and educator from Los Angeles will present her comedy “Out, Damn COVID Audition.” “Big Top Love,” written by DeSalle, explores the motivations behind our dreams through the experiences of Travis and Lydia who meet at a Chicago cafe and learn they both are seeking thrills they hope will bring joy to their lives. McDonough’s entry, “The Process,” finds first-grade teacher Sarah Chapman reliving the events of a specific day with the help of a counselor. The women painstakingly unearth the truth, forcing the audience to confront a chilling threat from which no one is immune. | valhallatahoe.showare.com

October 13-26, 2021 THE LINEUP

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live OCTOBER 13 | WEDNESDAY Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

OCTOBER 14 | THURSDAY Robbie Gade Alibi Ale Works, Incline Village, 5-7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

OCTOBER 15 | FRIDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. The Mavericks Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7:30 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. Magic After Dark: Titou Unfiltered (18+) The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Live Music Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m. Karaoke Rojos, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

OCTOBER 16 | SATURDAY Matt & Buddy Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, Tahoe Vista, 5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Brett Dennen Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 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. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m.

Live Music Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m. Karaoke Rojos, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

OCTOBER 17 | SUNDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m. Blue Grass Jam Alibi Ale Works, Truckee, 6 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

OCTOBER 18 | MONDAY Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

OCTOBER 19 | TUESDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Tuesday Night Blues Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8-11 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Robbie Gade Alibi Ale Works, Truckee

OCTOBER 20 | WEDNESDAY Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

OCTOBER 21 | THURSDAY Robbie Gade Alibi Ale Works, Incline Village, 5-7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. WordWave Winners Performances Boathouse Theater, South Lake Tahoe, 7:30 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. King Yellowman w/K’reema & the Sagittarius Band Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Hangtown Music Festival El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville

OCTOBER 22 | FRIDAY Brendan Michael Smith & Friends Cottonwood, Truckee, 7 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. WordWave Winners Performances Boathouse Theater, South Lake Tahoe, 7:30 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, 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.

Tahoe Science Center

DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Live Music Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m. Karaoke Rojos, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Hangtown Music Festival El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville

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

OCTOBER 23 | SATURDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. WordWave Winners Performances Boathouse Theater, South Lake Tahoe, 7:30 p.m. Sheila E Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7:30 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Todd Snider with David Lindley 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. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m. DJ Arty the Party Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 9 p.m. Live Music Bar of America, Truckee, 9:30 p.m. Karaoke Rojos, South Lake Tahoe, 10 p.m. DJ David Aaron Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m. Hangtown Music Festival El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville

OCTOBER 24 | SUNDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 4:30 p.m. Blue Grass Jam Alibi Ale Works, Truckee, 6 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Hangtown Music Festival El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville

(or by appointment, closed all holidays)

TahoeScienceCenter.org

(775) 881-7566

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OCTOBER 25 | MONDAY Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m. Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

OCTOBER 26 | TUESDAY Magic Fusion Starring Titou The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Tuesday Night Blues Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8-11 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Anderson East w/Bendigo Fletcher Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Robbie Gade Alibi Ale Works, Truckee

HISTORIAN & AUTHOR

MARK MCLAUGHLIN’S NEWEST BOOK - UPDATED EDITION

OCTOBER 27 | WEDNESDAY Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 7 p.m. Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m. Tribal Seeds Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m. Karaoke Classic Cue, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Order book at:

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• Geared for Games • Word After Word Bookshop Donner Memorial State Park • Gratitude Gifts • Mind Play • Alice’s Mountain Market located at Squaw Valley

Group presentations · In-home talks (530) 546-5612 · mark@TheStormKing.com

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THE makers

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

Julia Szendrei Jewelry C O N N E C T I N G E N E R G Y T H R O U G H G E M S TO N E S

S TO RY BY K AY L A A N D E R S O N | P H OTO S C O U R T E SY J U L I A S Z E N D R E I

hen I met Julia Szendrei two years ago, my first impression was that she had great style. Her demeanor is calm yet vibrant, down-to-earth yet adventurous. Her boho and sometimes minimalist aesthetic pairs perfectly with whatever jewelry she’s wearing, whether it’s her own personally crafted earrings, necklaces, rings or bracelets or not. She was born in Nantucket, Mass., where she believes was the perfect place to unleash her creative spirit. She began painting when she was a little girl, playing with watercolors then oil and acrylic. In high school, Szendrei earned an internship for a ceramics program and the positive experience set the stage for her to pursue various art forms.

Sierra Nevada

Yarn Crawl

The third annual Sierra Nevada Yarn Crawl, from Oct. 14 to 17, will be a free, hybrid event allowing participants to attend in person or virtually.

“ I believe you can change the way you ABOVE & LEFT: Julia, aka “Jules,” Szendrei works on her fine-art jewelry. BELOW: Julia Szendrei among her featured jewelry.

feel and how people perceive you based on what kind of stone you wear.” –Julia Szendrei She also remembers when she was a teenager going over to her “mystical and wild” best friend Sophie’s house, who inspired her to make jewelry for their friends’ moms. It showed her the power of gift giving. Szendrei then earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Bridgewater State University, where she was drawn to painting and screen-printing. In the spring of 2006, Szendrei packed up her bags and spent a semester out on the West Coast at California State University at Humboldt. It was there she became familiar with California and was still close to an ocean. A few years later, she met her husband Clayton Humphries and together they moved to San Francisco. She was working on making new and unique jewelry most of time and found out about the San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society. Explore Tahoe’s vibrant arts scene

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Through the society, Szendrei learned how to cut gemstones and lapidary (the work involved in engraving, cutting or polishing). Her imagination ran wild with the vibrant and powerful colors portrayed in all kinds of natural, interesting jewels. She was doing a lot of drusy jewelry (coating crystals on other stones) and ran a blog called Daily San Franciscan, in which she wrote about some of her other favorite local artists, jewelry makers and businesses. She made great connections as 16

she learned how to facet engagement rings, experimented with chakras/rainbow-style bracelets and necklaces, and played with beadwork. Szendrei is passionate about the color spectrum and how wearing vibrant gems set in a distinctive way brings out the best in people. “Gemstones are this powerhouse of cosmic energy, connected to us and the Earth in so many ways. There’s a universe of information out there on that but I believe you can change the way you feel and how people perceive you based on what kind of stone you wear,” she says. For instance, wearing yellow denotes positive and cheerful feelings, while green can generate practicality and helpfulness. As I talk to her, she is packing up jewelry orders, just one of the many hats she wears in her business life. Her best friend Heather LeFortune, based in Marfa, Texas, joined the team as one of her makers; together they continue to create unique, small-batch jewelry collections.

Finding stones that are ethically sourced is important to Szendrei; her gems need to be validated as a safe production where 100 percent of the payment goes directly to the family-owned gemstone wholesalers. “My goal is to create affordable pieces that are of the best quality,” she says. “It’s really important for me to know where my stones are coming from.” To create her fine wearable artwork, Szendrei finds inspiration in whatever’s going on around her at home or while traveling, in observing the changing seasons in the mountains and lake around her. Her first step is to research and flesh out her ideas. “I get intrigued by how to make something different, then I think of stones that match the concept I have,” Szendrei says. It then takes her a few weeks to custom create her pieces and cut stones; she spends some time hanging out with them, thinking about various ways to wear them. “I invest in this, and it looks good, but the gems do all the work,” she says. The four natural elements also play a big role in how she creates her collections. “Look at the main elements: fire, water, earth and air,” she says. “We have them all up here. It’s surrounding us. And growing up by the ocean, that’s my backbone. They’re all connected and it’s all about how it translates through the jewelry.” Julia Szendrei Jewelry can be found on her web site and she’s offering Tahoe Weekly readers a 30 percent discount off anything in her current collection by using the code TW30 at checkout. | juliaszendrei.com n

Nine shops will be participating this year from Truckee to Auburn, to South Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nev. All the shops will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday to Sunday. Download a passport online, get it stamped at each shop and turn it in before the end of the crawl to be entered for prizes. Printed passports will be available at each store, as well. Those who buy something at a store will be entered to win a store raffle. The 2021 virtual crawl will be self-guided with videos at Sierra Nevada Yarn Crawl’s YouTube, Instagram and Facebook the day of the event. Virtual participants can download a passport and be eligible for prizes, as well. | sierranevadayarncrawl.com

the art s Call to Artists: Holly Arts Fair North Tahoe Arts | Tahoe City | Oct. 13-Nov. 1 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. | (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.com

Guest Artist Exhibit: Karen Keys North Tahoe Arts | Tahoe City | Oct. 13-31

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

Sierra Nevada Yarn Crawl Area venues | Truckee | Oct. 14-17 sierranevadayarncrawl.com

Writers in the Woods - Pablo Cartaya Sierra Nevada University Incline Village | Oct. 15

(775) 831-1314, sierranevada.edu

RYno Art Show Tahoe Wine Collective | Tahoe City | Oct. 16

4-7 p.m. | (530) 584-2714, tahoewinecollective.com

Saturday Public Tours Truckee Roundhouse | Truckee | Oct. 16-30 1 p.m. | truckeeroundhouse.org

Silk Painting Workshop Art Barn | Kings Beach | Oct. 23

10 a.m.-3 p.m. | (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.com

October 13-26, 2021 EAT & DRINK

EAT &drink

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to add your Event for our print & online calendars.

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

Crazy for Cacao

Events may be subject to cancellation due to smoke & fire danger. Check conditions before visiting.

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

Inaugural

Taste of Alpine Courtesy Alpine County Chamber of Commerce

launches

Alpine County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with local businesses, is offering Taste of Alpine, a week-long event from Oct. 18 to 24. Customers can visit communities throughout the county and take in all that local restaurants have to offer, from full-course dining to appetizers and drink specials. According to Becky DeForest, the chamber’s executive director, the past two years have been a struggle for local businesses between COVID-19, the Tamarack and Caldor fires and forest closures. “The businesses in Alpine County need our support more than ever,” she said in a press release. “We’d like to invite people in with open arms and show them that even during our shoulder season, there is still much to explore, taste and experience.” Customers can participate by visiting in person, ordering takeout or purchasing gift cards. A list of participating restaurants can be found online. | alpinecounty.com

Compost program moves indoors The Food Bank Garden compost collection at the Truckee River Regional Park has closed for the winter and compost drop off is now at Truckee Town Hall. A green food waste bin is in the rear parking lot near the cardboard dumpster. A list of acceptable items is available at keeptruckeegreen.org. The town hall site is open year-round to accept compost. | slowfoodlaketahoe.org

hocolate is made from cacao beans from the Theobroma cacao, also called the cocoa tree, which produces pod-like fruits. Each plant contains 20 to 60 beans. Cacao was cultivated by the Mayans more than 1,500 years ago and it’s packed with flavonoids and nutrients that have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart and prevent blood clots. The flavonoids in cacao powder may help increase insulin sensitivity, reducing your risk of diabetes. Cacao is considered a superfood and has more antioxidants than blueberries. Cacao is used to make teas and beverages, as well as delicious chocolate desserts. It is also revered by South Americans for its virtues as a plant medicine. Emily Weer, a Truckee-based massage therapist, yoga instructor, sound healer and tantra

Cacao is considered a superfood and has more antioxidants than blueberries. Emily Weer’s Ceremonial Cacao Beverage

teacher, is a proponent of the virtues of cacao. She not only brews cacao beverages, but she also makes cacao desserts and hosts cacao ceremonies. At a recent baby blessing, she arrived with a large jar of warm, delicious cacao.

TRY PRIYA’S RECIPE FOR

EASY COCONUT CACAO BALLS IN THIS EDITION “I often use cacao before I go out dancing or go to social settings and in lieu of cocktails,” says Weer. The plant has a property called theo-bromine. According to Weer, it is the compound that activates the heart, both on a physical and energetic level. She uses it as an alternative to coffee. In addition to making beverages and cacao balls, Weer uses them for ceremonial purposes. “My relationship with cacao is in a ceremonial sense. It helps my heart’s energy to open and feel connected to myself and others while awakening my consciousness. Raw cacao has a bitterness to it and that bitterness is what cracks open the heart, she says. “The bitterness is where the medicine lies.”

Weer says that it’s important when hosting a cacao ceremony to engage the senses. She suggests gathering in a circle and sitting in a comfortable seated position. She gives participants a piece of ceremonial cacao to hold at their heart to engage the five senses. “The first step is to awaken your senses to all the aspects of the plant: its smelling, its feeling, its tasting. And slowly touching it onto your mouth and taking in the flavors as a way of awakening your senses. Setting intentions when you take the cacao is important. I believe the medicine carries energy and when invoked helps manifest your intentions,” she says. Weer starts the ceremony with a moment of silence and asks participants to set an intention as to what they would like to call in their life. She plays soft music or sings a song. Each person in the circle is given an opportunity to share her or his intention. A ceremonial cacao beverage is poured for each participant. As participants drink the beverage, Weer asks them again to engage the senses and visualize their intentions. She closes the circle with a meditation. Weer recommends playing music from the Yaima Music Project. Whether you make delicious food with cacao or use it for ceremonial purposes, the power of cacao is intriguing. n

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.

CEREMONIAL

CACAO BEVERAGE From the kitchen of Emily Weer 4 T cacao, chopped into small pieces 3-5 dates, soaked in water for at least an hour 1 t cinnamon 1 t cardamon 1 t ginger 2 t coconut oil, melted 2 C Tulsi rose tea or nut milk (Weer uses coconut milk) A pinch of Himalayan Sea salt A pinch of cayenne pepper

Blend ingredients in a blender and warm in a pot on the stove. Add nut milk and sweetener if desired.

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Fall wines

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•

n my last column, we discovered why the style of a wine, body, flavors, ideal service temperature and more make for a match to autumn with its warm days, cool nights, lessening crowds and, dare I say, thoughts of ski season. We intrinsically desire wines that are medium of body and perhaps more minerality and earth than high-wire acid. Part I (available at TheTahoeWeekly.com) examined regions and grapes that are good bets for fall wines. Now, we will unpack those directions at a deeper level and offer some specific bottle suggestions. As we get back into the grape varieties that sing at this time of year, I am going to add one more characteristic to our wish list: spice. Spice smells and flavors are crave-able in fall because our bodies are ready for some warming influences and spices from cookie spice to white and black pepper are physiological and psychological triggers that start warming human engines.

As the weather cools, most people begin to add savory, slow-cooked dishes that contain spice matches — think of stews and such — to their diets.

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Mosconi Dolcetto. | Lou Phillips

A white wine that is locked and loaded for fall with the right body, spice and savoriness, is our Argentinean friend Torrontés.

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Another fall treat is Dolcetto from Alba in Piemonte, Italy. Even though the name means “little sweet one,” these wines are dry as can be and feature bold tannins along with dark cherry and cherry skin flavors — ideal with fall vegetables, pizza and any herb dishes.

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Kiona Lemberger. | Courtesy Kiona Vineyards and Winery

A white wine that is locked and loaded for fall with the right body, spice and savoriness, is our Argentinean friend Torrontés. These bring citrus, ginger and honeycomb flavors, even when bone dry. Torrontés’ kissin’ cousin, Albariño is another white wine perfect for fall. Look for versions with higher alcohol content as these are going to be richer because of riper fruit; some even have neutral barrel aging, adding to mouth feel, spice characteristics and complexity. Rieslings from Alsace in particular and Pinot Gris from Oregon and Alsace share the flavors of Torrontés and Albariño and bring an extra pop of tree fruits, as well. On the red side, we will start with a little-known varietal, Lemberger, also known as Bläufrankisch. Originally from Austria and Hungary, this wine has also found a home in Washington. Kiona Vineyards makes a gem that is more available in the U.S., but I find them to be excellent quality and real values to boot. Dark berry flavors, light smoke and spice box carried on a balanced frame will be your reward.

Crios Torrontés. | Lou Phillips

I chose these wines because they are off the radar for many, but well worth a taste. Feel free to substitute your favorites with these flavor profiles. n 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.

October 13-26, 2021 EAT & DRINK

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

EASY COCONUT

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Sierra Community House Food Distribution Fine Italian Food & Spirits

We’re delivering perishable food bags weekly in Truckee & North Lake Tahoe.

oconut cacao balls are the ultimate healthy sweet snack without refined sugar. They are rich in flavor and antioxidants: cacao for energy, coconut for deliciousness and dates for sweetener. Add nuts for protein. n Find more from The Seasoned Sage

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

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

They are rich in flavor and antioxidants.

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.

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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.

Easy Coconut Cacao Balls From the kitchen of: Priya Hutner

be kind be calm be helpful

(makes 6 to 8 balls) 1 C pitted dates (soaked for at least one hour) 3 T raw cacao 1 t cinnamon 1 t cardamon 1 t vanilla extract ½ C shredded coconut (set half aside for rolling) ¼ t sea salt Pinch of cayenne, optional ½ C walnuts optional

Blend ingredients in a food processor. Roll into balls and roll in shredded coconut. Refrigerate.

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this is fall in hope valley. Good Food. Stiff Drinks. Live Outdoor Music.

Mention “Wylder Fall 2021” to receive a free cup of our world famous Burgundy Stew or a glass of house wine. Valid from 10/27 - 11/22

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10/8/21 4:48 PM

October 13 to 26, 2021

Articles inside

Crazy for Cacao

Miranda Love

Cacao Balls

Easy Mountain Bike Trails: North Lake Tahoe

Donner Party Decisions, Part II

Ghost Stories of Tahoe & Truckee