December 28, 2022 - January 10, 2023

TAHOE NORDIC ADVENTURES AWAIT

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

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If you haven’t ever tried cross-country skiing or at least gone snowshoeing, I highly recommend giving both a try. A serene outing into the forests and across mountain trails with sweeping views of the Tahoe Sierra should be a must-do on everyone’s winter bucket list.

I spend my winter cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and try to explore as many of our local ski areas as I can each season, while mixing in many days of snowshoeing the region’s trails.

Snowshoeing is one of the easiest winter sports to pick up and it’s also one of the most inexpensive ones to enjoy. Strap on a pair of snowshoes, grab a set of poles and you’re ready to explore. If you’re new to snowshoeing and unsure where to go, start out at one of our local Nordic ski areas or local parks. This edition features our 16th Annual Nordic Ski Guide, which highlights 20 local private and public ski areas that offer groomed or marked trails for Nordic skiers and snowshoers to enjoy. Cross-country skiing is also relatively easy to pick up. I highly recommend taking a lesson at one of the local ski areas and purchasing your own set up – also relatively inexpensive. And, then it’s just a matter of getting out on a trail.

Some great spots for beginners include the free trails at Sugar Pine and Donner Memorial state parks, Nevada Nordic (Mt. Rose and Spooner), Plumas-Eureka State Park and North Tahoe Regional Park; along with the inexpensive options at Clair Tappaan, Tahoe City Winter Sports Park and LTCC Nordic. But you’ll find day passes to any of the local Nordic ski areas to be reasonably priced.

I also highly recommend taking a clinic to improve your skiing if you’re already a cross-country skier. I took Tahoe Donner’s downhill clinic for cross-country skiers last year and it was life changing. And, yes, you can make turns on cross-country skis (once you learn the tricks).

A few of the highlights of this year’s Nordic guide: Royal Gorge celebrates its 50th season; Tahoe Donner Cross Country has debuted the region’s first snowmaking at a cross-country center; Sugar Pine and Donner Memorial state parks will both be grooming cross-country trails for the first time in years; Tahoe XC’s new lodge is getting closer to breaking ground; and ASC’s new night skiing trails are open for the season. You’ll find a list of Snow Trails to enjoy in the guide, as well.

State of Donner Lake

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inside

The State of Donner Lake 6

New Year’s Eve Event Roundup 8

Hats off to Uncle E 12 2023 Horoscopes 14

Puzzles 15

Tahoe Nordic Ski Guide 18 William B. Berry, Part II 28 Katy Hays 29

ViceGrip 30 Meals for Nordic Ski Adventures 33 Perfect Pairings 34 on the cover

A skier glides along the trail system at Tahoe Donner Cross Country, which became the first cross-country ski area in the region to install a snow-making system this season. Read Tahoe Weekly’s 16th annual Nordic Ski Guide in this edition to learn more about the region’s 20 private and public cross-country ski areas. | Photography courtesy Tahoe Donner, tahoedonner.com

Lake Tahoe’s clarity and the impacts of invasive species on Big Blue are common topics of discussion among locals and visitors. But what isn’t often discussed or even known about is the state of one of Tahoe’s sister lakes – Donner Lake. A recreational paradise itself, Donner Lake doesn’t get much attention or coverage so Priya Hutner and I decided last summer to ask local officials – what is the State of Donner Lake?

Priya spent months talking to various agencies before learning of the relatively new Donner Lake Inter-Agency Partnership for Stewardship, which released its first State of Donner Lake report in early December. Read Priya’s story in this edition to learn about the threats to Donner Lake.

Katherine E. Hill PUBLISHER/OWNER & EDITOR IN CHIEF

SIGHTSEEING

EAST SHORE

CAVE ROCK

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

NORTH SHORE

GATEKEEPER’S MUSEUM (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org

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

KINGS BEACH northtahoebusiness.org

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

NORTH TAHOE ARTS CENTER (530) 581-2787 | northtahoearts.com

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

TAHOE CITY visittahoecity.com

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

TAHOE SCIENCE CENTER

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

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

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

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

OLYMPIC VALLEY

HIGH CAMP

(800) 403-0206 | palisadestahoe.com

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

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

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

SOUTH SHORE

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

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

HEAVENLY (775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com

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

LAKE TAHOE MUSEUM

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

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

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

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

TRUCKEE

DONNER SUMMIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY donnersummithistoricalsociety.org

At Old Hwy 40 & Soda Springs Rd. 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WEST SHORE

EAGLE ROCK

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

FANNETTE ISLAND

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

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

HELLMAN-EHRMAN MANSION

Parking fee | parks.ca.gov

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

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

VIKINGSHOLM CASTLE

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

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

Find more places to explore at TheTahoeWeekly.com

TRANSIT

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

ROAD CONDITIONS

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

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

VISITORS’ CENTERS

East Shore

Spooner Lake State Park (775) 831-0494

Kings Beach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A trio of skiers at Tahoe Donner Cross Country enjoy the sweeping views from the ski area. | Katey Hamill, Tahoe Donner

Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years

Fed By: 63 streams and 2 hot springs

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

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

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

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

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

Average Snowfall: 409 inches (10.4 m)

Permanent Population: 70,000

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

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

LAKE CLARITY: 2021: 61 feet avg. depth (18.6 m) 1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet (31.21 m)

AVERAGE DEPTH: 1,000 feet (304 m)

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

VOLUME: 39 trillion gallons (147.6 trillion liters) There is enough water in Lake Tahoe to supply everyone in the United States with more than 75 gallons (284 liters) of water per day for 5 years.

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

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

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

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

Incline Village

Cave Rock

Donner Summit

Fannette Island

Glenbrook Stateline South Lake Tahoe

Zephyr Cove Emerald Bay

Meeks Bay

Tahoma

Homewood

Sunnyside

Dollar Hill

Carnelian Bay Olympic Valley

PALISADES

GET outside

The State of Donner Lake

BY PRIYA HUTNER

Sitting by the shore of Donner Lake this past summer, I watched pieces of trash float toward the edge of the lake and wash up against the algae-covered rocks. I didn’t recall seeing this much algae in years past. The green slime had crept up the wooden dock pylons. The rocks near the shore were bright green and dangerously slippery. Trash left around the lake has become the norm. Now covered in snow, the algae are gone and any residual trash is buried until spring.

Trash and algae are two of the most visible impacts on Donner Lake, one of the jewels of Truckee and a highly popular recreation area. What isn’t as readily seen are the invasive Asian clams and crayfish that have doubled in the last decade, along with the impacts of erosion and runoff on the water quality. Within its 8 miles of shoreline is the popular Donner Memorial State Park with public beaches and 154 camping sites; the private Tahoe Donner Beach Club Marina; two private boat launches; one public boat launch; the public West End Beach; and 37 public piers and 225 private piers around the lake.

On Dec. 7, I attended an open house hosted by a newly formed group, Donner Lake Inter-Agency Partnership for Stewardship (DIPS), facilitated by Foriver-Truckee River Watershed Coun-

cil. The organization is a multi-agency partnership focused on protecting the lake. The organization has identified some of the critical issues affecting Donner Lake. The evolving stewardship plan, now in the works, will be designed to protect the future health of the lake.

“We’re really interested in data. We hired a limnologist from [University of Nevada, Reno] to explore the state of Donner Lake. We’ll create a monitoring plan to study general attributes, chemistry, biology, water quality and things like that,” says Michele Prestowitz, project director of Truckee River Watershed Council. She adds that over the years, there hasn’t been consistent data collected about the lake.

Donner Lake is part of the Truckee River watershed and several tributaries flow into the lake including Summit Creek, Gregory Creek, Billy Mack Canyon Creek and numerous springs.

Top concerns for Donner Lake

According to the State of Donner Lake report created by UNR’s Global Water Center among the most troubling findings is that invasive Asian clams have spread significantly over the past decade, as have the number of invasive crayfish. The report also mentions that two species of native fish, the mountain whitefish and Paiute sculpin, are no

longer observed in Donner Lake.

Water quality in the nearshore habitat is also degrading, which is impacted by the presence of invasive species and sediment runoff into the lake.

“One thing that we were quite surprised to see is that the offshore water quality in the center of the lake has actually improved since the 1960s. But the nearshore habitat and water quality appear to be degrading. It appears that the biology is changing,” says Prestowitz.

Like Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake also has an invasive mysid shrimp population, which is one of the main culprits linked to degrading water clarity in Tahoe. However, unlike in Tahoe, the mysid have not yet consumed all the native Daphnia, a zooplankton that helps clean the water. However, this could change over time if water quality continues to degrade and growth rates of plankton change, according to the report.

Current mitigation efforts to keep additional aquatic invasive species out of Donner Lake include mandatory boat inspections for all watercraft entering the lake. Inspections are offered for motorized craft throughout the summer and a self-inspection program is in place for paddleboards, kayaks and other nonmotorized craft.

“Our police department has a boat out checking for [inspection] stickers over summer. The Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District [TDRPD] also provides staff at the public boat launch. Although TDRPD owns the public boat launch area, multiple agencies are involved in the prevention of aquatic invasive species through the current program. The two other boat launches are privately owned by HOAs and monitored by their staff,” says Bron Roberts, communications program manager for Town of Truckee in an email to Tahoe Weekly.

More trash reported

The nonprofit Clean Up the Lake completed a second cleanup of Donner Lake in the fall of 2022, collecting 7,379.5 pounds of garbage. During the first cleanup in 2020, the group pulled 5,151 pounds of garbage from the lake. The group has removed about 13,000 pounds of small pieces of submerged litter and 156 tires — and there is still a significant amount of litter in the deeper parts of Donner Lake, according to the group.

“As we are monitoring the lake, we’re finding some hotspots that are definitely really dirty, like the area in front of the Tahoe Donner marina and the east end of Donner,” says West.

LEFT: Winter snow on Donner Lake. | Priya Hutner. RIGHT: Divers in the water preparing for the 2022 Donner Lake cleanup. | Clean Up the Lake

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

“One thing that we were quite surprised to see is that the offshore water quality in the center of the lake has actually improved since the 1960s. But the nearshore habitat and water quality appear to be degrading. It appears that the biology is changing,”

— Michele Prestowitz

He noted that that garbage ends up on the east end of the lake due to high winds from Donner Summit. According to West, it’s hard to say if Donner is dirtier, but more litter has made its way into the lake two years after their initial cleanup.

“We found a significant number of larger items that we pulled out. One thing we saw was in the shallower zones and along the public piers was a significant amount of micro-, meso-litter [small pieces of trash and plastic],” says West.

He also attributes the lack of trash cans at the 37 public piers on the north shore as a factor in the amount of trash the group collects.

“I think if there were more litter management on that side of the lake for people to dispose of litter, it would probably be pretty helpful,” he says.

The Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District, which manages the public facilities around Donner Lake, reported that the presence of trash cans made the situation worse.

“We had trash cans before along the piers and a big Dumpster at the boat ramp. People left couches and refrigerators by the Dumpster,” says Steve Randall, general manager for TDRPD and a member on the core team of DIPS. The district then removed the

trash cans citing that trash was blowing into the lake.

Clean Up the Lake divers have also reported a significant amount of algae in the shallow zones around the Lake during the fall cleanup, another concern highlighted in the State of the Donner Lake report. West says that his top three concerns for the lake are submerged litter, the need for public trash cans and water quality/lake clarity.

“Everyone is concerned about recreation. We need to look deeper to find out what are some of the root causes of any kind of degradation in the area,” says Prestowitz, who points out that Donner Lake is an urban lake surrounded by roads and development.

When asked, Town of Truckee’s Roberts acknowledges that it is difficult to choose the top three concerns for Donner Lake.

“One challenge is reaching the right balance between providing equitable access to the lake and protecting it and its environmental, cultural, recreational and community resources. Another is educating both our residents and visitors on how we all need to play a part in protecting and enhancing the lake,” said Roberts by email.

As an urban lake, pollutant sources include roads, highways, the railroad, commercial and residential develop-

ment, increased visitation and recreation. Aquatic invasive species threaten the ecology, economy and recreation at Donner Lake. Climate change, shifting precipitation patterns, increased wildfires and excessive soil erosion also threaten the ecosystem’s resilience. While DIPS and UNR plan to continue monitoring the lake, the organization is asking for the public’s recommendations to protect the state of Donner Lake. Recommendations and suggestions may be emailed to Michele Prestowitz at mprestowitz@truckeeriverwc. org. n

Read the State of Donner Lake report at bit.ly/donnerlake

Algae along the shore. | Priya Hutner

FREE NYE TRANSIT

North Shore, West Shore, Truckee area & Olympic Valley

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS

It’s been a few years since Tahoe has had this many parties, celebrations, live music and balls on tap to ring in the New Year. Get your tickets, grab your best attire (some require black tie) and be prepared to dance the night away to celebrate the kickoff of 2023.

Ski Town Throw Down

Dec. 29 & 30 | Lakeview Social

| South Lake Tahoe

Start your New Year’s Eve festivities early this year at Lakeview Social with free live entertainment on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | lakeviewsocialtahoe.com

NYE at Crystal Bay Casino

Dec. 30 & 31 | Crystal Bay Casino | Crystal Bay, Nev.

Spend NYE with The Motet and special guests. On Dec. 30, Jelly Royal Live will perform with The Motet and on Dec. 31 The Main Squeeze will. On Dec. 31, opt in for a meet and greet with The Main Squeeze, plus access to their soundchecks. | devildogshows.com

NYE at Harrah’s

Dec. 30 & 31 | Harrah’s Lake Tahoe |Stateline, Nev.

Celebrate at Harrah’s Peek Lounge for a most memorable New Year’s Eve experience. Party and dance to live DJs on both nights. | caesars.com

NYE Family Celebration

Dec. 31 | Palisades Tahoe | Olympic Valley

The evening will kick off with an LED Torchlight Parade at 5 p.m. along with fireworks at 7 p.m. and a free concert from The Nomads on the KT Deck. | www.palisadestahoe.com

NYE Fireworks & Torchlight Parade

Dec. 31 | Kirkwood Mountain | Kirkwood Ring in the new year with Kirkwood’s on-mountain celebration with the best ridgeline as a backdrop. Starts at 5 p.m. | kirkwood.com

NYE Guided Snowshoe Tour

Dec. 31 | Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center | Truckee

Enjoy an evening under the stars with a guided snowshoe tour of the cross-country trails at night. | RSVP tahoedonner.com

New Year’s at Mt. Rose

Dec. 31 | Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

Celebrate New Year’s skiing at Mt. Rose followed by an après kick-off launch of 2023 with fireworks at 5:45 p.m. | skirose.com

NYE Glow Stick Parade & Fireworks

Dec. 31 | Tahoe Donner Downhill | Truckee

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

A

Rockin’ New Year’s Eve

Dec. 31 | Heavenly Village | S. Lake Tahoe Th heart of the village will come alive with free live music starting at 2 p.m. with DJ CashMaster and Miranda Rae Love. At 8:30 p.m. headliners, The Gin Blossoms play, followed by fireworks and a gondola ball drop at 9 p.m. that coincides with the ball drop in New York City. | theshopsatheavenly.com

NYE & 50th Anniversary Party

Dec. 31 | Northstar California | Truckee Dance the night away in the Village at Northstar and ring in the New Year during this special 50th Anniversary winter season from 5 to 10 p.m. There will be a festive drone show at 9 p.m. | northstarcalifornia.com

“Light Up the Night”

Dec. 31 | Hard Rock Lake Tahoe | Stateline, Nev. New Year’s Eve Alpine Union Patio exclusive seating will put you front and center to the NYE celebration, “Light Up The Night,” located on Guitar Plaza. There will be two live DJs on Alpine Union Balcony, an outdoor bar and a spectacular fireworks show at midnight. | hardrockcasinolaketahoe.com

Dance

in the New Year

Dec. 31 | Za’s Lakefront | Tahoe City Ring in 2023 with a delicious lineup of food and cocktails and a high-energy show by The Blues Monsters, performing with special guests, the Horns. Come dressed to impress. | zaslakefront.com

NYE at The Good Wolf

Dec. 31 | The Good Wolf | Truckee

The Good Wolf is throwing a NYE party to thank the community for its support. thegoodwolfbrewing.com

NYE 2023 Masquerade Party

Dec. 31 | Lake Tahoe AleWorX | Stateline, Nev.

Bumpin’ DJs, craft cocktails, beer towers, bottle service and silent disco to ring in the New Year. | laketahoealeworx.com

NYE Jamiriqoui Tribute

Dec. 31 | Alibi Ale Works | Truckee

This New Year’s Eve show will consist of two sets of Blü Egyptian with a set of favorite Jamiriqoui songs and a hype New Year’s countdown. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show begins at 9 p.m. | alibialeworks.com

Annual NYE Celebration

Dec. 31 | Gar Woods Grill & Pier | Carnelian Bay

Gar Woods’ famous NYE party is back. Enjoy the full menu or NYE specials, music by Sawyer, party favors and champagne at midnight. | garwoods.com

NYE Party

Dec. 31 | Grand Lodge Casino | Incline Village, Nev.

Bring in the New Year at the Grand Lodge Casino with a live DJ from 8 p.m. until after midnight to kick off 2023. | grandlodgecasino.com

NYE Winter Wonderland Ball

Dec. 31 | Edgewood Tahoe | Stateline, Nev. Welcome 2023 in impeccable style inside the mountain chalet clubhouse. All resort guests will be treated to the area’s best in food, drinks and entertainment as 2022 comes to a memorable end. Black tie attire is required. | edgewoodtahoe.com

New Year’s Soiree

Dec. 31 | Sorenson’s Café | Hope Valley Sorenson’s Café at Wylder Hotel will host New Year’s Eve starting at 9:30 p.m. | wylderhotels.com

TART Connect app or tahoetruckeetransit.com

Olympic Valley & Alpine Meadows

Mountaineer app or mountaineertransit.org

South Lake Tahoe & Stateline, Nev.

Transit app or taketahoetransit.org

Skate for Scotty NYE Fundraiser

Dec. 31 | Olympic Valley Events Center

| Olympic Valley

The Scotty Lapp Foundation team offers a night energized with music, lasers, lights and a balloon drop. Dress up and boogie down. Proceeds benefit Scotty Lapp Memorial Skatepark. | palisadestahoe.com

New Year Party

Dec. 31 | Bowl Incline | Incline Village, Nev. Bowl Incline will open for an exclusive celebration starting at 6 p.m. with a gourmet buffet dinner, champagne toast, party favors, bowling, unlimited arcade and billiards. | bowlincline.com

NYE Ultra Lounge Party 2023

Dec. 31 | The Loft | South Lake Tahoe Ring in 2023 with live entertainment, delectable cuisine, mesmerizing magic and dancing. | thelofttahoe.com

Tahoe Donner Glowstick Parade | Tahoe Donner

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

separation of uses; and suggestions for additional areas for grooming.

Parking lots

Many of the existing winter snow parking areas along the highways and roads that were commented on are not on Forest Service land and are not within the District’s jurisdiction and The Winter Rec project will not address these parking areas, according to the release.

winter about the comments that were received, as well as the general suite of alternatives that are being considered. Information on the format and time/date of this information will be distributed through its email list.

To receive updates on the project and when the next round of public comments will be accepted, sign up for email updates online. All the project documents and maps are also available online. | bit.ly/LTBMU_OSV

Kirkwood Story.” The film is now available on Kirkwood’s YouTube channel, as well as on its Instagram and Facebook pages. The film was created by Steve Seime.

Read Tahoe Weekly’s story on Kirkwood’s 50th anniversary at TheTahoeWeekly.com/history. | youtube.com, kirkwood.com

TAHOE BASIN SNOWMOBILE ACCESS

EYED

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is working on the Winter Recreation and Over Snow Vehicle (OSV) Travel Management Project. OSVs include snowmobiles, snowbikes and other motorized winter equipment. Read Tahoe Weekly’s coverage on all of the OSV plans in the region at TheTahoeWeekly. com/access.

The U.S. Forest Service is analyzing the more than 1,000 comments it received in 2019 and developing alternatives to the proposed action. The alternatives will be analyzed in the Draft Environmental Assessment, which is expected to be released in late 2023 for public comment, according to a press release from the Forest District.

The existing OSV Use Map is still in effect during this time and no changes to the OSV map have occurred.

Major issues that are driving the development of alternatives include: Snow depth requirements and season of use for OSVs; high-use conflict areas; impact to sensitive areas and species of concern; impact of OSV use on neighborhoods; access points for OSV use;

There is, however, a comprehensive winter parking planning project in development with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency recreation working group to address winter parking in Lake Tahoe. The Winter Rec project does propose new parking areas on Forest Service lands, however, and some of the alternatives to be released in 2023 will include additional winter parking areas that the public has helped to identify.

Map errors

An error on the original proposed action maps around the Glenbrook area on the East Shore led to some confusion about the proposal for OSV use in that area. Although the proposal was correct on the map, the wrong background color was used, which incorrectly implied that OSV use would extend up to the neighborhood.

The corrected map was added to the website. In addition, this area received substantive comments during scoping that warrant the analysis of an alternative to the proposed action in that area.

Current OSV operations

There was some confusion about whether there has been a change to where OSVs can operate currently. No changes to the existing OSV use map have occurred yet. The areas open to OSV use will not change until after a decision has been signed by the Forest Supervisor for the Winter Rec Project.

Next steps

Since the last opportunity for public comment occurred before the pandemic, the Forest Service plans to provide additional information to the public this

KIWANIS CLUB HOLDS SOCK DRIVE

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe is holding a sock drive through December. Socks may be dropped off at South Shore locations of: US Bank, El Dorado County Library, Catalysis, South Tahoe Public Utility District or South Tahoe Refuse. | @kiwaniscluboflaketahoe

TRUCKEE’S SNOWPLOW WINNERS

This year Town of Truckee held its first Name Our Snowplows Competition. There were 294 submissions from Truckee students K through Grade 12. The public works department staff narrowed down the entries to 13 finalists. More than 1,400 people voted on the names. The winning names are Blizzard of Oz, Chilly Chilly Bang Bang, Scoop Dogg and Austin Plowers.

KIRKWOOD RELEASES DOCUMENTARY

In celebration of Kirkwood’s 50th anniversary, the ski area hosted an anniversary party on Dec. 17 and debuted the short documentary “50 Years Deep: The

The names will be the official names of the four main plows for the next two years and are being printed onto the side of the plows. All four names came from students at Alder Creek Middle School. | townoftruckee.com

Katherine E. Hill

Kirkwood

Town of Truckee

TRUCKEE

events

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28

Gingerbread

Village

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, 8 a.m., (775) 832-1234, hyatt.com

12 Moves of Christmas

Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District, Truckee, 9-10 a.m., (530) 582-7720, tdrpd.org

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

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

Holiday Mixology

Middle Fork Bistro + Bar, Clio, 6 p.m., (530) 8972300, nakomaresort.com

THURSDAY, DEC. 29

Gingerbread Village

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, 8 a.m., (775) 832-1234, hyatt.com

Golden Meet & Greet

Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District, Truckee, 9:30 a.m., (530) 582-7720, tdrpd.org

Film Stream Film Festival

Shops at Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 10 a.m., theshopsatheavenly.com

Toddler Time

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

Preschool Storytime (Tahoe City)

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

Locals Night Ice Skating

Resort at Squaw Creek, Olympic Valley, 5-8 p.m., (530) 412-8006

FRIDAY, DEC. 30

Gingerbread Village

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, 8 a.m., (775) 832-1234, hyatt.com

Film Stream Film Festival

Shops at Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 10 a.m., theshopsatheavenly.com

Royal Gorge 50th Anniversary Party

Summit Station, Soda Springs, 4-7 p.m., (530) 4263871, royalgorge.com

Night Sledding

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

SATURDAY, DEC. 31

Gingerbread Village

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, 8 a.m., (775) 832-1234, hyatt.com

Heavenly Holidays Favorite Characters

Shops at Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 3 p.m., theshopsatheavenly.com

Night Sledding

Granlibakken Tahoe, Tahoe City, 5 p.m., (800) 5433221, granlibakken.com

NYE Fireworks & Torchlight Parade

Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Kirkwood, 5 p.m., (209) 258-6000, kirkwood.com

NYE 50th Anniversary

The Village at Northstar, Truckee, 5 p.m., (800) 4666784, northstarcalifornia.com

NYE Family Celebration

The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 5 p.m., (800) 403-0206, palisadestahoe.com

New Year’s Eve Guided Snowshoe Tour

Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center, Truckee, 5:30-8 p.m., (530) 587-9400, tahoedonner.com

New Year Party

Bowl Incline, Incline Village, 6 p.m., (775) 831-1900, bowlincline.com

NYE Soiree

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley, 6 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Light Parade & Fireworks Show

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

NYE 2023 Masquerade Party

Lake Tahoe AleWorX Stateline, Stateline, 7 p.m., (775) 580-6163, laketahoealeworx.com

Roaring Twenties NYE Party

RMU Truckee, Truckee, 7 p.m., (530) 536-3208, mtnculture.com/pages/truckee

“Light up the Night”

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 8 p.m., (844) 588-7625

New Year’s Eve Party

Grand Lodge Casino, Incline Village, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., (800) 327-3910, grandlodgecasino.com

New Year’s Eve Winter Wonderland Ball

Edgewood Tahoe Resort, Stateline, 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., (844) 207-9179, edgewoodtahoe.com

Annual NYE Party

Gar Woods Grill & Pier, Carnelian Bay, 9 p.m., (530) 546-3366, garwoods.com

Skate for Scotty

Olympic Village Events Center, Olympic Valley, 9 p.m., (800) 403-0206, palisadestahoe.com

MONDAY, JAN. 2

Sock Drive: Share, Care & Give a Pair

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

Snowshoe Tour & Dinner

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

TUESDAY,

JAN. 3

North Tahoe Toddler & Me

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

Baby Storytime

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

Preschool Storytime (Kings Beach)

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

Bilingual Songs With Brooke Chabot

KidZone Museum, Truckee, 11:30 a.m., (530) 5875437, kidzonemuseum.org

North Tahoe Golden Hour

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

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

Snowshoe Tour & Dinner

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

THURSDAY, JAN. 5

Preschool Storytime (Tahoe City)

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

17th Annual Winter Speaker Series

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

FRIDAY, JAN. 6

Interpretive Mountain Tours

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

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

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Day

Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 9 a.m., (800) 4030206, palisadestahoe.com

Snowshoe Tour & Dinner

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

Night Sledding

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

Tahoe Adventure Film Festival

Bally’s, Stateline, 8 p.m., ballys.com/lake-tahoe

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

Lake Tahoe Backcountry Demo Day

Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 9 a.m., (800) 4030206, palisadestahoe.com

MONDAY, JAN. 9

Sock Drive: Share, Care & Give a Pair

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

TUESDAY, JAN. 10

North Tahoe Toddler & Me

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

Baby Storytime

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

Preschool Storytime (Kings Beach)

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

North Tahoe Golden Hour

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

Reading Furends

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

Play & Learn Program

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11

RUFF (Read up for Fun)

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

Storytime

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

Hats off to Uncle E

CHRIS ERNST HELPED CREATE SKIERCROSS

BY MIKE “A.K.” AKAY

WINTER WALKING PATHS

PAVED MULTIUSE TRAILS

CHECK

CONDITIONS AT TAHOEBIKE.ORG

• Keep dogs leashed

• Pedestrians must yield to bikes

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

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

• Cyclists call out when passing pedestrians

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

EAST SHORE

EAST SHORE TRAIL

Easy-moderate | 6 miles RT | tahoefund.org

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

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

AL TAHOE BOULEVARD

Easy | 3.2 miles RT

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

CAMP RICHARDSON BIKE PATH

Easy | 6 miles RT The trail parallels State Route 89 (Emerald Bay Road) for more than 3 miles, offering access to a number of local historic and recreational amenities. Limited parking.

SAWMILL TO MEYERS

Easy | 7 miles RT

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

You might not know him, but if you’re a skier, you know his voice. Chris Ernst was first discovered doing back flips off the Siberia kicker at Palisades Tahoe and after retiring from the pro aerial circuit, he became an event promoter and then announcer extraordinaire.

A desire to stay in the ski industry and to innovate led him and ski buddies Nick Perata and Jimbo Morgan to create the skiercross discipline, modeled on the already existing boardercross form of racing. Their first event, held at Homewood in 1996, was Lord of the Boards, the first boardercross event that included both alpine and telemark skiing for men and women and an overall crown to the lord who mastered all three disciplines. That led to a tour at seven ski areas in two states.

In 1999, Chris, then known as “Uncle E,” created the first Skiercross World

A desire to stay in the ski industry and to innovate, led Chris Ernest and ski buddies Nick Perata and Jimbo Morgan to create the skiercross discipline.

Championships at Palisades Tahoe and his first champions were Daron Rahlves and Darian Boyle. Darian’s win inspired me to race in the 2001 championships where Marco Sullivan was crowned champion. I was older than 40 then and so nervous signing the release form my hands were shaking out of control. And, coincidentally, that is sort of the

point of skiercross: skiing on the edge of control.

The X Games picked up Uncle E’s growing discipline and blew up the sport internationally. Tahoe was exclusive host to numerous X Games qualifiers at Northstar and then Sugar Bowl drawing former U.S. ski team stars, such as Casey Puckett, to Tahoe to win an X Games spot.

The next big step for skiercross came when the FIS became involved and the future of skiercross was centered on the 2010 Olympics. Local Rahlves was one of several American athletes to retire from Alpine racing and join the freestyle team to compete in skiercross. Palisades Tahoe racer Errol Kerr gained notoriety by earning ninth place representing Jamaica.

Uncle E’s contribution to the 2010 Olympics was as technical advocate for the sport and the event’s announcer done with his personal flair for wearing outrageous hats. The announcing portion was nothing new to E because of his vast experience announcing his Lord of the Boards Tour, the X Games, Rahlves Banzai Tour and the aerial event in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

And to think this all started with Uncle E’s vision of skiing with abandon through the trees with his friends, whooping and flying through the air while racing to be the first to the bottom. His modesty for what he has accomplished only allows a thankfulness for the endless list of athletes who all made his dream possible.

For what you have done, our thanks and hats off to you, Uncle E. n

A.K. is a lifelong skier, journalist, comedian, chocolatier and owner of Tahoe City Chocolates.

NORTH SHORE

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

LAKESHORE BOULEVARD

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

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

PINE DROP TRAIL

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

TAHOE CITY TO CARNELIAN BAY Easy-moderate | 8+ miles RT | tcpud.org

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

TRUCKEE RIVER CANYON

Easy | 9+ miles RT | tcpud.org 4.5 miles from the Tahoe City wye to Alpine Meadows Road, with trails continuing to Olympic Valley. The trail is scenic, separate from the highway, and is mostly flat terrain with a few short, gentle grades with trout fishing, river rafting and picnicking along the way. Connects with Olympic Valley Road or continue to Truckee. Public parking at 64 Acres and Olympic Valley Park at Olympic Valley Road. Electric assist OK. TART

OLYMPIC VALLEY

OLYMPIC VALLEY

Easy | 4 miles RT | tcpud.org

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

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

SKI RUN BOULEVARD

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

SOUTH SHORE BIKE PATH

Easy | 7 miles RT | cityofslt.us

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

TRUCKEE

DONNER PASS ROAD

Easy | 5.4 miles RT Runs through the heart of the town of Truckee from the west end to historic downtown Truckee.

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

JOEGER DRIVE

Easy | 1.2 miles RT

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

STEVENS LANE TO ALDER DRIVE

Easy | 2 miles RT Runs from Stevens Lane along Donner Pass Road, turns down Rue Ivy to connect to Alder Drive. Park at U.S. Forest Service office on Stevens Lane.

TROUT CREEK TRAIL

Moderate | 3 miles RT

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

TRUCKEE LEGACY TRAIL

Easy | 10 miles RT | tdrpd.org

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

WEST SHORE

TAHOE CITY TO MEEKS BAY

Moderate | 25+ miles RT | tcpud.org

Mostly separate from the highway, the trail includes a few miles of highway shoulder and residential streets.

Terrain is varied with a few steep sections. Access to picnicking, beaches and playgrounds. Public parking at 64 Acres. Electric assist OK. TART

BUS & SHUTTLE SCHEDULES

North Tahoe & Truckee (TART): laketahoetransit.com

South Tahoe (BlueGo): tahoetransportation.org

Chris “Uncle E” Ernest at the Beijing Olympics. | Chris Ernst

ICE SKATING

NORTH SHORE

NORTHSTAR (530) 562-1010 | northstarcalifornia.com

Open air rink. Free access. TART

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

Ice skating & rentals. Clubhouse. TART

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

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

HEAVENLY VILLAGE (530) 542-4230 | theshopsatheavenly.com

Open air rink. South Tahoe

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

Indoor facility open year-round. South Tahoe

TRUCKEE

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

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

SLEDDING & TUBING

EAST SHORE

SPOONER LAKE (775) 831-0494

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

HOPE VALLEY AREA

CARSON PASS (209) 295-4251

Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.* HOPE VALLEY (775) 882-2766

Highway 88 at Blue Lakes Road. Bring equipment.*

MEISS MEADOW (209) 295-4251

Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.*

NORTH SHORE

INCLINE VILLAGE

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

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

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

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

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

OLYMPIC VALLEY

OLYMPIC VALLEY PARK placer.ca.gov

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

PALISADES TAHOE

(530) 452-4511 | palisadestahoe.com

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

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

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

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

ECHO LAKE (530) 644-2324

Highway 50 at Echo Lake Road. Bring equipment.*

HANSEN’S RESORT

(530) 544-3361 | hansensresort.com

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

HEAVENLY skiheavenly.com

Tubing at top of gondola with four lanes.

KAHLE PARK (775) 586-7271 | douglascountynv.gov

Off Highway 207. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

SAWMILL POND

On Lake Tahoe Blvd. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

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

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

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

At Tahoe Paradise & Stateline, Nev. Reserve online.

TAYLOR CREEK (530) 543-2600

Highway 89, north of Camp Richardson Road. Bring equipment.* South Tahoe

TUBETAHOE (530) 600-2304 | tubetahoe.com

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

TRUCKEE BOREAL MOUNTAIN rideboreal.com

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

DONNER SKI RANCH donnerskiranch.com

Tubing hills with moving carpet.

DONNER SUMMIT (530) 587-3558

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

NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA northstarcalifornia.com TART Tubing lanes in the Village.

SODA SPRINGS skisodasprings.com

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

SUGAR RUSH TUBING OPENS 12/17 | sugarbowl.com

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

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

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

YUBA PASS (530) 994-3401

Highway 49 at Yuba Pass. Bring equipment.*

WEST SHORE BLACKWOOD CANYON (530) 543-2600

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

GRANLIBAKKEN (530) 581-7533 | granlibakken.com

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

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Jupiter in Aries has already begun and will continue to catapult you into new territory, both for the next five-plus months. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 indicates that your energy levels are running quite high as the year begins. Spring renovation projects are likely. Yet, get them done by June anyway as a sporting, playful cycle begins through mid-July. You will be ready to get back to work and it could include a fitness programs through August. September into October could prove edgy on relationship fronts. A passionate and ambitious drive will steadily increase from mid-October through November and December looks like a good month to travel.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Jupiter in Aries has already begun to push you to access your core strengths and confidences in yourself and life in general and this will continue through to your birthday. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 is already helping you to get clearer on the list of goals and objectives you want to accomplish over the coming months and could well stimulate new streams of income that will continue through mid-July. There could be an overlap period of bigger projects that began in May through this period, as well. Plan to take time off in July and August as you will be more inclined to want to play than work. Yet, you will be ready to dig-in deep again in September through to the end of the year and will want the support of significant others progressively.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Jupiter in Aries has likely stimulated new associations and friendships and perhaps new perspectives, as well. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 suggests that the year begins on a strong note regarding your determination to assert yourself. By mid-spring, however, doing so may take more effort. Your energy levels should rise in June through much of July. This will create a momentum of resolve and determination to access hidden reserves of power. Summer 2023 largely includes a strong interest in social and cultural activities. September through October, however, will require a more deliberate focus backed by discipline regarding your health. 2023 could end on an edgy note on relationship fronts that require access of inner resources and a resolve to exercise faith and personal confidence.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Jupiter in Aries has already and will continue to manifest as new beginnings and expansion in either your career and or your public life in general. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 is currently pushing you to do inner work. This requires getting clear on what aspects of your life are in need of improvement. By mid-spring you will enter a much more assertive mode. This will lead to an emphasis on making new and better investments of your time and creative energy. By mid-summer you will be energized to make specific improvements where needed but you could also benefit from getting away for a while ideally in a way that you can be both adventurous and get some needed respite. By September, directing more focus on your home and family relationships will likely prove important. By mid-October, you enter a heightened creative period and the year ends with a determination to work smarter and not harder.

Leo (July 23-Aug 22)

Jupiter in Aries represents a cycle of adventure and increased philosophical thinking regarding what is true and wise. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 begins with striking a balance between resistance and resignation to the futility of resistance. This will shift through later May and June to important work behind the scenes. All being well, you will come out of the gates strongly in July through August with vim and vigor to take new leads and enter new territory. Your focus will become much more practical in September and your energy levels should rise steadily pushing you to get to the bottom of things and finish the year with a sense of accomplishment.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22)

Jupiter in Aries will lead you into new territory and bring returns for past efforts which could have a transformational effect on you. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 indicates an ardent push in your public and professional life through to mid-May. A push to know the deeper truth about matters will increase through June into July followed by a busy time behind the scenes in August also with an urge to get away. September into October will see you taking new leads and strides allowing you to coast through for a while before you pour it on again with a final push in December to think big but with both feet on the ground.

Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22)

Jupiter in Aries will manifest as increased social outreach and attention. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 push you to increase your sense of personal freedom all winter and well into spring. This will be followed by a driving push to advance your position in the world through midJuly. You could feel a bit more punchy and rebellious through the summer but will be

ready to retreat in September. In October you will be taking new leads to lay the foundation for growing ambitions that inspire your sense of opportunity.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

Jupiter in Aries will guide you to confront your fears and anxieties with clarity and purpose and to have more faith in your choices. This may require that you redirect your focus to a process of personal transformation and to sharpen your focus on what really matters. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 will push you to be more ambitious and disciplined. The main challenge is to decipher between what actions constitute higher roads and which are lower. This will lead you to get more inventive in late spring into early summer. From mid-July through to September your ambitions will be stronger than usual. You will enter an inventive cycle through to October but then may to retreat and rest fully for a while to recharge, but by mid-November you will be in an assertive mood again ending the year on an ambitious note.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

Jupiter in Aries has likely already and will lead you into new territory. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 is already shaking things up in your relationship life and this will continue. Positively, your drive to dive deep into your own story will lead you to realize where the old must be removed or regenerated. Doing so, by the summer you will be on fire with passion and vision. In September you will be willing to work harder and this will manifest as a new resolve to communicate more clearly and effectively, which will spur even deeper dives to confront limitations lodged in your subconscious mind and by the end of the year, having cleared and removed inner blocks, you will be taking powerful new leads and strides.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

Jupiter in Aries indicates a steady rise in your confidence levels. This process already began in 2022 but underwent a brief pause and is now resuming the process. It will require that you make extra efforts, including outlining goals. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 will help your resolve to make the efforts and do the work you know you need to and should do. This will continue into spring and, if you do the work, you will experience a boost of confidence and inspiration that will catapult you into a dynamic summer period during which time your ambitions and determination to succeed will rise steadily. Late summer into early fall could be an excellent time to travel but you will want to be in productivity mode by mid-autumn and, if you succeed in achieving your goals, you will be able to rest peacefully as the year draws to a close and a new one begins

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

Jupiter in Aries is activating more dimensions into your life. You find yourself busier and covering more angles than previously. Positively, you are more entertained and energized but be careful not to get too scattered. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 indicates an already activated creative focus that you have learned to become more comfortable with in 2022 and this focus continues. By mid-May, you could well get busier with increased imagination to support your focus. Early summer indicates a playful time, if also somewhat edgy, shared by the ones you love most. Your ambitions will deepen measurable as the summer progresses. Political and philosophical interests gain more attention into autumn, but practical ambitions will redirect your focus as the season progresses and the year ends with an impulse to engage in cultural events and possibly present a window to travel.

Pisces (Feb 19-March 20)

Jupiter in Aries indicates a time of rising new ambitions. It is extra important and ideal that you are open to new pursuits and strategies to fully access your imagination and talents. Mars in Gemini through Sagittarius in 2023 has and continues to bring emphasis to your home and implies cleaning, clearing and renovation. Yet, this focus could also be on self-improvement. By late spring, your will be in an extra creative mood, which will continue through summer requiring a steady focus of effort and work directed to practical accomplishments. If you do, your ambitions will deepen as autumn progresses but you will likely need more help than previously and the year ends with an ardent drive to make things happen in your public and professional life.

Royal Gorge celebrates 50 years

NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST CROSS-COUNTRY SKI AREA

BY TIM HAUSERMAN

Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort

is celebrating 50 years in business with celebrations planned on Dec. 30. Touted as the largest cross-country ski area in North America, it is located at the crest of Donner Summit, which often competes for the most snow in the country.

While the management and facilities have gone through lots of changes in the past 50 years, the terrain and network of trails are much the same. There are always an amazing variety of skiing opportunities from gentle glides through thick lodgepole forests to spectacular open views of the crest of the Sierra Nevada.

7 trails for $1

Established in 1972 by John Slouber, the ski area began with just seven trails and a $1 pass fee. They gave lessons on the Van Norden trails and took people by sleigh out to the remote Wilderness Lodge, but they didn’t have a real lodge until Summit Station was built in 1984. That was when the ski area really took off with more huts along the trails and a dramatic expansion into eight distinct trail systems with several hundred kilometers of trails. They even had four Poma lifts operating for steep, practice areas.

Starting in the 1980s, Royal Gorge was home to some of the best ski races in the region, including the Gold Rush Festival, which attracts racers from around the country.

Maureen Brandon, who is called Wink by her friends, began skiing at Royal Gorge in the late 1970s. She worked at what was then Sq**w Valley Ski Resort but wanted to avoid downhill skiing on the crowded weekends. A friend suggested she try Royal Gorge. She quickly

started racing, fell in love with the sport and ended up buying a home that backs up to the trail system in Serene Lakes. She remembers Slouber as the heart and soul of the area and always seemed to be there when she went to ski: “He was often in the parking lot showing people how to park.”

Sleigh ride to Wilderness Lodge

Brandon remembers the centerpiece of the ski area was Wilderness Lodge. You would be transported in by sleigh under thick blankets and spend a few nights at the remote lodge in the middle of the trail system. The food was excellent, the lodge was rustic but comfy and relaxing and the skiing was literally out the front door. It was a hub of activity that would keep the ski area busy during slow times. It was a sad day when the Wilderness Lodge burned down in 2004.

Trail to Rainbow Lodge

Slouber, who was a true innovator in the cross-country ski world, also purchased Rainbow Lodge on Highway 40 near Big Bend. In addition to running the lodge and restaurant, he sold truck loads full of water to bottling companies from the delicious spring on the property. For several years, the ski area would groom a trail from Summit Station to Rainbow Lodge a few weekends a year.

The challenging route began in the Royal Gorge trail system, but then required the ski area to groom an additional 12km of trail to get to Rainbow Lodge. You had to take your skis off at one point to cross the railroad tracks. After enjoying a well-deserved lunch, you could catch a shuttle back to Summit Station.

Finding employees for a resort on top of snowy Donner Summit was always

FROM LEFT: Riding the sleigh to the Wilderness Lodge. Royal Gorge built the first lift exclusively for cross-country skiing. The Wilderness Lodge.The fare at Wilderness Lodge. | Royal Gorge

Established in 1972 by John Slouber, [Royal Gorge] began with just seven trails and a $1 pass fee. They gave lessons on the Van Norden trails and took people by sleigh out to the remote Wilderness Lodge.

a challenge, but Slouber would get Australians to come over during the Southern Hemisphere summer. He also bought several houses in the neighborhood to provide housing for his employees.

Preserving the ski area

Foster and Symes Development Company purchased Royal Gorge and Rainbow Lodge from Slouber in 2005, the year after the Wilderness Lodge burned down. They proposed a major development of 950 housing units tied into the ski area, which would be a dramatic change to the quiet community of Serene Lakes.

There was a great deal of community opposition to the development plan and it failed to come to fruition. Instead, supported by more than 1,000 donors, mostly folks on Donner Summit, the Truckee Donner Land Trust was able to purchase the 3,000-acre property in 2012. They arranged for Sugar Bowl to lease the land and provide for operations.

“Typically, we write in a contract that we have a two-year fundraising period, but this time we had just five months to come up with the money,” said Greyson Howard, the Land Trust’s communications director.

In the 10 years since the purchase, Sugar Bowl has been operating the still largest cross-country ski area in the U.S. This includes the Interconnect Trail, which connects Royal Gorge trails with the base of Sugar Bowl Resort.

Personal reflections on Royal Gorge

Because I live close to Tahoe XC, I’ve done most of my skiing there in the past 40 years, but I always made a few special trips each year to Royal Gorge. A sunny spring day was always my favorite, whether I was checking out the view of Devil’s Peak from the Stage Coach Trail or making the long jaunt out to Point Moriah where I could ponder the 4,000-foot deep Royal Gorge of the American River.

My fondest memories of Royal Gorge were the times in the 1990s when I got to experience the Wilderness Lodge. It was such a relaxing and invigorating escape. You arrived by sleigh, spent the night in a cozy lodge with great food surrounded by like-minded skiers. Then you got up and stepped out the door to ski for a few hours, took a quick break for more food and a comfy couch before heading out for more skiing. You then slept like a log and the next day, got up and did it again, without ever having to get into a car. | royalgorge.com n

Events

Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve Freestyle

Jan. 13 | Truckee Sprints race Feb. 17 | President’s Cup Skiathlon

ASC is one of the oldest ski areas in California and in the Tahoe Sierra, founded as the Auburn Ski Club in 1928 with the first ski area at Cisco Grove. The ASC has been a leader in the growth of winter sports in the state and lobbied the California State Legislature in 1932 to keep Highway 40 (the predecessor of Interstate 80) open year-round so visitors could access winter recreation.

The current cross-country ski area opened in 1989 on Donner Summit next to Boreal Mountain and the high-altitude training center offers programs in Nordic, biathlon, alpine and snowshoeing.

Night skiing | ASC has installed

permanent night-skiing facilities at the center. Night skiing will be offered from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays through the season, with night skiing also offered daily through Jan. 4. The New Year’s Eve Freestyle is a fundraiser for the lighting project.

Western Ski Sports Museum | ASC founded the Western SkiSport Museum housed in the parking lot next to Boreal in 1969. Working with ski writer and historian William B. Berry (read Mark McLaughlin’s story on Berry in this edition), the Museum was developed as an exhibition of Western North American ski history.

The museum is closed while its collections are being archived to become part of the future SNOW Sports Museum that will be built in Olympic Valley. | thesnowmuseum.org n

Bijou Community Park is one of the many free areas where cross-country skiers and snowshoers can go in the region to enjoy free trail access. The park, owned by the City of South Lake Tahoe, offers 4km of marked trails that are mostly flat, making it a great place for beginners. The trails are not groomed.

Dog friendly | Dogs are welcome in the park on the trails; be sure to bring doggie bags and pick up after your canine companion.

Free access | There is no fee for skiing or snowshoeing. No rentals or services are available on site.

Fun for all | The park features a historic railroad exhibit, skateboard park and fenced dog park. n

The beaches that are crowded with throngs of visitors around Camp Richardson in the summer transform into a quiet and serene escape in the winter.

Visitors can enjoy 10km of groomed and marked trails for every level that meander through the forests or follow the shoreline of Lake Tahoe.

Several trails head out from Camp Richardson looping through the open forest to the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake.

Two other shorter trails meander through the grounds of the resort and along the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Early ski clubs, like Auburn Ski Club, were instrumental in establishing the winter ski industry that is enjoyed today. Groups of like-minded ski enthusiasts operated rope tows and ski hills, organized ski outings to the Tahoe Sierra and built communal lodges to stay in during their winter excursions, including Clair Tappaan Lodge on Donner Summit in 1934.

Today, Clair Tappaan is one of the lodges in the region operated by the Sierra Club, which includes the nearby Hutchinson Lodge built in 1924 and four back-country huts – Bradley, Benson, Ludlow and Peter

Grubb. All of them are open for lodging by reservation only on a first-come, firstserved basis online.

Trail systems | Along with lodging, Clair Tappaan also offers a winter trail system that can be enjoyed by its guests and the public for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

The Lodge offers 14 km of groomed trails, an onsite rental shop and free trail access for guests. The trail system offers a variety of challenges for all abilities. It’s also just down the road from Royal Gorge Cross Country. n

Clair Tappaan

Donner Memorial State Park will be offering groomed trails for Nordic skiing for the 2022-23 season. This is the first time in several years that groomed trails will be offered and the grooming frequency will depend on snowfall and staff availability, according to park staff.

There is no charge to access the trail system; there is a parking fee. Trail maps are available in the Visitor Center.

Snowshoe tours | Historian-led snowshoe tours will be offered at 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday through March 26 this season. The tours will cover about

1.5 miles and will include natural history and the history of the Donner Party of 1846. | RSVP (530) 582-7894

Visitor Center | Learn about regional history including local Native Americans, the Donner Party and the Transcontinental Railroad in this fantastic local museum. The Sierra State Parks Foundation also hosts programs throughout the year at the museum. | sierrastateparks.org

Pioneer Monument | No visit is complete without checking out the Pioneer Monument completed in 1918 to commemorate the early pioneers that crossed the Sierra. Restoration work on the 104-year-old monument was completed over the summer of 2022. n

Events

Dec. 30-31, Jan. 6 & 7, 13-15 | Night

Sledding

Skiing and sledding have been enjoyed for generations at Granlibakken for nearly 100 years. The current resort opened in 1947.

The tubing hill is open daily, with the ski hill and ski school open Friday to Monday and daily during holidays. Granlibakken Tahoe’s Ski Hut features a rental shop that caters to cross-country skiers and snowshoers.

Trail system | The resort grooms the trail from Rawhide to Page Meadows when conditions permit, and there is a 1.5-mile intermediate level loop within the resort’s 74-acre property.

Snowshoeing opportunities abound with the Tahoe Rim Trail skirting the property boundary and on the Rawhide trail leading into Page Meadows. None of the trails at or from Granlibakken are patrolled, so be

sure to let others know your planned route and be responsible in the forest.

Night sledding | This year, Granlibakken has debuted night sledding through January. On select nights from 5 to 6:30 p.m., enjoy sledding with laser lights, music and glowsticks.

Complimentary hot mulled wine for adults and hot chocolate for kids are included with every ticket.

Dining | Enjoy dining at Cedar House Pub in the resort lodge or the tasty treats at Rusty’s Kitchen in the nearly 100-yearold ski hut next to the ski hill.

Tubing | The resort offers popular tubing lanes served by snowmaking systems along with the Benny the Bear snow play area.

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

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

Granlibakken

Tahoe

GROVER HOT SPRINGS

Grover Hot Springs State Park reopened over the summer after being closed last winter due to damage from the 2021 Tamarack Fire.

Visitors may enjoy Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in the park. There are no groomed ski trails in the park but snowshoeing to Grover Falls is a popular outing.

The hot springs remain closed, however, due to damage from the fire. Call in advance to check on snow conditions. Parking is $8.

Winter camping | Winter camping

is available at the park on a first-come, first-served basis for tents and RVs with access to water and restrooms.

Support the park | The Friends of Grover Hot Springs, which is part of the nonprofit Bodie Foundation, supports restoration work and repairs in the park.

To donate to help rebuild the park, visit visitgroverhotsprings.org.

Dogs OK | Dogs are allowed on leash in the park. n parks.ca.gov, visitgroverhotsprings.org

SNOW TRAILS

SKI TOURING, SNOWSHOEING & SNOWMOBILING

CISCO GROVE

RATTLESNAKE

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

LOST SIERRA

YUBA PASS

Easy to advanced | fs.usda.gov

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

NORTH SHORE

BROCKWAY

SUMMIT & MARTIS PEAK

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

PAGE MEADOWS

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

TAHOE MEADOWS

TRUCKEE

CABIN CREEK TRAIL

Easy to moderate

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

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK

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

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

LITTLE TRUCKEE SUMMIT

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

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

PETER GRUBB HUT & CASTLE PEAK

Moderate to advanced | clairtappaanlodge.com

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

POLE CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM

Easy to strenuous

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

SAGEHEN SUMMIT

Easy to moderate

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

WEST SHORE

BLACKWOOD CANYON

Easy to advanced

Events

Dec. 31 | Fireworks & Torchlight Parade

The Caples Creek Trail system has reopened for the 2022-23 season at Kirkwood Cross Country after being closed last year due to damage from the 2021 Caldor Fire in time for the celebration of the resort’s 50th anniversary.

The Cross Country Center is open daily and group Classic and Skate Skiing lessons have returned this season, as well.

The resort also offers rentals for classic, skate and back-country Nordic skiing, snowshoes, pulks and fat bikes (reserve bikes in advance).

Trail systems | The Caples Creek

system is located next to the crosscountry center with a diverse array of terrain leading to Caples Meadow and Caples Creek.

Kirkwood also offers the Meadow System in the valley that connects to Kirkwood Village. The Meadow is a great area for all levels and offers 15km of groomed trails with breathtaking views of the surrounding.

The Schneider Trail System remains closed this season due to damage from the Caldor Fire.

Historic eats | Finish the day with a scrumptious meal at the historic Kirkwood Inn, opened in 1864.

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

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

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

HOPE VALLEY

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

TAYLOR CREEK

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

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

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

MEEKS MEADOWS

Easy | fs.usda.gov

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

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

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

The Ed Z’berg/Sugar Pine Point State Park is a spectacular spot to cross-country ski or snowshoe among the dense forests of the West Shore or along Lake Tahoe’s shores.

The park offers more than 18 km of marked ski trails. Three groomed trails begin at the campground, 9 miles south of Tahoe City, with two skier-packed trails on the lake side of the park, accessed from the Day Use entrance. Winter camping available. Guided tours and programs. Parking fee. TART

*Sno-Park permit required; (916) 324-1222 or ohv.parks.ca.gov/snoparks.

DOGS OK SNOWMOBILE SNOWSHOES SKIS

Events

The LTCC Nordic Center on the South Shore is located on the beautiful campus at Lake Tahoe Community College with views of Freel Peak and Job’s Sister.

The Nordic Center offers 5 to 7 kilometers of groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. Grooming is done two to three times a week and grooming reports are posted on the website.

Access the LTCC Nordic Track at the west side of the Fitness Education Building on campus. Park in the main

parking lot in a designated space.

Inexpensive option | The Nordic Ski Center offers season and day use passes for the 2022-2023 season. Day tickets are $5 and season passes start at only $40. Sales support the continuation and growth of the Nordic Ski Center. Check with the CONNECT Community Education program at the college for cross-country and snowshoe workshops. n

The nonprofit, volunteer-run Nevada Nordic will offer groomed Nordic trails at its two locations again this season – Mount Rose off Highway 431 and at Spooner Lake State Park on the East Shore. Trail access is free at both locations.

Grooming | Trails are groomed and open depending on conditions. Grooming reports are available online and through nordic-pulse.com. The opening of the Spooner Lake trail system has been delayed this season due to repairs to the group’s snowcat but grooming is expected to begin soon. Donations are needed to continue to offer groomed trails and may be made online.

Tahoe Meadows | Trails are operated at Tahoe Meadows near the Mount Rose summit off Highway 431 with 17km of groomed skating and striding trails,

including grooming up to Chickadee Ridge. The Lower Loops will be closed in February to protect Goshawk breeding area.

Dogs are allowed on the trails, but owners must pack out all dog waste.

Parking is available along Highway 431 on either end of the trail system. There is no parking fee and detailed parking instructions including coordinates are available online.

Spooner Lake | Volunteers also groom 8km of trails at Spooner Lake State Park. Trail access is free but there is a $10 parking fee.

The Spooner Lake Visitor Center was recently completed in the fall and will be open year-round and will make a great spot to use as a warming room for snowshoers and skiers, according to park staff. n

Photo: Griffin Mims

March 7 | Women’s Evening Snowshoe

Events

Fridays | Sunset Snowshoe Tours

Jan. 15, Feb. 19, March 11 & April 14 |

Snowshoe Star Tours

Jan. 6-April 5 (select dates) | Full Moon Snowshoe Tours

The North Tahoe Regional Park offers a groomed trail systems for skating and classic skiers, as well as snowshoeing and walking with 8 trails within the system. All the trails are also open to dogs.

Sledding | Sledding and snow play is allowed throughout the park. Both the main larger sled hill near the soccer field and the smaller children’s sled hill near the entrance are available for public use. Sled rentals are not available.

Snowshoe tours | Guided snowshoe tours are offered through Tahoe Adventure

Company including full moon, sunset and star tours. | tahoeadventurecompany.com

Treetop Adventure Park | The adventure park offers a treetop rope, platform and zip line tour with nine courses for all abilities for ages 5 and older. | tahoetreetop.com

Free access | Access is free, but parking is $5 parking or visitors must have a NTPUD Resident Sticker or Park Supporter Sticker.

Year-round soccer | The NTPUD also maintains the region’s only year-round synthetic turf soccer field and is cleared of snow as conditions permit.

Grooming updates | Visit the North Tahoe Recreation & Parks on Facebook and Instagram for weekly grooming updates. n

Events

Saturdays (until March 11) | Twilight

Snowshoe Tour

Dec. 31 | Drone Show Jan. 27-29 | 50th anniversary celebration

Northstar California, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, provides 32.5km of Nordic terrain in the middle of a world-class downhill ski resort. The Cross Country Center is located at mid-mountain near the base of the Vista chair lift.

Passholders for the downhill ski area also receive access to the Cross County Center. This season, group lessons are

again being offered along with guided snowshoe tours every Saturday through March 11.

Telemark skiers welcome | Northstar is one of the few resorts offering a full line of downhill telemark equipment and instruction through the Cross Country Center.

Kids ski free | Kids 4 and younger ski free.

Fat tire biking | Northstar offers fat tire bike rentals, as well as rentals for pedal assist e-bikes. All rentals require reservations. n

Events

Revival Races

Plumas-Eureka State Park in the Lost Sierra offers several miles of groomed trails for cross-country skiing and several hundred acres for back-country skiing. The park also offers three designated groomed snowshoe trails. The trail system is managed by Plumas-Eureka State Park Association volunteers and trail maps are available at each trailhead.

Free trail access | The use of the trails is free, but donations are requested to maintain the trails for $5 per day or $20 for the season. Donations may be made through the Association at plumas-eureka. org.

Longboard Races | The Plumas Ski Club hosts the Historic Longboard Revival

Races each year at the Johnsville Ski Bowl, located within the park. The races are open to everyone and always free and fun to watch. Contestants wear 1860s attire and race downhill on 9- to 16-foot wooden skis, many of which are handmade. | plumasskiclub.org In the winter, heavy snows inspired miners to organize snowshoe races. The first race took place in Plumas County in 1861 — the first recorded ski competition in the western hemisphere. Snowshoes, or longboards, were 12-foot Norwegianstyle skis that weighed as much as 20 pounds, according to park staff. Skiers had one long, large ski pole between their legs to use a brake. On the straight courses, racers reached speeds of more than 80 mph. Some historians think the tramways for the Plumas Eureka Mine may have been the world’s first ski lifts. n

Events

Fridays | Sunset Snowshoe Tours Select dates | Guided cross-country tours Dec. 29 | Locals Night Ice Skating

Venture onto the 18km

Meadows

Guided tours | The resort provides guided, one-hour cross-country tours on its Nordic track led by a nature guide and takes guests through the groomed trail system. The cost is $10 per person, plus equipment rentals.

The resort also provides Sunset Snowshoe Tours for guests every Friday. The family-friendly snowshoe tour takes guests through the snowy valley and ends at the resort’s outdoor fireplace where they can enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores. The tour is complimentary for lodging guests and snowshoe rentals are available. n

Royal Gorge Cross Country is one of the gems of the Tahoe Sierra, boasting the largest cross-country ski area in North America with eight trail systems across 6,000 acres. As well, the resort is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this season (read the feature in this edition).

Van Norden restoration | The Van Norden Meadow Restoration is underway to return the meadow to its original condition. There is also a new Sheep’s Pen Bridge to keep North/South connectivity

through the trail system. This will improve grooming and keep the trails skiable longer into the spring.

Trail improvements | Throughout the summer, crews have cleared debris and deadfall to reduce fire danger in the summer, which will also improve the winter trail conditions.

New rental fleet | There is a new rental fleet this season including Atomic Redster Skis and Boots for both classic and skate.

Lodge improvements | New restrooms have been installed in Summit Station. n

In the winter, visitors to Sugar Pine Point State Park can enjoy 20km of crosscountry ski and snowshoe trails. For the first time in several years, 10km of the park’s 20km trail system will be groomed this season.

There is no charge for trail access, only a parking fee. Free trail maps are available at the park entrance stations.

Historic trails | Visitors to the park can also follow the path of the Nordic events of the 1960 Winter Olympics that

occurred in what is now Sugar Pine Point State Park. Starting at the Blue Trailhead, located at the day use parking on the campground (west) side of Highway 89, visitors will come across a series of interpretive panels that share the park’s Olympic and Nordic skiing history.

Snowshoe tours | The park will offered guided snowshoe tours every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. along the Blue Trail through General Creek Campground, where the 1960 Winter Olympic Nordic Events were held. | RSVP bit.ly/ sugarpineevents

As well, Sierra State Parks Foundation is offering guided Sunset Snowshoe Tours on select dates in the winter. | sierrastateparks.org n

Royal Gorge

The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park located in the heart of Tahoe City offers ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing making it a great spot for family fun.

The park provides 4km for both skating and striding, as well as a snowshoe loop/ walking trail. Dogs are allowed on the trail system.

Teen skating | New this season, the park will offer blacklight skating monthly for teens; details TBA.

Tickets | Reservations for required in

advance for all activities this season.

Kids ski free | Kids 14 and younger who are residents receive free access to the trail system for skiing and snowshoeing.

Webcam | Check out the webcam of the action on the ice rink at tcpud.org/ winter-webcam.

Events

Dec. 31 | Guided Snowshoe Tour Jan. 14, Feb. 18, March 11 | Wax clinic March 26 | Sierra Skogsloppet Race

Tahoe Donner’s world-class Cross Country Ski Center offers more than 100km of groomed trails and incredible views of the Sierra. This year for the first time, Tahoe Donner has unveiled its new snowmaking system at the cross-country center.

Tahoe Donner Cross Country is the first resort in the region to install a snowmaking system dedicated to cross-country trails, which will enable the ski area to

offer an earlier opening date and a more reliable season. The snowmaking system has been in the works since 2018.

Microtransit | The ski center is now accessible using the free TART Connect microtransit system. The shuttles run daily throughout the Truckee area from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until April 1 and may be booked using the TART Connect app.

Tahoe Donner also offers a free shuttle from The Lodge Restaurant & Pub to the Alder Creek Adventure Center on busy weekends and holidays. Check the website for schedule. n

Tahoe Donner Cross Country

The nonprofit ski area offers stunning lake views along the trail making it one of the area’s best spots for cross-country skiing. Tahoe XC recorded its earliest season opening this year when the ski area opened on Nov. 11 to passholders. Dogs are allowed on 9km of trails; fat tire bikes are not allowed.

New base lodge | Tahoe XC expects to break ground in 2023 on its new base lodge, which will be relocated next to the North Tahoe High School. The lodge is expected to open in 2025.

The current base lodge, located at a lower elevation that the high school, limits the resort’s ski season as trails from the base area melt faster than other trails in the network. The move next to the high school will allow for access to those higher-elevation Nordic trails, thus expanding the resort’s ski season.

The lodge will be built using the historic Pennoyer/Schilling home built in 1937 at Rubicon Bay. The home was gifted to the nonprofit ski area for use as a base area.

The new lodge will feature rentals, a cafe, lockers and community meeting areas. A capital fundraising campaign is underway. | tahoexclodgeproject.com

Free skiing | Free trail access is offered to those 19 years of age and younger and those 70 and older.

Trail cam | Navigate to the web cams, weather and snow gauge by clicking the camera icon on the top corner of the website. n

Enjoy free access to 11 trails including trails leaving from Wylder Hope Valley, as well as along Highways 88 and 89 including trails to Burnside, Grass and Winnemucca lakes. Trails maps are available at The Ski Shop and online.

Ski lessons | Cross-country ski lessons are offered every Saturday and Sunday through April 1.

Rentals available | Stop by The Ski Shop inside Wylder Hope Valley’s General Store to rent cross-country skis or snowshoes. Joyce Coker, former owner of Hope Valley Outdoors, joined Wylder’s team in 2020, bringing her extensive cross-country and back-country knowledge to the resort. Wylder also offers free

snowshoes for use to lodging guests.

Parking permits | Trail access is free but most of the trailheads are in the Hope Valley Wildlife Area and require a California Department of Fish & Wildlife Lands Pass, which is available online and from participating vendors. There are no permits available at the trailheads. | (800) 565-1458, wildlife.ca.gov

Winnemucca Lake access | The Winnemucca Lake Trail requires a California Sno-Park parking pass available for purchase online or from participating vendors. Permits are not available at the trailhead. | (916) 324-1222, ohv.parks. ca.gov n

William B. Berry

LEGENDARY TAHOE SIERRA SKI JOURNALIST,

PART II

From the 1930s to the early 1960s, when Nevada marketed itself as a destination for quick and easy divorce, journalist William Banks Berry gained a national audience for his scoops on famous Hollywood celebrities, titans of industry, eastern socialites and other rich and famous bourgeois that arrived in the Silver State to move past their unsatisfactory matrimonial lives. Berry was a stringer for several New York City news services and his connections with the divorce ranches that sprouted up around Reno offered a glimpse into the lives of high-profile cultural luminaries American readers are infatuated with.

But despite the widespread professional recognition and lucrative paychecks that Berry earned from the divorce racket, his heart wasn’t into celebrity gossip. His lifelong mission was devoted to skiing, its history and its champions. For everyone who has a passion for winter sports and its talented heroes, Berry laid the groundwork for the mainstream status of the lifestyle today. Shortly after his move to Reno in 1928, he visited Truckee’s Hilltop Lodge winter sports park. Afterward Berry said, “I’ve been in love with skiing in the Sierra either as a competitor or reporter ever since.” Berry was bitten by the ski bug and he became a dynamo in the sport’s early growth in the West. He was a charter member of many regional ski clubs, joining the pioneering Reno Ski Club in 1929. On Oct. 7, 1930, he attended the first meeting of today’s Far West Ski Association in San Francisco. In 1933 he became a member of the Auburn Ski Club (ASC), a highly influential association with political clout that initiated organized skiing in Northern California. When the ASC opened its massive competitive ski jump hill at Cisco along Highway 40, Berry was there to cover all the events. At that time, he began collecting the books, papers, equipment and biographies on skiing that would become cornerstone exhibits for the future Western SkiSport Museum at Boreal Ridge (now Boreal Mountain).

Career covering skiing

Berry began writing ski articles for the United Press in 1934, a time when most media ignored the sport. He was hired by the Sacramento Union the following year where he was promoted to winter

BY MARK MCLAUGHLIN

sports editor. He traded that job for the same position at the Sacramento Bee, a spot he held until his retirement in 1970. Between divorces and ski reporting, Berry’s working day was on call and around the clock.

In his 70-year-long professional journalism career, Berry attended thousands of ski competitions, both Nordic and alpine. He covered the 1932 U.S. Olympic trials held at Granlibakken in Tahoe City, a runup for the 1936 Games at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, where the disciplines of Alpine and Downhill ski racing were first introduced to the Winter Olympics. He reported on the 1950 International Ski Federation (F.I.S.) World Championships at Aspen, Colo., and in 1960 relayed the daily results from the Winter Games at Sq**w Valley (now Palisades Tahoe) for radio stations across Northern California.

In the 1930s, Berry submitted his stories extemporaneously by telephone, dictating to a typist in New York City or Sacramento in a tight narrative derived from scribbled notes and memory. In 1931, he informed the nation that ASC had convinced the California legislature to fund plowing of its mountain highways to give easy access to a winter wonderland that increased tourism to the Tahoe Sierra. His glowing reports of the Golden State’s rapidly growing winter sports industry spread across the country.

Berry seemed to be everywhere at once, showing up for every race he could, sometimes reporting on up to eight events per weekend. In his last year before retirement, he covered more than 100 Far West high-school and intercollegiate ski races on the spot, a record that may never be equaled. Listing the score of all those competitions really added up.

Berry recounted: “I’d get all the results together – written out, they might be 10 feet long – and I’d paste them together and go down to the telegraph office. The girl there would look at it and she’d look at me like she was ready to kill, but those results always got through.”

Berry coins “Lost Sierra”

Born in 1903 in Potsdam, N.Y., by 1916 Berry was a teenage runaway working as a copy boy at the Ottawa Evening Journal in Ontario, Canada. The mechanical superintendent at the newspaper gave the 13-year-old a Linotype keyboard and Berry learned

to set printing type, a skill that would ultimately lead him to the Lost Sierra and 19th-Century longboard racing. In 1931, an editor in Portola called for help with his newspaper’s Linotype machine. On his way, Berry stopped at a general store where he noticed a pair of old, long wooden skis leaning against a wall. He asked around and old timers were soon sharing stories, artifacts and equipment from the region’s largely forgotten longboard era that began in the mid-1850s.

Berry wrote a two-page spread for the Sacramento Union that was picked up by National Geographic. Berry coined the name “Lost Sierra” and used it in the title of his 1991 book, “Lost Sierra; Gold, Ghosts & Skis: Legendary Days of Skiing in the California Mining Camps,” a project financially supported by ASC.

The birth of downhill skiing

Berry’s research into early California ski-racing history led him to write that the Alturas Snow-shoe Club, organized in 1867, was the world’s first association formed for the specific purpose of sponsoring competition and promoting skiing. The news caught the attention of renowned Norwegian ski historian Jakob Vaage, who considered it a spurious claim.

During the 1954 Sierra Nevada Ski Centennial celebration, Vaage and Berry debated which country could claim the world’s first organized ski-racing competitions. The dispute between the

two future U.S. Ski Hall of Fame historians ended when the proud Norwegian grudgingly admitted that the Lost Sierra could be the cradle of organized downhill skiing after all.

Berry also told the world about John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson, a Norwegian immigrant who routinely delivered the mail on skis in the Tahoe Sierra for 20 winters. To honor this intrepid skier who traveled the mountains alone and never got lost, Berry and ASC raised money for the Snowshoe Thompson monument at Boreal Ridge.

In 1976, Norway’s king awarded Berry the St. Olaf Medal for his tireless work in documenting Gold Rush Norwegians who introduced downhill ski racing to the United States.

Berry, who created the Ski Hall of Fame in 1954, was inducted himself in 1976. As the dean of U. S. ski journalism, Berry was called Keeper of America’s Skisport Heritage. He died in Reno on Jan. 23, 1999, shortly before his 96th birthday, working to the end. n

From left, Jacob Vaage and Bill Berry in great debate, circa 1954. | Mark McLaughlin

Read Part I at TheTahoeWeekly.com/history

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the arts

Sierra Native Alliance MMIW Quilt Exhibit

Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District, Truckee, Dec. 28-Jan. 11, 8 a.m., (530) 582-7720, tdrpd.org

Fantastic Planet Virtual Art Faire

MELHOP GALLERY º7077, Zephyr Cove, Dec. 28-31, 10 a.m., melhopgallery.com

Winter in Lake Tahoe

Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, Dec. 28-Jan. 11, 11 a.m., northtahoemuseums.org

At Home: Functional Art in Lake Tahoe Cabins

Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, Dec. 28-Jan. 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., northtahoemuseums.org

Tahoe Transformations Community Exhibit

Gatekeepers Museum, Tahoe City, Dec. 28-Jan. 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., northtahoemuseums.org

Holly Arts Exhibit

North Tahoe Art Center, Kings Beach, Dec. 28-Jan. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.org

Incline Village Knitters Guild

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

11th Annual Holiday Reception

Gallery Keoki, Olympic Valley, Dec. 28, 5 p.m., (530) 414-8500, gallerykeoki.com

Fall Art Exhibit Closing Reception

Tahoe Art League Gallery, South Lake Tahoe, Dec. 30, 11 a.m., (530) 544-2313, talart.org

Fiber Art Friday

South Lake Tahoe Library, South Lake Tahoe, Fridays, 1 p.m., (530) 573-3185, eldoradolibrary.org/hoursand-locations/#south-lake-tahoe

Public Tour

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

1st Fridays

Piper J Gallery, Truckee, 5 p.m., piperjgallery.com

THE makers

Katy Hays

HER ROAD TO NEW YORK TIMES’ BESTSELLER

BY PRIYA HUTNER

find a literary agent or publisher. The people who ultimately end up being published are the people who stick with it long enough that they end up manufacturing their own opportunity. I’m a big believer that in every situation, luck plays some kind of role,” she says. “I think that you have to have a little bit of magic on your side for things to go right.”

She reminds us that if you’re not persistent, haven’t done the work and haven’t kept reading and writing, when the luck comes, you might not be ready.

“I’m a big believer in writing every day, if you can, just even if it’s 50 words or 25 words, just a sentence even,” she says.

She is a voracious reader and points out that it’s essential to read in your genre if you’re a writer. What is Hays reading?

Katy Hay’s debut novel, “The Cloisters,” drew me in almost immediately into the world of divination, deceit, the magic of the tarot and the lengths the characters were willing to go to in the name of ambition.

Hays lives in Olympic Valley and her journey to the New York Times best-seller list is one of tenacity, talent and excellent writing. She teaches at numerous local colleges in the region: Sierra College, Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe and Cerro Coso Community College in the Eastern Sierra.

Writing is no easy feat. Writing a novel and having it published is monumental.

“I have always written. Throughout undergrad and graduate school, I had many beginnings of novels on my computer but never really got past chapter five,” Hays says.

Shortly before the pandemic, Hays set the goal of writing a novel and completing it. She finished her first novel at the end of 2019. Then she says, COVID hit and everything changed. She eventually landed a literary agent.

“We took that novel out on submission in the fall of 2020. And no one wanted to buy it,” Hays says.

It was a huge blow for Hays. She had written a second novel while shopping for a publisher for her first book, but her agent wasn’t interested in that book. It was then that Hays pitched her idea for

“The Cloisters.” Her agent loved the concept and told her to write it. Hays completed the book in 2021 and sold it almost one year after her first book died in the submission process.

Hays explains that when she writes, she is committed to the process. “I’m really driven by deadlines and I stick to those deadlines,” she says.

According to Hays, she writes from 5 to 8 a.m. When she is drafting a story, her target is to write at least 2,000 to 2,500 words a day.

“I think as a writer, I’m really driven by the question: What are we capable of believing? It’s something I’m interested in, whether it’s the tarot, astrology, manifesting or even religion,” she says.

The idea of how atmosphere and environment play a role in a belief system is one that drew Hays to her story.

“I am interested in how atmosphere can influence what we believe in. I approached the novel from that question. I was curious. Under what conditions would someone be able to believe that if they had a deck of tarot cards, it could tell the future. And what would that mean in their lives? It brought up some interesting questions around fate and free will,” she says.

For aspiring writers, Hays says the key is persistence and luck.

“I think that it’s really important for writers to know whether they’re trying to get their work in magazines, that they

“I’ve really been into horror recently. Silvia Moreno Garcia’s ‘Mexican Gothic,’ ‘The Only Good Indians’ by Stephen Graham Jones and Rachel Yoder’s ‘Nightbitch,’” says Hays. “I love ‘White Horse’ by Erika T. Wurth. It’s particularly resonant for readers in the Tahoe Basin.”

Hays also recommends “The Ingenue” by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, which came out the day we spoke. Hays says it’s really good literary suspense.

In addition to skiing, cycling and playing in the outdoors, Hays is an avid baker of cakes. Currently, on her kitchen counter is a lemon poppy seed cake she baked using chef, restaurateur and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe.

“The Cloisters” is packed with intrigue, how far people are willing to go to pursue their ambition and at what cost and provides many twists and turns right up to the end. It was a great read. | katyhays.com n

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

LEFT: Katy Hays | Katy Hays. RIGHT: “The Cloisters.” | Courtesy Simon & Schuster

“

ViceGrip

TAHOE’S WILDEST PARTY BAND

BY SEAN MCALINDIN

Iwould say the Tahoe sound, at least the one we’re creating, is very eclectic and all over the place,” says ViceGrip frontman Jonny Yocum. “But it’s all under rock ‘n’ roll, you know what I mean.”

Yocum and his guitar-playing compadre Ryan Roemer grew up in the West Shore creative community of Tahoma. They’ve played in a number of bands over the years including Liquid Kactus and Moondog Squad. Most recently, they traded guitar licks and one-liners in comedy folk duo The Treebillies where they were known to perform in ghillie suits and giant taco hats.

“It’s like my old bands were Japan and ViceGrip is Godzilla. … My other bands kicked ass, but ViceGrip is on a whole ‘nother level of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s psychedelic, dinostomping, crunchy groove, crazy, raw sh*t.” — Jonny Yocum

A couple years ago, cousin Matt Roemer started joining the jam sessions on bass. They decided to go electric and add in drummer Craig Harriman from psycho-punkbilly group Firechicken. At grill and chill parties, they tested out their new sound on friends.

“We were talking about a name for the band and Craig brought up that he always wanted to have a band called ViceGrip,” says Yocum. “We all laughed about it and we ended up going with it because it sounded raw and powerful.

ViceGrip blends free-form funk, outlaw country, dirty blues, psychedelic rock and heavy metal with technical prowess and rebellious bravado. Their live concerts are more than just music; they are an experience.

“It’s like my old bands were Japan and ViceGrip is Godzilla,” says Yocum. “I’m being serious about that. My other

bands kicked ass, but ViceGrip is on a whole ‘nother level of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s psychedelic, dino-stomping, crunchy groove, crazy, raw sh*t.”

The group plays all original material that they compose from a distinctly local perspective.

“We write songs about the lives we live and stories about Tahoe,” says Yocum. “We’ve all lived here our whole lives. It’s all we have to write about. We’re just super local, you know.”

“Bear Patrol” is a song about dogs chasing bears up trees, something that happens quite often in Tahoma. “Burton Creek Hotel” is a funky country tune about getting busted and spending the night in Tahoe City jail. They’ve got songs about Tahoe Tessie, ultra-potent Tahoma weed, taking the local bus and fishing at the secret spots.

Freestyle rapper Kyle Going is their secret weapon. He helps with songwriting and usually joins as a guest vocalist on one or two songs at each performance. ViceGrip’s next show is at RMU’s ski lab/concert venue in Truckee on New Year’s Eve.

“Our live concerts are intense,” says Yocum. “They’re in your face. They’re exciting. There’s lots of guitar battling and musical interplay. We jam. We’ll usually start in a really bluesy or funky style to warm the crowd up to us and morph genres until we’re at our hard

rock, heavy stuff. Then we unload the full psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll. We suck people in because there is something for everyone — even grandma ends up loving the heavy metal by the end of the night because she went through the whole ViceGrip journey live.”

ViceGrip won the coveted Guitar Strings vs. Chicken Wings band contest at Palisades Tahoe in September.

“It was stiff competition,” says Yocum. “There was a lot of good music there, but we brought the rage.”

Then, in October, Yocum entered the Battle, Axe & Tracks Music Festival guitar challenge in Reno, Nev. Ten shredders battled in 1-minute-20-second solos over a backing band. Yocum came out on top. As a prize, ViceGrip played at the festival later that weekend, opening for Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Samantha Fish.

“I just so happened to kick ass in that, too,” says Yocum. “We’re on a roll. We’re taking over the world.”

ViceGrip’s music can be heard on Facebook or the Instagram handle @wearevicegrip.

“We’ve been around doing this forever in ‘Stayhoma, ‘” says Yocum. “Not a lot of people have known what we’re capable of. ViceGrip is starting to show people that these dudes mean business around here.” | ViceGrip on Facebook n

WORLD JAM

Dec. 31 | Alibi Ale Works | Truckee

BLÜ EGYPTIAN

Formed in quarantine in 2020, Blü Egyptian is a group of friends from Chico who play original bluegrass, rock, funk, Latin and ska. They released EP “Lötus,” a self-titled LP in 2021, followed by “Dame Un Segundo” in 2022. Now they’re bringing their unique act up and down the West Coast with a stop in Truckee to ring in the New Year. | alibialeworks.com

RHYTHM & BLUES Dec. 30-31 | Bar of America | Truckee

BLUESITUDE

Reno-based blues group Bluesitude has one foot in Chicago and another in New Orleans. They are sure to get the crowd dancing with upbeat takes on Motown hits and R&B classics for a New Year’s party in downtown Truckee. | barofamerica.com

ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

Dec. 31 | The Loft | South Lake Tahoe

GROOVE CARTEL

Dance in the New Year at The Loft in Heavenly Village with the captivating and uplifting beats of Reno DJ and producer Groove Cartel who released the

ViceGrip

Blü Eguptian

Bluesitude

house and jungle-inspired EP “The Way You Move” in February. His latest single “Back and Forth” came out in August. | thelofttahoe.com

SOUL FUNK

Dec. 30-31 | Crystal Bay Casino | Crystal Bay, Nev.

THE MOTET

live

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28

Plaza Bar Music Series

The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 2:30 p.m.

Open Mic Night

Donner Creek Brewing, Truckee, 5 p.m.

Mark Mackay Benefit Concert

Truckee Community Art Center, Truckee, 6:45 p.m.

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Tahoe Wine Collective, Tahoe City, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Dusty Green Bones

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 9 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

The Motet w/ Special Guests

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m.

NYE Weekend at Peek Lounge

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

Live Music

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

Joey’s Acoustic Jams

Donner Creek Brewing, Truckee, 9 p.m.

Live Music With Brother Dan Palmer

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

Arty the Party

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

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

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

SATURDAY, DEC. 31

Live Music

Since 1998, Colorado funky, jazzy jam ensemble The Motet have toured the world with their one-of-a-kind dance music. Over the course of nine LPs, they’ve traversed lines between just about every genre. They now celebrate the New Year in Crystal Bay, Nev., with San Francisco soul stars Royal Jelly Jive on Dec. 30 and Los Angeles R&B extraordinaries The Main Squeeze on Dec. 31. | crystalbaycasino.com

THURSDAY, DEC. 29

Plaza Bar Music Series

The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 2:30 p.m.

Open Mic Night

Donner Creek Brewing, Truckee, 5 p.m.

Live Music With Vincenzo Thomas Amato

CB’s Bistro, Carnelian Bay, 6-8 p.m.

Wolves & Friends Live

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

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Tahoe Wine Collective, Tahoe City, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Rustler’s Moon

Bar of America, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Haus of Hunks: Male Revue

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

Groove Session

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 9 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Mickey Avalon

Whiskey Dicks Saloon, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 a.m. Ski Town Throw Down!

Lakeview Social Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, 10 a.m. Brunch + Beats

Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

A Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Lineup

Shops at Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 2 p.m. Plaza Bar Music Series

The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 2:30 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

NYE Dance Party w/ the Blues Monsters

Za’s Lakefront, Tahoe City, 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

“Light up the Night”

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

NYE Weekend at Peek Lounge

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

Live Music

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

Blü Egyptian NYE Jamiriqoui Tribute

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Dueling Pianos

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

The Motet w/ Special Guests

Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, 9 p.m.

GOOGLE MOUNTAIN RESORT ALBUM RELEASE

Tahoma musician Ryan Roemer has released an album by the late Mikey Jay’s band Google Mountain Resort entitled “Mandolin Occupied.” The recordings from 2017 feature Roemer on guitar, his cousin Matt Roemer on bass and Jay on mandolin.

Recorded at Luca Arizu’s home studio in Reno, Nev., the nine folk songs were all written by Jay.

“He had a ton of songs and these are the songs just chosen for the record,” says Roemer. “It’s about all the stuff he’s gone through, the good times, the bad times and everything together. It’s definitely a local kind of vibe. The songs are funny. They’re catchy bluegrass folk songs.”

The album can be heard on streaming services including Spotify and Pandora.

Karaoke Nights

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

FRIDAY, DEC. 30

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 a.m.

Ski Town Throw Down!

Lakeview Social Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, 10 a.m.

Plaza Bar Music Series

The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, 2:30 p.m.

Friday Concert Series

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

Friday Night DJ

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

Apres Ski Fridays

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

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Comedy Night

Tahoe Wine Collective, Tahoe City, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Xxmas Burlesque

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline, 7:30 p.m.

Arty the Party

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

Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall

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

New Years Eve 2023 Ultra Lounge Party

The Loft Theatre, South Lake Tahoe, 9:30 p.m.

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

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

SUNDAY, JAN. 1

Brunch + Beats

Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Sunday Concert Series

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

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

9 Ball Pool Tourney

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

Incline Public House, Incline Village, 6-8 p.m.

TUESDAYS TRUCKEE | 4–5pm Warehouse, 12116 Chandelle Way, Unit 2D WEDNESDAYS K INGS BEACH | 3–4:30pm Community House, 265 Bear St

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

Anyone can pick up a bag and no application, ID, or proof of income is required. Home delivery is available on a case by case basis. To sign-up or cancel, e-mail food@sierracommunityhouse.org or call 530-546-0952 . Check website for updates: SierraCommunityHouse.org

’Tis the Season…

Ryan Roemer

The Motet

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

SUNDAY, JAN. 1 CONT’D

Sunday Bluegrass Jam

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

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Live Band Karaoke

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

Dueling Pianos

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

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

MONDAY, JAN. 2

Open Stage Mondays

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

TUESDAY, JAN. 3

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

Tuesday Night Blues

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

THURSDAY, JAN. 5

Live Music With Vincenzo Thomas Amato

CB’s Bistro, Carnelian Bay, 6-8 p.m.

Wolves & Friends Live

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

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

Rustler’s Moon

Bar of America, Truckee, 8 p.m.

Haus of Hunks: Male Revue

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

Karaoke Nights

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

FRIDAY,

Live Music

JAN. 6

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 a.m.

Friday Concert Series

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

Friday Night DJ

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

Apres Ski Fridays

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

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

Arty the Party

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

Magic After Dark Starring Robert Hall

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

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

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

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

Live Music

Bar of America, Truckee, 9 a.m.

Brunch + Beats

Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Drag Brunch

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

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

Dueling

Pianos

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

Arty the Party

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

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

Live DJ

Bally’s, Stateline, 10 p.m.

Karaoke Nights

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

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

Brunch + Beats

Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Stateline, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Music

Northstar California Resort, Truckee, 2 p.m.

Sunday Concert Series

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

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

9 Ball Pool Tourney

Pete ‘n Peter’s Sports & Spirits, Tahoe City, 6 p.m., (530) 583-2400, petenpeterstahoecity.com

Sunday Bluegrass Jam

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

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

Live Band Karaoke

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

Dueling Pianos

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

MONDAY, JAN. 9

Open Stage Mondays

Truckee Public House, Truckee, 6 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring David Goldrake

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

TUESDAY, JAN. 10

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Tuesday Night Blues

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11

Alex Ramon’s “Magic”

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Magic Fusion Starring Robert Hall

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

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EAT & drink

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

Delicious meals for Nordic ski adventures

& PHOTOS BY PRIYA HUTNER

Iclickinto my Fisher S-Bound 98 cross-country touring skis and glide into the woods. It’s one of my happy places, out in nature, in fresh snow and sunshine.

During the pandemic, I reached out to Jared Manninen, an avid cross-country skier, writer and artist, to help guide my decision about what skis to buy so that I could ski off-piste in the woods. Wider than traditional Nordic skis, these skis are excellent for breaking trail and are perfect for my outdoor adventures.

Cross-country skiing burns a lot of calories, so it’s essential to stay hydrated and carry nutrient-dense foods. Warm lemon water is excellent to pack to help stay hydrated.

Packing light

For a short tour, I use a small pack, filled with a couple of bars and water; leave a little extra space in the bladder so the water doesn’t freeze. I like the RXBAR protein bars, which have only four ingredients and no additives. They pack an energy punch with 12 grams of protein. I also love the taste of SureLife Foods Paleo Bars, which are loaded with nuts and seeds and boast 6 grams of protein. If I am not skiing for a long time, I like to travel light.

Pack for longer treks

For longer treks, I pack nuts, dried fruit, cheese, salami and electrolytes.

My friend Alison Bermant always brings hot tea in a thermos. When she skis, her favorite tea choices are lemon ginger tea, Tazo Passion, rosehip, peppermint tea or combinations thereof. She also packs energy balls, CLIF BLOKS Energy Chews or GU Energy Gel for extra energy.

For a short tour, I use a small pack, filled with a couple of bars and water; leave a little extra space in the bladder so the water doesn’t freeze.

Some days it’s fun to pack a picnic for a more extended sojourn. Kat Terrey loves a picnic on the trail. Her beverage of choice is either Mexican hot chocolate or mulled wine or soup in a thermos. She advocates finding a bench on which to enjoy lunch with friends. Organizing a picnic with ski friends ensures a variety of foods on the menu. Sliced apples and cheese are also nourishing and easy to pack. Terrey packs a bandana to lay out the food and a Swiss army knife to cut up the apples and cheese.

Pack for a moonlight ski

For an evening moonlight cross-country ski, consider a hearty stew, soup or chili in a thermos, along with crusty sourdough. A flask of whiskey or thermos of hot toddies is delightfully warming on an evening ski adventure. Skiing to a warming hut can make dinner cozier.

Pack the protein

Sandwiches are easy to prepare and travel with. Think gourmet sandwiches if you want to make the ski trip a more memorable foodie experience. While I love a good PBJ on toasted bread, a brie sandwich with thinly sliced apple or pears, prosciutto and fig jam on toasted sourdough or ciabatta is satisfying while skiing.

Protein is queen when burning calories. Pack a gourmet steak sandwich with sauteed red peppers, onions and provolone cheese on an Italian sub roll or prepare a roast beef sandwich with horseradish, mayo, arugula and thinly sliced cheddar cheese. Hummus vegetable wraps are easy to prepare and lightweight.

I had a friend who purchased instant chocolate pudding for an outdoor excursion. She had it made in minutes and it was a delicious way to top off a meal.

For a more involved outing, bring a backpacking stove and fuel. Cook up dinner on the trail. Be green and pack

cloth napkins and backpacking utensils. Packing a picnic is just one of the many ways in which to enjoy your time in the outdoors. Uplevel your ski experience and have a good time dining with friends on the trail. n

RAMEN BOWLS IN A THERMOS

SERVES 2

FROM THE KITCHEN OF PRIYA HUTNER

4 C water

½ C miso paste (I like white miso)

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled & sliced about ¼-inch thick

1 T dried wakame seaweed

1 piece dried kombu

3 scallions, sliced

2 T soy sauce or tamari

1 t toasted sesame oil

1 brick tofu, cubed

2 t butter

2 packages of ramen noodles or vermicelli rice noodles

Add water, onion, carrots and wakame to a boil in a large stock pot. Add half of scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Put the miso paste in a bowl, add hot water, mix well and add back into the pot. Mix well. Simmer on low heat. Adjust to desired taste with rest of soy, sesame oil and more miso paste, if needed.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot and add 2 t butter and 1 T soy sauce and sear cubed tofu until browned on all sides. Set aside. Boil water for ramen noodles, cook according to the package and rinse with cold water. Put noodles and tofu in a thermos and add miso soup and the remaining scallions.

STORY

LEFT: Nordic ski touring. RIGHT: Assorted bars and tea for Nordic outing. | Priya Hutner

Perfect pairings

RITZ-CARLTON & THE GOOD WOLF BREWING

& PHOTOS BY PRIYA HUTNER

Arecent

outing to Manzanita at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe in Truckee featured a beautiful evening with delicious food and a unique brew pairing by The Good Wolf brewing company with each course. I arrived early to settle in with Alyssa Ganong to attend the evening event. Our first stop was in the bar for a cocktail. I enjoyed a Manzanita Old-Fashioned and Alyssa opted for the Ritz-Carlton’s twist on a Cosmo.

There were eight of us for dinner hosted in their private back room. Austin Harrington of The Good Wolf in Truckee illuminated many of the unique aspects of the brewery. The table was laid out with hops used in The Good Wolf’s brewing process. The brewers also forage juniper and other local items that enhanAce the flavors of their beers and ciders. Harrington passed around a jar of hops for each of us to smell. It had a strong, pungent, earthy aroma. Our first course was an Ahi Tuna Tartar layered with sesame, avocado miso aioli and Fresno chilis. Harrington paired the appetizer with The Good Wolf’s Boca Gold, a light and crisp California Golden Lager. Harrington pointed out that the brew was a revival recipe of California’s first lager, brewed in the area more than 150 years ago. It was refreshing and light. I love a light, easy-drinking beer and enjoy a good lager.

The ahi appetizer was delicious and we were off and tasting. The second course was an outrageously scrumptious Crispy Brussel Sprouts dish served with crispy

chopped pancetta and a maple sherry reduction topped with Marcona almonds. Did I like this? It was divine.

Harrington paired this with a Lorelei craft beer lager apple cider hybrid. The Good Wolf uses apples harvested from Barsotti Farms. It wasn’t too sweet like some ciders. A forkful of Brussels sprouts followed by a sip of cider and I was in heaven.

The main course was a sliced Duck Breast with a balsamic glaze and a butternut squash puree, with beets and carrots. This was paired with The Good Wolf’s Forbidden Temple, tart cherry pie ale. It was a perfect pairing to accompany dinner.

Dessert was a Chocolate Cremieux prepared with Guanaja Valrhona dark chocolate, Amarena, chocolate crumble and raspberry sorbet. Rich and decadent this dessert was a chocolate lover’s heaven. Dessert was served with The Good Wolf’s Sleep Drifter coffee porter brewed with Dark Horse Coffee. In addition to lagers, I love a good porter and this porter did not disappoint.

Harrington did an excellent job pairing The Good Wolf brews with each course. I had a delightful evening and loved hearing about the brewing process, the foraging and the love of beer that was evident throughout. It never occurred to me to pair beers with high-end gourmet dining. I’d do it all over again. | ritzcarlton.com, thegoodwolfbrewing.com n

STORY

Crispy Brussel Sprout dish served with crispy chopped pancetta and a maple sherry reduction topped with Marcona almonds | Priya Hutner

DORINDA’S OPENS IN TRUCKEE

Dorinda’s Chocolate has returned to its roots in Truckee, reopening a location at 10191 Donner Pass Road. Dorinda’s was created by Dorinda Vance in 2009, with her first storefront located in Truckee. Since then, Dorinda’s has expanded to storefronts in Reno, Nev., and is now carried at many other locations, as well. The Truckee location will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. | dorindaschocolates.com

NEW SOMMELIER FOR SUGAR BOWL

The Dining Room at Sugar Bowl Resort’s Village Lodge has hired a new sommelier, Clay Reynolds, who has implemented a new wine list. Diners can watch chairlifts spin as they enjoy their meal or take in the sunset while sipping a glass of wine. The Dining Room recently reopened with a new menu but retained the Old-World charm. | sugarbowl.com

STELLA WELCOMES

NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF

Stella inside Gravity Haus Truckee-Tahoe in Truckee hired a new executive chef, Chris Watkins, who took the helm in November. Watkins brings decades of experience and innovation to the 49-seat, farm-focused restaurant. He is currently shaping the progressive menu with regionally sourced seafood, ranch fare, California produce and surprise elements.

The upcoming menu will highlight locally farmed sweet and savory, fermented, black garlic served as an aioli with seared Spanish octopus, crispy fried fingerlings and sake-cured cucumber. | gravityhaus.com

GINGERBREAD VILLAGE ON DISPLAY

The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nev., has its gingerbread village on display now at the resort. The display has created by Pastry Chef Jeremy Moore and his team.

This year’s display showcases a snow village with snowy cottages and a train. The structure features more than 252 pounds of marshmallows, 110 pounds of powdered sugar, 83 pounds of butter, 80 pounds of flour, 32 pounds of Rice Krispies, 30 pounds of eggs, 26 pounds of brown sugar and more.

For Chef Moore’s tips and a recipe for creating a gingerbread house at home, visit TheTahoeWeekly.com/eat.

Clay Reynolds | Sugar Bowl

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe

Dorinda’s Chocolates

Chris Watkins | Stella