TAHOE WINTER WONDERLAND OF FUN

The Tahoe Sierra offers a smorgasbord of winter fun activities for all ages and abilities, including for those that don’t ski.

To make the most of your time in Tahoe (even if you’re a local), I suggest tackling my 16th Ultimate Tahoe Winter Bucket List. From skiing to snowshoeing, to sledding and snow angels, local events to competing in races, there’s something for everyone and hopefully at least a few things you didn’t know you could do in Tahoe.

Every bucket list is different. I try to pepper in new adventures along with classic outings and even some tips for how to be a steward of Tahoe. One winter bucket list item I’ve featured many times through the years is the first one – skiing all 16 downhill areas in the region in one season. I know there must be at least a few of you that have accomplished this feat, but to date no one has reached out to me to claim that title.

If you tackle No. 1 or any other items from the Bucket List, be sure to tag us @thetahoeweekly #thetahoeweekly. The person who tackles the most Bucket List items by the end of March (you’ll have to post photos and tag us as proof), will win a prize from Tahoe Weekly. Check out my past bucket lists at TheTahoeWeekly. com/bucket-list.

Sledding woes continue

Sledding is a winter rite of passage for kids. I remember my brother spending hours after every snowstorm building us the ultimate sledding course as kids.

Ken would head out in the morning to build a sledding lane from the top of a hill in our yard that meandered through trees and rocks, complete with an ice bridge that traversed our driveway, down another hill and continuing deep into the forest. My sister Michelle, Ken and I (along with all the neighborhood kids) would spend every moment sledding it until it melted.

Building a backyard sledding lane is still a fun family activity, but our region also offers scores of safe, sledding areas from groomed lanes at local resorts to SnoParks with parking. But, for some reason, many visitors head to non-designated sledding areas off the sides of highways and Interstate ramps, park illegally along roadways blocking traffic, sled in contaminated snow (with fuel, oil, road salt and trash), and sled into busy roadways endangering everyone. Then, many leave behind piles of broken sleds, doggie bags and trash.

Local officials have tried to address these issues through visitor education and outreach, providing corrals to collect broken sleds and spending countless dollars to collect trash, but the problems continue as Priya Hutner writes in her story “Sledding trash, traffic persists” as part of our annual Family Fun Guide.

If you’re looking to spend the day sledding, I urge you to visit one of our tubing areas. You can find a list in this edition in our Winter Family Fun chart or at TheTahoeWeekly.com/winter.

Most provide you with tubes or sleds, groomed lanes and some will take you back to the top of the hill. Many also offer hot chocolate and snacks, music and night sessions. Leah Pivirotto also shares the best spots for little ones in her story “Winter fun for babies & toddlers.”

E. Hill

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

TheTahoeWeekly.com @TheTahoeWeekly

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

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On The Cover

A family enjoys a day skiing at Northstar California with view of Lake Tahoe. Northstar celebrates its 50th anniversary this season with a weekend of events on tap from Jan. 27 to 29; details in this edition. As well, skiing at Northstar during the 50th anniversary season is No. 5 on our Ultimate Tahoe Winter Bucket List in this edition. | Northstar California

Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years

Fed By: 63 streams and 2 hot springs

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

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

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

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

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

Average Snowfall: 409 inches (10.4 m)

Permanent Population: 70,000

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

Email anne@tahoethisweek.com for details

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

LAKE CLARITY:

2021: 61 feet avg. depth (18.6 m)

1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet (31.21 m)

AVERAGE DEPTH: 1,000 feet (304 m)

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

VOLUME: 39 trillion gallons (147.6 trillion liters)

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

NATURAL RIM: 6,223’ (1,897 m)

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

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

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